CAMINAR PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR RACIAL EQUITY

Caminar is pleased to announce we are a proud signatory of the Nonprofit Racial Equity Pledge.

 A collective of Bay Area nonprofits working towards racial justice, spearheaded by the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), crafted this pledge.

 "As members of this community and as nonprofit leaders, we both recognize these inequities and commit to action for racial justice. We pledge to take anti-racist stances in our community, and to incorporate core values of racial equity, inclusion, and diversity in our organizations."

We invite you to sign the pledge here. Both individual and organizational signatories are welcomed.

Caminar’s Butte County Base Camp Village Offers Housing for Homeless and Mentally Ill

In March, Caminar purchased Base Camp Village, a permanent supported housing complex in Oroville, CA, located in Butte County. The property was recently built by non-profit organization Base Camp Village. Individuals from the Butte County Sherriff’s Work Alternative Program helped build the complex, which Caminar purchased through a Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) grant. 

In April, all 11 units in the property were filled with tenants selected from the Butte County Coordinated Entry System. All tenants are clients of Butte County Department of Mental Health.   

A property manager lives on site. In addition to the 11 units, the complex has a community room, a property manager’s unit and office, a counseling office, and a laundry room.   

The Enterprise Record reported on this project in February.  

A note from Mark: We are all in this together

March 31, 2020

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones healthy. 

As you well know, we’ve been sheltering in place in the Bay Area for two weeks now. The gravity of the situation is beginning to sink in for many people, many of whom are experiencing a range of complicated emotions. 

As our former board member, sportscaster Ted Robinson, succinctly shared via Twitter recently: 

“As we fight this physical threat, the country must provide needed mental health resources. Mental health will be a very real challenge in this new world. Sincere hope that the experts will be given a platform to address all of us.”

Indeed, the mental health toll of this public health crisis is very real and will likely persist beyond the physical health threat of COVID-19. 

Please remember you are not alone in any feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, stress, grief, anger, loneliness, or any other emotions you may be experiencing as a result of our current reality. These are unprecedented times, and the emotional roller coaster you or your loved ones may be feeling is normal and common.

One of our clinicians recently wrote, 

“The clients I was most concerned about, the ones with intense anxiety, were handling it better than expected. They all told me they felt they weren’t alone in their anxiety. Where they once felt isolated with intense feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty, they now realize everyone else has the same feelings and ‘we’re in this together.’ I reminded them this is resilience and a coping strategy that we can all learn from.”

I hope you can find your own resilience in knowing you are not alone. We are all in this together. Please look after your mental health and the mental health of your friends and family. I have included many resources at the bottom of this email that may be helpful.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our divisions. We appreciate you and wish for you good physical and mental health. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.

Take good care of yourselves,

Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer

From Our CEO: Update on COVID-19 and Mental Health Resources

March 25, 2020

Dear Friends,

I hope you are faring well and staying healthy during this time. As a public health professional, I want to add my voice of support to our public health leaders who are communicating the importance of sheltering at home and other strict containment measures. The goal of these measures is to “flatten the curve” so that the number of people needing acute medical care does not exceed our healthcare systems’ capacity to provide that critical care.

I appreciate your ongoing support of Caminar and all the recent messages of encouragement I’ve received. Given the positive response, I will continue to provide updates on Caminar’s response to the COVID-19 situation, as well as resources for you to protect your own mental health in these uncertain times.  

As you know, all of us at Caminar and our divisions provide essential behavioral health services to our most vulnerable neighbors. We are working every day for our community, and are evolving our processes and protocols as the current public health situation warrants. 

We have daily coronavirus task force meetings and constant communications throughout the organization. In the last couple of weeks, we quickly shifted to telehealth services, using email, the phone, or videoconferencing, for the majority of our client meetings. Some clients still do require an in-person meeting, and our offices and residential facilities have strict health screening protocols in place for all employees and clients each time they enter a Caminar property. Our team continues to provide best-in-class, compassionate, and science-based support to our clients. 

While this is a scary time, I am heartened hearing how our clients are using coping skills to manage their conditions. A clinician from our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley division recently shared:

“I’ve had a few clients who are finding this period of distress as teaching them to ‘be’ with themselves and learning patience. Slowing down has been new for them, and it is also teaching them to seek ways to ground themselves. Overall, it has been a period of getting to ‘know themselves’ and being ‘okay’ in the present moment. There’s a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to become centered.”

