New Designs Charter School
Serving 350 students, New Designs Charter School (NDCS) is a middle school in Watts, a Los Angeles community plagued by crime, homelessness, poverty and gang violence. Of these students, 60% are from single-parent homes, 38% are in foster care and more than a third have been abused or neglected. Last year, 42% of the kids were suspended; of those, 96% were due to disruption, violence, threats and vandalism. Most of the kids at NDCS have been exposed to trauma either directly or vicariously, a situation that significantly inhibits their ability to thrive academically and stay healthy physically.
Thanks to generous grants from the John W. Carson Foundation and the Alvarado Family Foundation, A Thousand Joys is implementing our Transform program especially developed to help kids build coping skills in response to stress and trauma at NDCS.
Initially, we piloted our Transform program at Good Shepherd Shelter for Battered Women & Children. Thus far, the results were exciting and encouraging with notably improved academic performance, a decrease in disciplinary issues, better self-management, improved sleep and more positive social interactions.
We're looking forward to the same positive outcomes from our work at New Designs Charter School and will post regular updates to share our progress.
Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is dedicated to combating breast cancer and ultimately finding a cure. Seventy-five percent of the Affiliate's net income goes toward funding grants to local hospitals and community organizations that provide breast health education, breast cancer screening and treatment programs for medically underserved women. The remaining 25% supports the national Komen Grants Program, which funds groundbreaking breast cancer research and educational and scientific programs around the world. Faced with significant organizational change and a need for increased capacity, Komen LA reached out to A Thousand Joys for support in positioning their organization to meet their fundraising goals.
A Thousand Joys' consultants were integrated into the Komen LA workforce, assessing their needs and helping to create a foundation and new organizational structure as well as impart successful work habits. Along with Komen staff, ATJ developed work plans for various fundraising areas and created processes to track progress while keeping focused on action. Processes and databases were developed to ensure that individual and corporate donor information was captured accurately and was easily accessible for outreach efforts. With A Thousand Joys' guidance, Komen LA developed two major support groups: The Pink Tie Guys and The Pink Divas. Executive Coaching for the affiliate leadership helped this team to develop effective communication skills.
"The long-term relationship we had with A Thousand Joys allowed them to assess where the needs were and to drive some of the work themselves, while providing training and support to help us become a more action-oriented and results-focused team." - Deb Anthony, Executive Director, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Los Angeles County
St. Anne's
St. Anne's serves some of the most abused, abandoned, neglected and otherwise challenged young women and children in Los Angeles County. Multiple foster placements, consequences of violence and gang affiliations, poverty and histories of abuse have left many far behind in their educational and employment readiness skills. Without assistance, these women are unlikely to be able to support themselves or care for their children. St. Anne's offers an array of comprehensive programs including residential treatment, transitional housing, mental health, child care, family literacy, family preservation, educational and vocational preparation, as well as access to and collaborations with other agencies and providers. All of St. Anne's programs strive to empower and educate, according to each individual's specific needs, by providing the highest level of care and resources. In turn, the programs help young women and children recognize their own value and potential, giving them the hope and the tools they need for a brighter future.
To help their clients in a more meaningful way, St. Anne's leadership team recognized they also needed to empower and take care of themselves. ATJ is currently working with the team to help them build skills that will increase their productivity, improve their management of stress and create a stronger workforce. A program to expand this work to all staff is well under way, focusing on enhancing staffs ability to communicate effectively, care for themselves in the workplace and work together as a team.
The Village Family Services
This community-based nonprofit organization focuses on preventing and treating child abuse and family violence. Its goals are to prevent turnover, increase morale, establish better processes, and develop strong leaders while they are expanding. This organization is growing quickly, so the ability to communicate effectively and manage change is imperative.
Constant exposure to the extremely difficult circumstances of their clientele can take a toll on staff, putting them at risk for vicarious trauma and burnout. ATJ is implementing agency-wide development and training in communications, leadership and wellness. Major changes are under way, from improved stress management and coping skills for staff to a culture that encourages self-care, and streamlined processes for effective and consistent communication throughout the agency. The shift toward greater optimism and enhanced focus has been noted by management and staff as well as by the clients who are benefiting from re-energized services.
Irma Seilicovich, Chief Operating Officer, sums it up this way: "ATJ has helped us immensely. We have seen improvements across the board, from hiring practices to staff morale."
Good Shepherd Shelter
This agency was established to help families break the generational cycle of domestic violence by providing a long-term refuge for battered women and their children. These fragile families live on a campus that offers an elementary tutorial center, preschool, nursery, therapeutic services, and an adult learning center for residents. Working with a client population that is often traumatized, combined with the challenges of stretching limited resources to cover a wide range of services, has caused some staff members to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and ineffective. Left unaddressed, these types of feelings can affect the quality of the valuable, much-needed services that staff members provide.
