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."
