Open House Event

Connecting with Families & Community

�黨ɫ��Ƭ will open the doors of its second community crisis home, , in mid-May, 2019. Located in Sacramento County, California, Herald House will provide crisis services for people 18 years of age or older diagnosed with both mental illness and developmental disabilities that are returning to the community from locked, institutional settings.

The , which is designed to help people with both developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Residents at this level of care are in crisis and have higher-intensity needs as they are primarily stepping down from locked institutions. Services are designed for residents to receive very intensive and highly individualized support in a home-like environment. The goal is for each member to eventually move into a lower level of care, such as a group home or with family.

Herald House held an open house event on April 26. Attendees were able to see the new home, meet staff, and learn more about the program’s services and role in the community.

Each Herald House resident (up to four total) will have a private bedroom and may stay for up to 18 months. The program will provide residents a comfortable environment in order to support recovery. Residents living at Herald House can explore a explore a variety of interests such as cooking, gardening, budgeting, and practice the living skills that will enable them to be as independent as possible. Herald House staff will also focus on community integration and arrange for opportunities for residents to be involved in school or work programs, participate in group outings, attend local events, and spend time with family and friends.

Click to learn more about Herald House.

The is by and for people in recovery, mental health consumers, clients, and survivors. Presented by SHARE! and Peers Action 4 Change, the conference took place on March 9 in Culver City, CA and included over 400 attendees with more than 70 workshops.

Presenting "Peers of the Roundtable" was Lei Portugal Calloway, Peer Team Lead at Orange County AOT in Santa Ana. Participants shared their journey, successes, and challenges as they maneuver through their lives and careers. The 75-minute discussion included what's going on with peer roles in our communities and within our organizations, giving and receiving support, and brainstorming about the future of peer support.

Shown in the group picture are �黨ɫ��Ƭ employees Jude Martinez (first from left), who is a Peer Recovery Coach at TAO Central and Jorge Camacho (second from left), who is a Peer Support Specialist at TAO North. Photo taken by event attendee and �黨ɫ��Ƭ employee David Calloway (Housing Specialist at STEPS).

We are excited to announce that �黨ɫ��Ƭ was once again recognized as a San Francisco Business Times Best Place to Work in the Bay Area.

In 2019, �黨ɫ��Ƭ ranked 13th in the large companies category (with more than 1,000 employees). This is the 17th time �黨ɫ��Ƭ has made the list.

We are especially proud to be recognized with this award, because inclusion on this list is based entirely on feedback received from employee surveys.

It’s �黨ɫ��Ƭ’s staff members who make �黨ɫ��Ƭ a great place to work! Their passion, dedication, and commitment to excellent care make all the difference, and enable us have a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.

Thank you, Team �黨ɫ��Ƭ!

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 3/29

�黨ɫ��Ƭ & Customers Celebrating Success

After temporarily closing for a year in order to build a brand-new facility, �黨ɫ��Ƭ celebrated the grand re-opening of the in Milton, WA on April 1. 

An open house event was held on March 29 to welcome the community. Attendees were able to tour the building, meet staff, and get a sneak peek at the facility’s recovery-centered design.

The reopening of Pierce E&T brings 16 beds of acute psychiatric care back to the local community, making it easier for clients and their families to get the support they need close to home.

The former Pierce E&T program was located on the grounds of Western State Hospital. The new facility is located in Milton, WA, and provides intensive mental health and psychiatric treatment services for adults experiencing a mental health crisis. A multidisciplinary team is on hand to work with clients throughout their stay, as they work in partnership to stabilize symptoms and establish linkages and referrals that will support them as they transition back to the community upon discharge.

“We’re so grateful to our facilities team. Each of them puts a tremendous amount of work into making sure the facility design fits our vision,” Anne Bakar, �黨ɫ��Ƭ’s President and CEO said. “Being able to recover in a home-like environment, surrounded by nature, and enjoying plenty of natural lighting is exactly was our vision — and they delivered 100%.”

Click to learn more about services offered at Pierce County E&T.

Congraulations to Morton Bakar Center for completing their first “Skillympics” (Skill and Olympics) event!

What are the Skillympics? Great question! It is a unique and FUN way to educate staff in all aspects of Morton Bakar’s policies, procedures, and many state and federal regulations that are critical to the proper management of the facility. The goal is to make learning fun, engaging, and competitive.

Like the Olympics, there was a torch and a parade. However, in true MBC style, they were exclusive in the series of competitive academic events. The events were managed and graded by the department heads. The winners were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals based on academic and skills performance. Each employee had the opportunity to interact with all departments, gaining critical knowledge and skills throughout the process.

This event will now be held quarterly. The goal is also to prepare employees for the annual state and federal survey by having each employee be academically competent and engaged.

The Skillympics is also intended to be a staff development and team building event!