ATJ has helped to bring positive change to Good Shepherd's staff and constituents through traditional and complementary approaches. The staff have built new skills to maintain their own well-being, and processes have been set in motion that enhance the quality of interactions both internally and with outside agencies. ATJ's value extends beyond the staff, as they, in turn, train the women and children at the shelter to master techniques to heal, become healthy parents, and live independent lives.
As Sister Anne Kelley, Executive Director, reports: "We've seen accelerated healing. This program has had a truly positive effect."
Los Angeles Department of Mental Health – Access Center
The LA County Department of Mental Health provides services to more than 250,000 residents. Operating more than 50 program sites and contracting with another 1,100 providers, DMH offers a range of services such as mental health assessments, case management and crisis intervention. Its 24/7 Access Center provides resources and a way for people to access mental health information, service referrals and crisis counseling confidentially.
At a time when impending changes were coming to the Access Center, ATJ worked with their staff to manage change more effectively and to understand the need for self-care. Change is inevitable, but with the proper tools and skills, the transition can be a smooth one. ATJ showed Access Center staff that integrating these new methods could change the office culture and make for more successful interactions with each other and with their clients.
"ATJ’s training has helped us to prepare for change positively and recognize the importance of self-care, particularly when work gets overwhelming and stressful." – Patrice Foley, ACCESS Center’s Lead Agent
Para Los Niños
For nearly three decades, Para Los Niños has helped at-risk children and families living in the most impoverished, challenged and underserved areas of Los Angeles, creating opportunities to lift them out of poverty and into brighter, more successful futures. Every day, the Para Los Niño's Family Services Division successfully assists families struggling with extreme poverty, crime and public safety, homelessness, at-risk youth issues, inadequate health care, issues related to recent immigration, parental substance abuse, and domestic violence. The Family Services Division contributes to the economic stability of children and families, improving their quality of life.
In an effort to help staff in the Family Services Division to reach their highest professional potential, ATJ conducted a series of sessions that focused on using communication and self-care as vehicles to creating a healthier, more productive work environment. Starting by focusing on stress management, participants went on to learn the benefits of positive language as well as active listening and speaking skills. Meditation and movement were also introduced as techniques to optimize overall health and prevent burnout. The staff was receptive and openly embraced the new communication patterns and self-care techniques, and they were quick to integrate them into their daily work with clients. They also brought their newly learned skills to staff meetings, taking a few moments to regroup and de-stress.
"After the ATJ training, we saw a significant increase in the staff's ability to communicate and support each other." - Lisa Marin, MSW, LCSW, Director of Family Services Division
Plaza Community Services
Plaza Community Services' was founded on the belief that all children and their families deserve to be surrounded by a nurturing, spiritual environment. Key to this belief is providing quality health, education and community services. Offering mental health, child development, youth and family services as well as the Esperanza Drug and Health Treatment Program, Plaza has a long legacy of success in reaching out to the communities in East Los Angeles.
The Family Services and Mental Health Services Departments of Plaza Community Services were invited to the ATJ Empowerment Training Series at Para Los Ninos. The session targeted effective communication and self-care techniques as ways to optimize health, prevent burnout and create a stronger, more productive workforce. Learning the benefits of positive language, working on listening and speaking skills for clearer communication, and including simple meditation and movement practices into one's daily routine to reduce stress gave participants tools they could use in the workplace.
"I loved seeing staff evolve and grow both personally and professionally after experiencing the communication and self-care training. Everyone speaks more positively and laughs more. It's great." - Natalie Kusturic, M.A., L.M.F.T., Director of Family Services and Mental Health Services
L.A. Care
L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County's low-income communities and residents and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. With nearly 800,000 members, L.A. Care is the nation's largest public health plan, serving residents of Los Angeles County through a variety of programs including Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, L.A. Care's Healthy Kids, and L.A. Care's Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan. L.A. Care is a leader in developing new programs through innovative partnerships that provide health coverage to vulnerable populations and support the safety net. For more information, visit http://www.lacare.org/.
ATJ provides self-care techniques for L.A. Care's Health Promoters/Promotores. Health Promoters/Promotores are presented with tools and techniques that help them manage stress and stay aware of the impact stress has on the body and mind. The training's success has been marked by participants' prompt inclusion of these new skills in their work with other community members.
"Working with ATJ has empowered our Health Promoters/Promotores to better serve their communities by providing valuable health education that makes a positive impact on community wellness." - LuAnna Loza, MA, Health Promoter/Promotores Program and Human Resources/Community Outreach & Education
Southern California Counseling Center
SCCC provides psychological counseling to those with limited income and offers programs designed to meet the psychological needs of Southern California's multicultural community. Performing successfully in this demanding environment means that therapists must sustain high levels of mental clarity and focus. To strengthen these critical skills, ATJ trained SCCC professionals in techniques and exercises geared toward reducing stress, maintaining a balanced, focused state of mind, and creating productive and supportive work environments.
Robert Mendelsohn, M.F.T. Clinical Director, notes, "The retreat increased self-care tools and is already being put to use in our staff's professional and personal lives."