I do hope you can find a way to become “okay” in the present moment, as well. I want to remind you to continue to look after your own mental health and the mental health of your loved ones. The following are several resources that may be helpful as you navigate our current situation.

General Coronavirus Resources

California Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response: a comprehensive website with resources and information for all Californians

California Local Information: links to coronavirus information for each California county

CDC Coronavirus Information: detailed information, resources, and updates from the CDC

Mental Health Tips

Caminar Facebook and Twitter: regular posts about resources for managing stress

 Virus Anxiety: resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty

Mental Health Crisis Hotlines

2-1-1 Bay Area

Butte County Crisis Hotline
1-800-334-6622

San Francisco County Crisis Hotline
1-415-781-0500 or 1-800-273-8255

San Mateo County Crisis Hotline
1-650-579-0350

Santa Clara County Crisis Hotline
1-855-278-4204 

Solano County Crisis Hotline
1-707-428-1131

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line
Text “HOME” to 741741

Please stay healthy and don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. Our team can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.

Most sincerely,
Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH  
Chief Executive Officer

A Note from Our CEO on COVID-19 and Mental Health Services

March 17, 2020

Dear Friends,

In the face of the rapidly-evolving coronavirus outbreak and current shelter-in-place order in many Bay Area counties, I sincerely hope you are all well. You may be concerned about how this is impacting Caminar and the most vulnerable members of our community, and I want to share our response. 

Caminar and our divisions are considered essential services and will continue to operate during this time. Our team is committed to providing compassionate and science-based support to all of our clients and will continue to make this our priority as we adapt to this very fluid situation. Our clinical staff spent today contacting all clients and will shift meetings to phone calls where appropriate. Clients for whom an in-person meeting is essential will be screened for infection before receiving mental health care. 

We recognize this is an unsettling time for many community members. We urge you to look after your own mental health and the mental health of your loved ones as we navigate this unfamiliar territory. We regularly share tips to reduce stress and anxiety through Facebook and Twitter. 

Should you need additional mental health support, please reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. 

2-1-1 Bay Area 

Butte County Crisis Hotline
1-800-334-6622

San Francisco County Crisis Hotline
1-415-781-0500 or 1-800-273-8255 

San Mateo County Crisis Hotline
1-650-579-0350

Santa Clara County Crisis Hotline
1-855-278-4204

Solano County Crisis Hotline
1-707-428-1131

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line
Text “HOME” to 741741

Please be well, stay healthy, and do let us know if you have any questions. Our team can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.

Most sincerely,

Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH  
Chief Executive Officer

#GratitudeTuesday: Why we're thankful for you

Because of you, Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley and Project Ninety divisions combined to transform the lives of 20,000 youth and adults this year with prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Thank you!

Today is #GivingTuesday, a day focused on giving back to our communities. We're celebrating #GratitudeTuesday, a day that comes from the heart. We are grateful for you. 

Please enjoy this short message of appreciation from our CEO, Mark Cloutier:

Thank you for your commitment to the well-being and health of our most vulnerable neighbors. Sending you best wishes for a joyous holiday season.

Suicide Prevention Month: We can all help prevent suicide

We can all help prevent suicide. Each year, mental health organizations and individuals across the U.S. and around the world raise awareness of suicide prevention during September, National Suicide Prevention Month. During this month, we also observe National Suicide Prevention Week (September 8-14) and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). The goal of this month and these efforts is to empower everyone in the community to help prevent suicide.

In San Mateo County, San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services and the Suicide Prevention Committee is partnering with libraries and community agencies in San Mateo County to host 12 events and promote a social media campaign. This initiative aims to equip individuals with words and resources to support people who may be thinking about suicide. Events include support groups, informational presentations, day of prayer, film screenings, craft workshops and lived experience speakers. You may download the calendar of events here.

In Santa Clara County, Behavioral Heath Services is hosting and Mental Health and Wellness Fair on September 13 and also highlights many other important suicide awareness and prevention events on their website.

