Our Phones Are Ringing...

...off the hook! 

You may be surprised to learn that Interface Children & Family Services has been providing information & referral services for over 30 years but it has NEVER BEEN AS POWERFUL as it is now by simply dialing 2-1-1! 

I thought it would be nice to share with you examples of calls received by 2-1-1 Ventura County call specialists, in honor of their 6th anniversary celebration held at the beginning of this month and to highlight our just released 2010 Annual Community Report.   

  

An elderly woman we'll call Susan lives in Ventura and was referred to 2-1-1 by a social worker.  Susan called 2-1-1 for resources for her adult daughter who we'll call Jamie.  Jamie is autistic and Susan is concerned about how her daughter will cope if something happens to her mom.  Susan gained information about independent living resources so Jamie can learn to live on her own.  During a follow up call, Susan shared that she was able to connect with resources provided to her by 2-1-1.  Community Action will be able to help her with legal services and the Independent Living Resource Center is offering life skills training so Jamie can learn to be more self sufficient. Susan was happy and appreciative about receiving positive responses from the referral agencies and thanked 2-1-1 for their assistance.

  

A woman we'll call Judy lives in Fillmore and called 2-1-1 for rental assistance.  Judy explained that she receives housing assistance and had just passed her annual housing inspection when she received a notice from the bank.  She spoke with her landlord, who confirmed that the bank’s statement was true - she needed to vacate the premises.  Judy was confused about her housing options and whether her housing assistance would transfer to another home.  During a follow up call, Judy shared that, while she is still very angry about the situation, the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program through the Human Services Agency is helping her relocate and will help her with her deposit and rental assistance.  Judy thanked 2-1-1 for being helpful and patient when she called for assistance.

A man we'll call David lives in Oxnard and called 2-1-1 for rental assistance.  David explained that he was in a bind because his unemployment check was late.  He was frustrated and upset because he had fallen behind in the rent and was worried he wouldn't be able to keep his home.  During a follow up call, David explained that he received his unemployment check and he was able to pay his current rent and make payment arrangements for his back payments.  He had contacted Catholic Charities and although they did not have funds available at the time, they indicated that there would be funds available within the next few days that he could apply for to help pay his back payments. David was very appreciative, stating that his daughter would be able to visit for the summer since he was not going to lose his home.

An Oxnard woman we'll call Rosa contacted 2-1-1 after she and her two young children were evicted from their home.  Rosa explained that she is currently employed, but was not able to afford to pay her rent for the past three months because she only made enough money for food and other small bills.  Rosa was staying with the father of her children but was concerned that it was not a safe environment for them. The Call Specialist reviewed resources with Rosa and she was interested in referrals to agencies for help with housing and for her local Neighborhood for Learning (NfLs).  The Call Specialist encouraged Rosa to call back when she is ready for more assistance. 

These were just a few examples of the over 19,000 calls we receive each year.  2-1-1 provides information and referral services relating to counseling, domestic violence, employment, food assistance, health care, housing, legal assistance, senior services, services for children, substance abuse services, and so much more.  Be sure to tell all of your friends about 2-1-1 so they can "BE IN THE KNOW!"

2-1-1 Ventura County is a program of Interface Children & Family Services in partnership with United Way of Ventura County and First Five of Ventura County.  

For more information on ways you can support 2-1-1 Ventura County with a financial donation, please contact Marti DeLaO, Director of Fund Development at (805) 485-6114, x-641. 

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The Umbrella of Mental Health Services

Defining mental health services - now there is a challenge.  Ask the lady sitting in the cubicle next to you and she'll most likely say, "Those homeless men down by San Jon, the schizophrenics, and all those who have bipolar disorder and hear voices."  While there may be some truth to your work neighbor's words, mental health deserves a true definition for all those people unaware of the fact that ADD, ADHD, autism, anorexia, bulimia, and so many others are also mental illnesses.

According to NAMI, mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning.  Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder.  Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income.  They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. They are treatable and most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.  In addition to medication treatment, psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, peer support groups and other community services can also be components of a treatment plan and that assist with recovery.

Therefore, mental health services for an organization must be vast and comprehensive.  Interface is one of the leading providers of mental health services in Ventura County.  Programs such as the Triple P: Positive Parenting Program; Parent Child Interaction Therapy; Child Abuse Treatment; the Program to Evaluate and Treat Sexual Abuse; Victims of Crime - Surviving to Thriving; the Oxnard Youth Services Bureau; Solutions, Recovery Classroom; Juvenile Drug Court; Child/Youth/Family Focused Emotional Wellness; Early Interventions 0-5 Years - Social & Emotional Wellness; and the Intensive Parenting Treatment Program are examples of the umbrella of mental health services that Interface provides. 

I decided to sit down with Mental Health Director, Joelle Vessels, to learn more about her personal experience and what drives her to do the type of work that most people wouldn't be able to leave at the office.

Where & what did you do prior to joining Interface?

"As a Marriage Family Therapist since 1990, I had a private practice for 11 years providing mental health treatment services to adults, families and children, in addition to contracts providing treatment services in residential treatment centers, shelters, and academic settings.  I’ve provided individual, family and group therapy to children and adults affected by trauma, abuse and mental health issues, conducted community presentations, facilitated workshops and authored a relationship enhancement column for a community newspaper in San Bernardino.  Just prior to coming to Interface, I was a therapist at a non public school working with probation and high risk youth who were gang involved.  I really enjoyed watching my clients come to recognize their potential and begin setting steps to bring them out of poverty or illiteracy.  It was also extremely sad when comforting the parents and family members of a child killed by gang violence."

What made you decide to do the work you are doing?

"It’s kind of hard to put into words what leads someone on the path towards a particular profession like a mental health profession. I suppose it’s a number of personal experiences. I can say that I’ve valued every job I’ve had in this profession and am rewarded by the work. I had been a therapist for 10 years when my oldest son was diagnosed with schizophrenia.  Navigating the various systems was certainly less complicated because of my profession.  Reducing the stigma of mental illness is an underlying theme in why I stay in the work. The stigma experienced by an individual with a biological brain disorder impacts the decisions that individual makes about their day to day life, impacts their self-esteem, what contributions they make to life.  Yep, I’d like to make an impact there for sure."

Given all the challenges involved in the type of work you do, what makes you come to work everyday?

"Interface is doing comprehensive work in the community and I’m a believer in that.  I work for an agency whose mission, vision and values I can support.  And I really enjoy my staff – meeting with them and being a part of the work they are doing with their teams."

Thanks, Joelle, for your insight!  Learn more about the mental health programs Interface provides and be sure to educate your family, friends, and neighbors on mental illnesses because according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 57.7 million or 1 in 4 people in the United States are affected.   

Education For Action

After 35 years as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Ventura County, Interface Children & Family Services' has a duty to provide the highest quality of services for children and families in our community.
  
Our goal is to educate our readers about the programs and services we provide, while spotlighting our Board of Directors, our donors, employees, volunteers, and most importantly, our success stories.
 
We hope each of you will be touched by the humility, strength, and passion of our many friends who make the work that we do possible.  Because for us, it is your generosity that makes us one of Ventura County's leading nonprofit agencies.

In the words of Herbert Spencer,  "The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."