Mental Health Systems has an updated website, check it out!

www.mhsinc.org

Please see the letter below–Hope to see you at one of the two meetings.

Central Valley Region Administrative Office

2550 W. Clinton Ave.• Fresno, CA 93705

(559) 264-7521 • fax (559) 441-0293

www.mhsinc.org

January 29, 2010

Dear Neighbor:

Mental Health Systems Inc. has completed its first year and a half at the Hacienda and has made great progress in our mission to change lives. We have made many improvements to the site and have shown our commitment to being good neighbors to our Fresno community by operating without any incidents.

We would like to invite you to attend an informational meeting to describe our request to modify some parts of our city permit and to answer any questions you may have.

No Rehabilitative Community Correction Center (FRCCC) clients have been at the center so we are requesting the elimination of the Fresno police officer requirement until such time that there is a contract in place and the clients are on the facility grounds.

We are asking the city to allow up to 16 permanent housing units on-site and reduce the number of transitional supportive housing units to 36. The total number of units will remain the same at 52.

The original approval required us to cover 42 parking spaces with carports. Most of our clients do not drive so we are asking only to construct 25 carports and to allow parking by transitional housing clients in the parking lot off of W. Clinton Avenue.

Should the FRCC program return, we request the opportunity to change our client limit of 96 to 100 with a corresponding client base for transitioning in and out of the program.

Mental Health Systems will have two informational meetings regarding the requested changes. The meetings will be held February 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and on February 16th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Hacienda site located at 2550 West Clinton Ave., Fresno. We will also provide tours after the meeting for anyone who might be interested.

We look forward to seeing you at either one of the informational meetings. If you have any questions regarding this project or cannot attend a meeting, please feel free to contact me. I feel confident you will feel comfortable with our modifications and continued commitment to be a good neighbor.

Sincerely yours,

Jenny Bates, LCSW

Vice President

Central Valley Region

We are hoping to get some support from the Fresno community. Many of you have been following the construction and news of our Hacienda site. We are continuiing to move along but have had some barriers in relation to the State Budget which has made some changes our Conditional Use Permit. At this point, our Hacienda site will not have any inmates on the property. The CUP required an officer on our site due to the inmate population. Due to this change, we are requesting this be eliminated at this time. The City has asked for community support on this decision. In addition, we have some other changes to our CUP that we would like to change all at once. Below you will find the items we wish to change in our CUP. We are hoping anyone who would like to suport us to give me a call so I can send an official letter to you.

Please call Jenny Bates at 559-977-5515

The requested changes to our CUP include:
1. Eliminating the police officer requirement until such time as the Female Rehabilitative Community Correction Center (FRCCC) is re-instated.
2. Allow up to 16 permanent housing units on-site and reduce the number of transitional supportive housing units to 36. The total number of units will remain the same at 52.
3. Reduce the number of required carports from 42 to 25.
4. Approve temporary parking by transitional housing participants in the parking lot off of W. Clinton Avenue.
5. Allow a 14 resident increase to the FRCCC.

ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED AT
ADDICTION COUNSELING ACADEMY

(Fresno, CA) May, 2009 – The William R. Mead Training Academy is now accepting enrollment applications for students looking for education in addiction counseling that meets the California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs requirements for certification. One of several courses offered at the Academy, this one is specifically designed for individuals seeking to become certified in alcohol and other drug studies and meets the curriculum requirements for the CAADAC, CAARR and the Breining Institute program.

This course is ideal for professionals seeking additional skills needed to enhance their careers or those looking to become certified for the first time.

Classes are held from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays, cost of the full course $2250. There is a 10 percent discount available for non-profit community members attending the full course. Participants will gain academic hours which can be applied for certification. Courses are set in seven semesters and each semester is 45 academic hours (seven weeks).

Interested parties should call (866) 910-2600, or email wrmta@mhsinc.org. Details on the Academy and program may also be found at www.wrmta.org.

A service of San Diego-based Mental Health Systems, Inc., the William R. Mead Training Academy follows the Tap 21 Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes of Professional Counselors curriculum and offers five certificate course studies, all specializing in alcohol and drug addiction. Topics include substance abuse, assessment, treatment, planning, community outreach, cultural competency, practicum, pharmacology, ethics and crisis management. Students completing the program will be prepared to apply for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CAADAC), California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources (CAARR) and other certifications. Individuals may also enroll in modules for increasing skills levels or earning continuing education hours.

Mental Health Systems, Inc. is a continuing education provider for the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, California Association of Alcohol/Drug Educators, Behavioral Health Specialists, American Psychological Association, BRN, Breining Institute and CAARR.

Mental Health Systems, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of their clients through mental health and substance abuse programs. Since it was founded in 1978, Mental Health Systems has been dedicated to providing professional care to its clients. Mental Health Systems serves the neediest segments of the population with its publicly funded programs. Clients range from families to parolees to individuals living on the streets. With over 900 employees, Mental Health Systems operates 88 programs in more than 66 different geographic locations in Southern and Central California. To learn more about Mental Health Systems, Inc. visit www.mhsinc.org.

