Caminar Connections: February 2025

We welcomed three new members to the Caminar board on January 1, all of whom bring impressive skills and talents we know will be impactful.

Rafael Dugarte is head of finance at Pharmacyclics and brings deep financial planning and analysis, and budgeting and forecasting expertise to the board. He is an alumnus of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley’s Latino Board Leadership Academy.

Shannon Hernández is a results-driven general counsel with over 25 years of experience advising high-growth technology companies. As the general counsel of Voltron Data, Inc., she collaborates closely with the executive team to optimize legal strategies and drive business objectives. Beyond her professional endeavors, Shannon is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of children and youth. She is enthusiastic about supporting Caminar’s mission as a member of the board of directors.

Yan Leykin, PhD is a professor of clinical psychology at Palo Alto University and a licensed clinical psychologist. Research in his lab broadly focuses on depression and suicide. Some of his main areas of research include developing digital interventions and other digital resources for mental health, understanding how people struggling with mental illness make decisions such as decisions to pursue treatment, and understanding predictors of suicide and self-harm.

Tour The LGBTQ Youth Space's New Home

Our new offices on Zanker Road in San Jose opened in December, offering newly-renovated and trauma-informed spaces for our Santa Clara Medi-Cal Mental Health Programs and our LGBTQ Programs.

With the new office came a new home for the The LGBTQ Youth Space, one of our LGBTQ Program's long-standing and widely-beloved offerings.

The LGBTQ Youth Space is a safe and confidential place for drop-in services and counseling for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 who live in Santa Clara County.

We invite you to virtually tour the new, vibrant space here. Enjoy!

LGBTQ Programs Chosen as Further Confusion Beneficiary‍

Our LGBTQ Programs, including The LGBTQ Youth Space, LGBTQ Wellness, and HEART, were delighted to be the chosen charity of Further Confusion, the Bay Area furry convention. The event, held at the end of January, raised over $17,000 for our programs!

Caminar In The News

We just published our 2024 recap press release, sharing organizational achievements including expanded services into additional Northern California and Bay Area counties, opening of new locations, increased grant funding, and team member successes.

Recent Educational and Thought Leadership Resources