In addition to helping to amplify the important messages of suicide prevention that will be shared this month, we encourage all to know the three steps to support someone in a serious mental health crisis:

1. Know the signs of someone who is having suicidal thoughts

2. Kind the words to have a direct conversation with them

3. Reach out for help

If you or someone you know considering suicide, please reach out to these 24/7 crisis hotlines:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

• National Crisis Text Line: Text “Home” to 741741

• San Mateo County/ StarVista Crisis Hotline: 650-579-0350

• Butte County Behavioral Health Crisis Line (Butte County): 1-800-334-6622 or 530-891-2810

• Solano County Crisis Line: 707-428-1131

• San Francisco Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: 415-781-0500 or 1-800-273-8255

• Santa Clara County Suicide & Crisis Hotline: 1-855-278-4204

Caminar Connections Spring 2019 Edition

We are pleased to share with you our spring edition of edition of Caminar Connections, our newsletter highlighting all that our supporters help to make possible for people in our communities in need.

This newsletter shares highlights of our 2018 Annual Report, including our fiscal year 2018 statement of financials, highlights, and impact. In addition, this edition features the story of Eddrena, who with the help of Caminar’s Supported Housing Program, has finally found a safe place to call home, heal from past trauma, and move forward in health and wellness.

Thank you to all of our supporters and donors who help to provide life-changing services to individuals and families as they move toward resilience, wellness, and independence. 

Caminar Welcomes Mark Cloutier as CEO

Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH

After an extensive search, the Board of Directors is excited to announce that Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH, has joined Caminar as CEO as of January 31, 2019.

Mark brings a unique set of skills and experience to his role at Caminar. With Master’s degrees in public policy and public health, he has extensive experience in leadership roles in esteemed nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the Bay Area, including Horizons Services, San Francisco Foundation, the Center for Youth Wellness, Kaiser Family Foundation, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Mark has dedicated his career to increasing access to quality health and supportive services and improving communities’ overall health and well-being.

Mark says, “Improving the health of communities begins with understanding the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinants of health in predisposing individuals, families and communities to poor mental health and physical health outcomes. Caminar is in a unique position to address the comprehensive needs of individuals, families and communities though our trauma informed, evidence based clinical services and our collaborations with government, nonprofit and community institutions to focus on and remedy root causes.”

Read today’s press release announcing Mark’s appointment here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We hope your 2019 is off to a wonderful start.

Your support makes so much possible for our clients, including the opportunity to express and heal themselves through the arts. This beautiful photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken by a client in our Expressive Arts program, which offers group workshops with Teaching Artists, including world-renowned photographer Michael Collopy.

Bridges are rich in symbolism, emblematic of connections, progress, and transitions. This photo represents the photographer's personal journey of wellness and recovery, made with the help of Caminar, while also invoking the journeys of clients and their families across our organization, and even our own.

2018 was a year of great connections and progress for Caminar, including the acquisition of Healthy Partnerships in May and the merger with Project Ninety in June. Combined with the merger with Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley in 2017, we have greatly strengthened our capacity agency-wide to support and empower the complex needs of the most marginalized local individuals and families as they move toward resilience, wellness, and independence.

Last year, thanks to the generosity and compassion of our donors, we served more than 20,000 individuals on their journeys toward progress and positive transitions.

Throughout the year, we look forward to sharing with you more stories about the life-changing services you help to make possible. Our 2018 Annual Report will be ready next month. And, we have great transitions on the horizon, including introducing and welcoming a new CEO to Caminar soon. Stay tuned!

Please mark your calendar for our 16th Annual Circle of Support Luncheon on April 26, 2019, in Menlo Park. The event will feature David Sheff, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction.

A Look Back at 2018

With 2019 fast approaching, we look back on Caminar's impact in 2018.

Because of the generosity of our donors and funders, more than 20,000 people last year made progress in overcoming major life challenges and moved toward greater resilience, wellness, and independence. 

From all of us at Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, Healthy Partnerships, and Project Ninety divisions, thank you!

Michael Finds Resilience with the help of Integrated Health Care

With the help of Bridges to Wellness, our integrated primary and behavioral health care program, Michael* has a new-found healthy lifestyle and is working on remaining stable and resilient through life’s up and downs.

Over a year ago, Michael, who is in recovery for severe mental illness, was connected to Bridges to Wellness by his mental health case manager. He received an alarming wake-up call when the Bridges to Wellness nurse reviewed with him the initial wellness lab test results. In addition to having extremely high levels of cholesterol, Michael was pre-diabetic. Smoking 40 cigarettes a day also was affecting his health.

Motivated by the test results, Michael decided to make changes in his life. With the support of the nurse, he set wellness goals and created a plan. Encouraged by the Bridges to Wellness team, Michael began taking daily walks, which he found reduced his urge to smoke. Through the program’s smoking cessation group, he learned effective strategies, connected with peer support, and eventually quit smoking completely.

