Transforming Lives: Caminar Announces Expansions, New Locations, and Milestones for 2024

SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025  -- Caminar, a leading Bay Area behavioral health care agency, today announced organizational achievements for their 2024 year including expanded services into additional Northern California and Bay Area counties, opening new locations, increased grant funding, and celebrated team members for their success for the year. Caminar's programs and services reached more than 41,000 youth, adults, and families across seven counties. The organization continues to deliver high-quality services to those with complex mental health, substance use, and co-occurring needs.

Expanded Services
Caminar's commitment to offering best-in-class services to its clients has led to the expansion of operations, including:

• Expanded operations into Contra Costa County with Bringing Families Home and Eviction Prevention for Families programs
• Expanded Northern California operations to Shasta County, where Caminar's Friendship Circle program recently opened
• Placed trained outpatient substance use treatment counselors at seven shelters in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, reflecting Caminar's commitment to integrating evidence-based treatments into community settings and making services accessible to vulnerable populations
• Implemented Contingency Management and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) services in Santa Clara substance use treatment services (SUTS) as part of outpatient (OP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) programs. These are evidence-based interventions that are particularly effective with methamphetamine addiction

New Locations
Caminar welcomed the first clients to the new Willow Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) in San Mateo County, a 16-bed locked setting that offers therapeutic and/or rehabilitation services in a structured program for clients experiencing significant mental health challenges. Willow MHRC is one of four mental health recovery centers on the Cordilleras Campus, which was designed to provide services to the same amount of people by contracting with four separate providers running smaller facilities on the same campus.

As of last December, the Zanker Road clinic opened in San Jose for Medi-Cal Mental Health and LGBTQ programs. This facility has been fully renovated for best-in-class trauma-informed care. Caminar's LGBTQ program's The LGBTQ Youth Space will continue to offer a safe and confidential space for support groups, workshops, counseling, and other activities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 in Santa Clara County.

Recent Grant Funding
Despite challenges in California for funding, Caminar was fortunate enough to be awarded several grants in 2024 that will allow continued growth in the years to come, including:

• Awarded Rapid Rehousing grant for Concord, in Contra Costa County, which will begin in 2025
• Received a $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo for Resource Connect Solano
• Obtained a $255,000 grant from the City of Chico to fund renovations at Avenida Apartments
• Increased grant funding from the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation for the School-Based Services FAST program

Employee Recognitions and Organizational Triumphs
The 2024 year was not short of celebrations for the Caminar team and the greater community. From presenting at California conferences to the 60th Anniversary celebration to recognizing individual employees, many moments deserved acknowledgment:

• Championed the School-Based Services team and Maritza Henry and Brian Hinojosa's presentation at the Wellness Together Conference in Anaheim, CA
• Recognized Sayoko Yoshimura, Program Director of Caminar's Hawthorne House, and Kendra Ceccato, Assistant Director at Hawthorne House, who were celebrated for their outstanding work at the 17th Annual San Mateo County Housing Heroes Awards
• Celebrated the Expressive Arts program and clients via an art show and reception at the Burlingame Library
• Acknowledged Drishti Verma, MA, LAADC, Executive Director of Substance Use Treatment Services at Caminar, who is currently also serving as the Behavioral Health Contractors Association (BHCA) Treasurer
• Applauded Adrienne Keel, Caminar's Director of LGBTQ Programs, and LGBTQ programs for receiving the City of San Jose Pride Month Proclamation at City Hall
• Acknowledged DeAndre Richard, Program Director of Resource Connect Solano, for his selection to Chair Housing First Solano Continuum of Care (HFS CoC) through 2026
• Celebrated Caminar's 60 years of service to the community with donors, journalist Lisa Ling, Neil Chand from Caminar's STEP program, and musical guest Ann Hampton Callaway
• Evolved our messaging and branding to increase visibility, diversify revenue sources, and serve more individuals and communities

"This past year has no doubt been challenging at times, but as an organization, we continued to push and provide the best whole-person care to our local communities," says Mark Cloutier, CEO of Caminar. "I am proud of the team of professionals we have here at Caminar who continue to strive for excellence and support at-risk populations on a daily basis. Their dedication has ensured the success of Caminar clients."

The organization also welcomed two new team members to their medical team, Medical Director Dr. Gayani DeSilva and Director of Nursing Jenny Low. The board of directors also grew, welcoming Marie Jackson, Shannon Hernandez, Yan Leykin, and Rafael Dugarte as new members.

To learn more about Caminar, visit www.caminar.org. Caminar's FY23-24 impact report will be released later this month.

About Caminar
Caminar is a leading behavioral health organization that supported 41,000 youths and adults across seven counties in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area last year. Caminar builds strength and stability through comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment delivered through evidence-based, whole-person care. The organization was founded in 1964, and our vision is to be a beacon of safety, compassion, and fulfillment, supporting all those in our communities who need it most. Our mission is to build strength and stability through comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment delivered through evidenced-based, whole-person care. To learn more, please visit www.caminar.org.

Media Contact
Wendy Garrish, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

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