“When I came to Caminar in September of 2019, it was as a full-time staff psychiatrist. I had spent my most recent career as an administrator/clinician in the jail and prison system in Northern California. I was a bit bruised and battered (psychologically) and somewhat burned out. Caminar reawakened in me the joy of helping people to become healthy, happy, and successful in their lives. It is an organization with a well-gained reputation for working with people where they’re at in a large culturally and ethnically diverse community. This was exactly the kind of work to which I have always aspired. In May of 2020, I was promoted to be the medical director of Caminar and became responsible for maintaining, reinforcing, and building further the psychiatric medical delivery system in a multidisciplinary, collegial manner in the midst of the COVID pandemic. The challenges have been immense but none too large to manage, thanks to the many partners who have helped along the way. The pandemic has had an effect on mental health, and Caminar has continued to be on the front lines of making a difference thanks to excellent leadership and infrastructure support.”
-Mark Ritchie, MD, Caminar Medical Director
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