Using his savings on cigarettes, Michael joined a local gym, where he works out most days. Now he is maintaining a healthy body weight and his cholesterol and glucose levels are within a healthy range.

Michael is feeling, breathing, and looking better now than he can remember. His own determination and resilience, along with support from our mental health and Bridges to Wellness program professionals, have helped him enjoy a healthier quality of life.

With philanthropic investment, we aim to expand these integrated health services to reach more clients in San Mateo and Solano counties and to add services in Santa Clara and Butte counties.

* Name changed to protect client privacy

Offering Support for the Butte Region

As our Butte Region team members work diligently to support our clients and their families impacted by the devastating Camp Fire, we feel just how precious a community of support truly is. Our hearts go out to all who are affected by our state's wildfires. We are filled with gratitude for everyone working on the ground to support safety.
 
Caminar’s history of service in Butte County began in the mid-1970s in Paradise, with the operation of a 12-bed transitional residential home, Creekside, for people with severe mental illness. Creekside closed in 1983 due to changes in mental health funding, yet Caminar’s service to Butte County’s communities has continued and grown.
 
Today, 29 staff members serve more than 250 local residents annually. Our clients work in Caminar-run businesses that serve their neighbors, including the Sensible Cyclery, which refurbishes and resells bicycles, and Pro-Touch, which provides cleaning and landscaping services for local businesses. Our Friendship Circle brings together people with developmental disabilities for social activities and field trips in the community. The Avenida Apartments provide permanent supportive housing for people living with serious mental health conditions, helping to ensure these neighbors avoid homelessness. Through Jobs Plus, young adults and adults reenter the workforce in meaningful jobs, with the on-the-job coaching they need and deserve to succeed.

If you would like to help our Caminar Butte community begin to move forward and recover from this disaster, specific items are needed, including

• Blankets

• Toiletries – soap, shampoo, conditioner, combs, brushes, lotion, lip balm, etc.

• Jackets – various adult sizes

• Gloves

• Beanies

• Socks – all sizes, adults

If you are interested in donating these items, please contact our development office at 650.513.1509 or development@caminar.org.

If you prefer to donate cash, so needed items may be purchased, please go to https://www.caminar.org/donate and put “Butte” in the “Tell us why you donated” box.

To download a flyer with this information, please click here.

Thank you for your compassion and kindness for our Caminar community in the Butte Region. 

One Warm Coat and Caminar Will Make a Difference

Caminar is grateful to be included as one of One Warm Coat’s registered agencies to distribute coats to people who we serve who are in need. With colder weather coming, a warm coat can help make a warmer, healthier winter for someone in your local community.

Does your organization want to make a difference this season? Consider holding a coat drive! One Warm Coat makes it easy and Caminar would love to partner with you to distribute the coats to those in need. Check out all the resources you need to hold your own drive in six easy steps.

One Warm Coat is a national non-profit organization that works to provide a free, warm coat to any person in need. One Warm Coat supports individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country by providing the tools and resources needed to hold a successful coat drive. Coats are distributed in the communities where they were collected, to children and adults in need, without charge, discrimination or obligation. Since One Warm Coat’s inception in 1992, they have worked with our volunteers to host more than 27,000 coat drives and have given away more than 5 million coats.

We look forward to helping those in need and warming our community this winter...one coat at a time.

For more information on how to partner with Caminar on a coat drive, please contact our Development Department at 650.513.1509 or development@caminar.org.     

Mental Health Awareness Month

The month of May marks Mental Health Awareness Month. As you may know, mental health challenges are quite common.

In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH),

• Approximately 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness.

• Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 have or previously had a mental disorder.

• 1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.

• 2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.

• 6.9% of adults in the U.S.—16 million—had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

• 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.

• Among the 20.2 million adults in the U.S. who experienced a substance use disorder, 50.5%—10.2 million adults—had a co-occurring mental illness.

Unfortunately, research shows that many people do not reach out for support.

This May, let’s bring awareness to this important health issue and encourage friends, family, and colleagues to better understand the significance of mental health. Here are a couple of resources to start the conversation:

• Each Mind Matters Mental Health Flyer
• Each Mind Matters Mental Health Support Guide
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Top 25 HelpLine Resources
• MentalHealth.gov, one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information

Together, we can support those who most need it and ensure no one feels alone in their mental health journey.

