SSG News
January-February 2004 Newsletter
DMH
Presents Awards to OTTP’s Clinical Service Coordinator Hayley Levy, LMFT
Hayley Levy, LMFT, Clinical Services Coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Training Program accepted the Anne Barone Award from the Department of Mental Health on October 20, 2003. The Anne Barone Award is given out yearly to the Service Area that improves organizational performance practices, capabilities and results. The award was given to Service Area 8 in recognition of the “chart review checklist tool” created by the Quality Improvement Committee. Ms. Levy served as co-chair of the QIC during the time this tool was created. DMH was very pleased with the checklist and plans to write it into their Quality Improvement Plan and utilize the tool throughout all directly operated programs. The checklist created through a collaborative effort of all agencies in the Northern QIC. The award is being housed at the LB/SB Geographic Initiative Office of Dr. Debbie Innes-Gomberg, our district chief.
Parents Neighborhood Youth Program
PNYP celebrated its 15-year
anniversary this past December. The event was combined with the children’s
Christmas parties at each program site. At Trinity School 35 children, plus
parents attended and at Norwood School 50 children, plus parents attended. There
was lots of good food, laughter and excitement when the LA Fire Department
brought toys to the children on top of their fire trucks, which is part of their
Toys for Needy Children Program. While the Firemen where unable to stay and
distribute the toys, they did take time to pose for pictures with the children,
and it was all very cool.
PALS for Health
We are pleased to share that the PALS for
Health fundraisers at Souplantation on February 18th
and 19th were very
successful. Souplantation just informed us that our friends and colleagues
helped us raise $171 by having dinner at their Alhambra and Industry restaurants
last week. Coupled with the cash & check donations, which we received, the
total amount raised for direct interpreting services was $356! We are so touched
by everyone’s response to our fundraising event. The overwhelming community
support has been heartening, and motivates us to continue working towards
decreasing language barriers in health care. For all of you who helped spread
the word, made cash donations, called to express your support, and attended the
events, please accept the heartfelt gratitude of PALS for Health staff,
interpreters, and the LEP patients whom we serve. Another fundraising
opportunity: I am pleased to announce that several leaders from the Thai
community are hosting a fundraising dinner in support of PALS direct
interpreting services. This fundraiser will be held at Amagi’s Restaurant in
Hollywood on Friday, March 5th from 7 PM to Midnight. We hope to see
you there! Please call us at 213-553-1818 if you have questions about this event
or about our program.
Faith in Communities Technical Training Program
In an new venture Faith In Communities
will be offering the Technical Training Program (FICTTP), to provide training
and technical assistance for County Service Block Grant (CSBG) agencies
including churches funded by the County’s CSS. TTP will provide workshops on
an array of topics including: grant writing, fundraising, program and board
development, evaluation, cultural competency, and strategic planning.
Workshops will be provided from January through December 2004. For more
information please call FIC Project Director, Cheryl Branch at 213-236-9399.
SSG
Interns Present the “API Youth Profile” to A3PCON Mental Health Subcommittee
In a great presentation of SSG’s
commitment to learning, SSG’s very own interns Christina Lee, Jennifer Tang,
and Mieko Ueha presented the “API Youth Profile” to the A3PCON Mental Health
Subcommittee on January 29, 2004. The profile provided a preliminary analysis of
demographic data of API youth entering the juvenile justice system in fiscal
year 2002-2003 and provided a wonderful opportunity for the students to see the
real connection between research and community advocacy. Since November 2003,
the students have been working under the guidance of Dr. Herb Hatanaka, who was
thoroughly impressed by his students’ commitment and presentation. Wonderful
job Christina, Jennifer, and Mieko and thank you for representing SSG so well.
New
and on the Move a SSG Intra-Agency Collaboration
An exciting collaboration between
HOP/ICS and OTTP was initiated in February 2004. This collaboration will offer
at-risk youth of South Central Los Angeles access to array of innovative
services offered by both of these SSG Divisions. HOP/ICS and OTTP will join
together on-site at 5715 Broadway. OTTP, specializing in occupational therapy,
mental health services, life skills and work readiness training, will be
integrated with the specialized substance abuse intervention services offered by
HOP/ICS. The youth will have access to the entire array of meaningful services
all under one roof.
Older Adults Program
OAP says GREAT WORK to Roderick
Delos Reyes for his special assignment from the Treasurer Tax Collector,
Community Senior Services and Consumer Affairs Joint Task Force. Roderick spent
the greater part of his time in January and February 2004 visiting homeowners in
jeopardy of losing their homes from back taxes. With Roderick’s hard work as
well as assistance from Nellie Skeen, Assistant Project Director of Tongan
Community Service Center, SSG certainly came out ahead in service delivery among
12 organizations from LA County who took part. Out of a total of 161 homeowners
at-risk, Roderick and Nellie made sure that over 47 had the information needed
to save their homes.
Hurting
and Hungry