Health Leadership Program Alumni members making an impact in the region
Warren Daniels, CADC II, ICADC, CCJP (Class II) is the chief executive officer at Community Recovery Resources. Warren has been working with his organization and numerous others toward developing a campus concept for the provision of substance dependence and behavioral health services, utilizing multidisciplinary levels of professionals providing multifaceted programming focused on healing and strengthening the family.
This model is a local solution for Northern California rural communities today and a national model for tomorrow. These campuses ideally will be placed on three- to five-acre parcels and will be administered by a local community foundation. They will utilize the provision of medical services and screening, coupled with psychiatric services and traditional substance abuse and behavioral health services, which will lower health care costs and increase public safety. Ultimately campuses will decrease the impact substance dependence has on the individual, family and society as a whole. The first one will be built in Nevada County and is slated to break ground in late summer or fall 2010. A USC graduate class from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development in Sacramento created the first case study on the project a few years ago.
As the finance chairman for the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium, Warren is also part of a group that is working with the UN to establish global regions for adopting and developing the profession of addiction counseling, which would be culturally specific to the individual regions. For more information, contact Warren at warren@corr.us.
Khani Gustafson (Class III) is managing a new CBO Capacity Building program as a result of one of her innovation proposals. California Institute for Mental Health (CiMH) was awarded a small three-year funding contract through DMH to assist ethnic and cultural CBOs to build their capacity. If you are interested in partnering and learning more, contact Khani at the CiMH Center for Multicultural Development at kgustafson@cimh.org.
Leona Jull (Class III) is working to impact homelessness through the SOAR Project, taking the lead in bringing an important and valuable tool to the community as Yolo County engaged in developing a 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness.
The SOAR Project is an SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery project to specifically help homeless disabled individuals apply for and receive benefits they may be eligible for, ultimately giving them income to find housing and escape homelessness. This may be a solution for some of the people who are most impaired by mental illness as other resources evaporate. Leona had the opportunity to be trained by the curriculum author, Yvonne Perret, at a training in New Mexico. The project has achieved a national average outcome of 71 percent approval of applicants in 89 days. As Leona planned trainings for the community and the surrounding area, she became keenly aware of the need for this kind of training. She had 85 people registered within 10 days and scheduled additional trainings.
This project benefits the entire health community. Individuals receive income and access health care benefits, hospitals can recoup lost revenue for medical care provided up to 90 days prior for individuals who are determined eligible, and service providers see improved outcomes for housing and accessing health care for clients most in need. Hospitals across the nation have reported an average of $200,000 in reimbursable past medical expenses for patients determined eligible, and some have seen a return on investment as high as 14:1. Most importantly, clients will see the benefits of escaping homelessness and accessing health care at a rate never imagined possible. For more information, contact Leona, executive director, Yolo Wayfarer Center, at ljull@ywcmission.org.
Bill Locker (Class III) is working to keep kids healthy and active. As president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo, he is involved with several health initiatives with the Anthem Foundation.
Through nutrition classes and finding ways to keep kids physically active, the initiatives impact the lives of more than 400 kids each day at two locations. For more information, contact Bill at bill@bgccam.org.
Val Martinez (Class VII) works on energy programs and is a board member of Energy OutWest, where she works as part of a consortium of state energy officials, local weatherization contractors and energy consultants to organize and hold the Energy OutWest Western Region Weatherization Training Conference. The group represents Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon, and holds a training conference in the region every two years for crews, program managers and administrative staff. The 2010 conference was held May 3-7 in Reno and was an important and timely training opportunity for agencies providing energy efficiency and home repair services for low-income households in the region under the Department of Energy Stimulus Program.
As a member of the State of California Department of Community Services and Development's Energy Council, Val also is working with affordable-housing advocates to coordinate energy efficiency and home repair services for low-income households throughout California. Their mutual goals are to improve health and safety conditions, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. For more information, contact Val at valmartinez@rcaa.org.
Maureen Price (Class I) and Joe Hejl (Class VIII) have been working on a collaborative project for the past five years that is beginning to gain traction, and they would like to get input, comments and resource suggestions from others.
The project is the Juvenile Hall Targeted Reentry Project. As a result of a partnership with Butte County Probation and Juvenile Hall, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley opened a club in a pod within Juvenile Hall.
The goal of the program is to reduce recidivism rates by providing incarcerated juveniles with resources and supports while they are in the hall, and to help them through the re-entry and reintegration process after release. There are community-based teen centers in Chico, Paradise and Oroville. Staff from those sites rotate into the hall on a weekly basis so they can build relationships with incarcerated youth and increase the likelihood that the released youth will attend the Boys & Girls Club Teen Centers when they get out. Not only are project members seeing a significant decrease in violent behavior in the hall as a result of the club there, they are beginning to see a decrease in recidivism. A two-year grant has expired and project members recently applied for OJJDP mentoring funds. For more information about this project or to provide input or suggestions, contact Maureen at mprice@bgcnv.org or Joe at jhejl@bgcnv.org.
Rogelio Villagrana, J.D. (Class VII) is the regional assistant director at the UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program. This summer he begins a partnership that will help enhance the college-going culture in Woodland through the Pioneer High School Academic and Leadership Summer Academy. The UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program, which is part of the Department of Academic Preparation Programs, and Pioneer High School will sponsor this academy filled with engaging curriculum, exposing select incoming ninth-grade students to the various options available beyond high school.
This challenging academic experience aims to prepare students for success in high school and set the foundation for success in college. The courses are chosen to reflect the needs of students and the unique resources of Yolo County. Students in the academy take challenging algebra and English courses to prepare them for the upcoming academic year and for the California High School Exit Exam. The academy also provides tutoring, pre-college advising, youth and leadership development, and an opportunity to visit a college campus. The goal is to serve between 75 and 100 students. For more information, contact Rogelio at rvillagrana@ucdavis.edu.
May 2010