Caminar Achieves Another Three-Year CARF Accreditation

We are pleased to report to that Caminar has been re-issued CARF accreditation for a period of three years for the following services:

• Community Employment Services: Employment Supports
• Community Employment Services: Job Development
• Employment Planning Services
• Assertive Community Treatment: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Adults)
• Case Management/ Services Coordination: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Adults)
• Community Integration: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Adults)
• Crisis Stabilization: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Adults)
• Residential Treatment: Mental Health (Adults)

By pursuing and achieving accreditation, Caminar has demonstrated that it meets international standards for quality and is committed to pursuing excellence. 

This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows our organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality. 

We are delighted that CARF surveyors identified many areas of strength. To list just a few:
 
“The staff members at Caminar are an inspiration for the work they do on a daily basis. They are strong believers in the rights of persons served and demonstrate this to the clients on a regular basis.”
 
“Clients stated that they appreciate the staff and the services. One person said that she is grateful for the services because, without them, she would have been living in her car and been without income. All clients interviewed spoke of their satisfaction with the services provided.”
 
“All clients said that staff members are warm, welcoming, energetic, respectful, and engaging… Caminar seems to do very well at hiring staff with both skills and heart.”
 
“A strength of Caminar is the large array of services that it provides. This allows continuity of care that clearly promotes the recovery of clients who require longer-term assistance.”

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. 

We are grateful to the entire Caminar team who contributed to this success!
 

Announcing our Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report

We are pleased to share with you our 2017 Annual Report, which details the life-changing work you make possible. 

Caminar and Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley merged in January 2017. Together, we have more than 120 combined years of service to people in need and have expanded our reach and strengthened our capacity agency-wide to help our most vulnerable community members. 

This Annual Report reflects the combined organization and the combined impact: Over 14,000 children, teens, and adults were served last year through our programs of recovery and positive solutions! We hope you enjoy learning more about our expanded organization and the dynamic portfolio of transformative service made possible by your generosity and compassion.

Should you have any questions about what you read in the Annual Report or about our programs, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Development team at 650.513.1509 or development@caminar.org. We’d love to hear what is important to you.

Thank you for your compassion and generosity. Because of you, individuals and families in our communities have comprehensive support on their roads to resilience.

Smile for Caminar

Did you know that you can use AmazonSmile to donate 0.5% of your Amazon purchases to Caminar? Please consider supporting Caminar is this easy - but powerful - way.

To active AmazonSmile for Caminar, simply log in and choose "Caminar" at https://smile.amazon.com/ 

Thank you for your support!

Looking Back At 2017

As we start 2018, we look back on the Caminar's impact in the last year. The work our donors and funders make possible changes lives; the generosity provides people with complex health needs the opportunity to move from crisis to independence. 

One in five of our neighbors will experience a mental illness. Approximately 10.2 million adults have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. Approximately 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness. And, approximately 24% of state prisoners have “a recent history of a mental health condition.”

At Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley division, we offer care tailored to the needs of each individual, allowing us to effectively address complex needs and empower people to transform their lives. Because of community support and the tireless work of our staff, people like Thomas and April have a safety net and many lives were changed.

Following our January 2017 merger with Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, we have expanded our reach and strengthened our capacity agency-wide to help our most vulnerable community members toward an improved quality of life. We look forward to continuing this work in 2018!

Building Confidence, Achieving Goals: April's story of Resilience

Three years ago, April was spending the nights on the streets or in local parks in the bushes. April found the strength and courage to not only realize she needed help, but to ask for help from the Butte County Department of Behavioral Health. April was referred to Caminar and became a tenant of Avenida Apartments and an employee of Caminar’s vocational training program, Sensible Cyclery.    

When April started at Sensible Cyclery, it was difficult for her to make eye contact with her colleagues and her supervisor when speaking with them. After a few months, there was a dramatic change; April started to build the confidence she needed in order to achieve the goals she set for herself.

After completing and graduating from Sensible Cyclery, April enrolled in Butte College to take courses to become a computer programmer. April is now finishing her last semester and has been handpicked for an internship at a local computer programming company.

April is moving to a regular, non-assisted apartment in the community as of December 1, 2017. April did not have to leave Avenidas, and when asked why she was, she simply said that she wants someone else to benefit from the help and opportunity that she had from Caminar’s services.

Sincere thanks to April and Scott Walker, Program Manager for Sensible Cyclery, Pro-Touch and Avenida Apartments, Caminar Butte County Region, for sharing this inspiring story of resilience.