This is the 2nd year our women from Fresno First volunteered to help feed the homeless at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in Fresno. The women helped cook 13 turkeys, 30 lbs of potatoes, stuffing and gravy for at least 100 people. This event is a grassroots effort from local neighbors and the Fresno First women are happy to be part of this event. It always helps the participants in our program realize how lucky they are to have so many great things in their life.

Thanks to everyone in the local community that helped make this event possible. Together we can make a difference!

Please tune in to 90.7 KFSR on Saturday, December 12th at 1:30 pm or Sunday, December 13th at 11:30am. You can also go to http://www.csufresno.edu/kfsr/spotlight.html to listen online. This interview will always be archived at the preceding website so you can listen anytime.

Each week San Joaquin Spotlight features in-depth conversations with guests from across the Valley who help to shape the area’s future, in a wide range of fields. The programs features everyone from non-profit pioneers, to community leaders, as well as visiting guest speakers, and more. San Joaquin Spotlight brings you closer to these individuals and their stories through the art of conversation. The program is hosted by 90.7 KFSR’s Sevag Tateosian, and airs every Saturday at 1:30pm and Sunday at 11:30. San Joaquin Spotlight is also available in downloadable form as an MP3 download and a podcast.

On Thursday October 29th Renee will be giving a training on Law Ethics Boundaries and Confidentiality at the Hacienda from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.  The cost for community members is $30.  This workshop is designed for counselors, licensed therapists, and staff working in mental health, addiction treatment or case management.

On Friday October 30th Renee will reprise her Domestic Violence Training.  This workshop highlights the complicated issues in domestic violence and increase counselors undersanding of the cycle of violence, assessment tools, intervention stregetgies, and safety planning.

You can register by going to www.mhsinc.org/events/training.asp

Contact Linda Condon at 264-7521 Extension 2002 if you have any questions.

Be sure to listen in today October 20, 2009 from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. on Radio Station KFSR, 90.7 on your radio dial.  Find out what has been happening at the Hacienda and what is in store for the new year.   Be sure to set your alarms for 1:00 p.m. so you won’t miss this informative interview…

The interview was cancelled.  Please check back for an update when Jenny will be back on the radio…

This past Saturday, August 29th from 5-7pm, our neighbors at Gateway Ice Center graciously donated a 2 hour ice skating  session for our women at Fresno First.  General Manager, Jeff Blair, arranged for the event and has been very supportive of our Hacienda Project that is located next to Gateway Ice Center.  Over 40 women and 15 children attended the event and had a great time. For many of our women it was the first time ice skating.  The women are learning every day how to have fun ” clean and sober and crime free” and found the ice skating to be a great experience in their new lives.  Many of the women and children wrote thank you letters for Gateway Ice Center.  One of the letters that best describes the experience stated, ” This was my first time ever. I totally enjoyed myself and was one of my best days ever!” 

Thanks again to Jeff Blair and Gateway Ice Center.   We have businesses like you to thank for helping our women become better citizens of the Fresno community.

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Laura Whitehouse has agreed to represent the Central Valley on the Board of Directors of Mental Health Systems, Inc.  Laura currently serves as Regional Development Officer at the Fresno office of the Salvation Army.  In this position she is facilitates individual and corporate donor development and will play a major role in increasing this organization’s ability to serve families and individuals in need. 

Ms. Whitehouse brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, communication and management.  Prior to her position at the Salvation Army, she was President and CEO of the Fresno City and County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  She has also served as the Community Relations Manager for Children’s Hospital Central California, Marketing Director for the Fresno Bee and Director of Communications for The Big Fresno Fair.  Previous to this she was a Public Relations Consultant for four years with her own company, Glad Public Relations.  In 1990 after a two-year stint as a Field Producer for CNN in Los Angeles she moved to Fresno to be a live show producer for KFSN-TV (ABC 30)

She has served in a volunteer capacity on the Fresno ARC Advisory Committee and the Chair of the Central Valley Regional Board.  Her other volunteer affiliations include Rotary Club of Fresno Board, the Clovis North Education Center Board, Girl Scouts of Central California South and the City of Fresno’s Utility Advisory Committee.  Her past involvement includes Friends of the San Joaquin Political Board, the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce Board, the Northeast Fresno Planning and Implementation Committee, the Fresno Coalition of the arts and the Community Hospital’s of Central California Foundation Marketing Advisory Committee.

Not surprisingly she was honored with the “National Rising Star” awarded from Women in Communications, Inc.  in 1990 and the “Public Relations Professional of the Year” by the Public Relations Society of America Central California Chapter in 2001.  In addition, her work in marketing and communications has earned numerous Addy Awards and honors from the Western Fairs Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in Radio/TV/Film and a minor in Women’s Studies from California State University Fullerton.  In addition to this she is a graduate of the San Joaquin Political Academy and Leadership Fresno.

All this experience coupled with her energizing personality, makes Laura Whitehouse a perfect match for the Board of Directors of Mental Health Systems, Inc.  We are indeed fortunate to have her expertise, enthusiasm and connection to the Fresno Community.  Welcome Laura, we look forward to a long working relationship with you.