In the Loop with WestCare California Welcome to the WestCare California Loop!

March 28, 2014

Upcoming Events Employee Spotlight

Domenica Jimenez:

“I have been a Case Manager for West-

Care in several different places (Avenal State Pris-

on, OPTIONS Program, DRC and now SOS). I love

my role and strive to assist clients to the best of

my ability. I see every client as unique and they

must be treated as individuals (respected). I love to

run and workout its my way of releasing stress. I’m

a single mother and enjoy spending time with my

son (reading, playing, watching movies, and going

out to dinner.”

As March comes to a close, April comes into the picture. Known for Easter and

a little rain, April is also widely known as Alcohol Awareness Month. As men-

tors in the treatment field, we need to continue to educate not only our cli-

ents, but the public, specifically the youth, on the risks associated with the

overuse of this legal substance. - Michael Mygind, Special Projects Officer

Recent Happenings at WestCare California...

April 8th: WestCare California/FCC ICC

Alcohol Awareness Fair at Fresno City Col-lege in the College Mall & Free Speech area from 10am to 2pm.

April 12th: Health & Wellness Fair at Sierra Bicentennial Park at 84 N Sunnyside

Ave in Clovis from 10am to 2pm. Free health screenings, resources, raffles, food and a staff talent competition. The guest Emcee for the event will be Davey D. Every

employee receives one raffle ticket for attending, but can earn an additional ticket by bringing a non-perishable food item.

May 8th: Spring Graduation at Fresno Westside Seventh Day Adventist Church on

2750 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Fresno at 6pm.

Upcoming Events

WestCare Staff & Living Room Clients Represent the 2014 Fresno AIDS Walk with a walking group.

Health & Wellness News

This month’s Committee Choice Award goes to Charles McDowell from Day

Reporting Center in Fresno. Charles has improved his lifestyle by becoming aware

of portion control, exercising daily and drinking plenty of water. He also moti-

vates and encourages others to do the same. On behalf of the Health & Wellness

Committee, we applaud your efforts and encourage you continue living healthy. Charles McDowell

Would you like your program featured in the WestCare Loop? Contact Michael Mygind at michael.mygind@westcare.com

March 1st – 14th Annual Chinese New Year Parade and Festival: In early March, WestCare California and the

Fresno AIDS walk were both represented at the 14th annual Chinese New Year Parade and Festival that's been held in

Fresno's historic Chinatown District. The parade featured dozens of floats and groups from the community and was

attended by hundreds of spectators gathered along “F” Street, despite rain and windy conditions.

March 13th & 14th – Faces of Change: WestCare California staff and partners from the fields of parole, correc-

tions, mental health, and treatment gathered for the third annual SASCA Faces of Change conference. This year’s con-

ference focused on the theme “Change = Survival” and how we need to learn to adapt to the new changes in not only

policy, but new traits being shown by the reentry population of parolees. With a total attendance of almost 500 at-

tendees between the two day conference, this event proved to be a success. This year’s guest speakers covered a wide

variety of topics. Tony Hoffman, Founder and CEO of the Freewheel Project, whom shared his personal story of suc-

cess, failure, and recovery while emphasizing that everyone can be a mentor and can tap into the potential within each

and every client to ensure success. Barbara Owen, PhD, discussed gender-responsive practices within corrections.

World Renowned speaker and Licensed Advanced Addiction Counselor, Roland Williams, MA, closed the conference

with an insightful look into working effectively with formerly incarcerated clients and how Cognitive Based Therapy can

help. The event was informative and opened eyes to not only new ideas, but new tools that we can all use to serve our

clients better.

March 15th – Daniel O’Neal Accepts NAACP Award for Paying Tribute: Residential Case Manager and Com-

mittee Chair at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, Daniel O’Neal successfully led a proposal to the Bakersfield Plan-

ning Commission a year ago to change the name of Hayes Street in Bakersfield to Tyree Toliver Street in honor of the

late and great Pastor, whom had very strong ties in the community. That following June, an official ribbon-cutting cere-

mony was held to commemorate the renamed street. This past month, Daniel and his Social Action Committee were

invited to attend the NAACP 2014 Freedom Fund Awards banquet along with local politicians, businessmen, communi-

ty activists and esteemed members of the secular community. They were to be presented with an award of apprecia-

tion and accomplishment for their service. O’Neal commented, “I was excited that our committee was receiving this

award for our tireless and dedicated effort we put into getting the street name changed. The late Pastor Tyree Toliver

surely deserved this award as well for his fifty years of service and for his community work in the southeast Bakersfield

community. Pastor Tyree Toliver’s legacy will never be forgotten and his sermons still remain in our hearts.”

Domenica

Jimenez

The Living Room to Present at Edison High School: On April 8th and 9th,

The Living Room will present to Edison students. They will begin at 7:50am and

conclude at 11:00am on the 8th, presenting to half the student body and then

return on April 9th from 11:00am until 3:00pm to present to the rest of the stu-

dents. They will be presenting 4 times each day with one presentation for each

period on the topics of HIV/AIDS, how it is spread, prevention methods, and the

importance of early intervention.

(Left) Masks created by our talented attendees, (Center) Barbara Owen, PhD, (Right) Roland Williams, MA, LAADC

(Left) Daniel O’Neal and Bakersfield Mayor, Harvey Hall and the new sign, (Center) Daniel and the Social Action Committee,

(Right) Daniel with President Patrick Jackson and 1st vice Addonica A. Stanley of the NAACP's Bakersfield Chapter