1

Board of Directors Jarrod Hammes Executive Chair David Kuhlman Vice Chair Roberta Raasveld Treasurer Alan Willardson Secretary Melissah Walker Director

From the CEO Corporate North Valley Central Valley Southern California Wellness Policy of the Month

July 2020

1 2 3 4 7 9 10

Message from the CEO By Wendy Forkas

Self-care can be challenging for you – our staff, as many of you are incredibly compassionate and prioritize the needs and care of our clients and others over your own. But your personal well-being is just as important! YOU MATTER, so I am sharing 6 tips to help you focus and take care of you!

1. Know that what you’re feeling is a normal stress response. You are facing many stressors that may include concern about

the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while treating clients, taking care of personal and family needs while working, managing a

different workload, learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties, deciding how to best use

sparse cleaning supplies, working longer hours, and having to be away from loved ones for longer periods of time. As a

result, you may be experiencing more stress throughout the course of your workday than prior to the pandemic. Use self-

compassion and give yourself a break when things are not the way you feel they should be, as all frontline professionals

working during this crisis are experiencing a variety of emotions including distress, worry, sadness, and many more.

2. Check-in with yourself regularly to identify the emotional and mental signs of stress. Take a few moments for a personal

mental health check-in daily. It may feel as if there’s no time to spare, but this is a critical aspect of managing stress. Some

emotional signs of stress include the persistence of fear, irritability, anger, deep sadness and overwhelmed feeling. Mental

signs include loss of concentration, local memory loss, inability to make decisions, disorientation and confusion. Try

breathing exercises. Be intentional in taking time throughout the day to engage in sensory-soothing techniques, such as

listening to your favorite calming music, visualizing the places where you tend to feel at peace, and imagining your favorite

culinary aromas that trigger meaningful memories. This can help calm your body’s reactions to the stressors.

3. Prioritize your basic needs. In times of crisis, we tend to ignore our basic needs, including food, water, exercise and

sleep. Try as best as possible to eat at least three balanced meals every day while avoiding inflammatory ingredients such

as sugar, trans fats, saturated fats and alcohol. Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Exercise or take walks for

at least a few minutes daily to maximize the release of endorphins.

4. Take brief mental breaks throughout the day. As frontline professionals you often encourage clients to prioritize self-

care while dismissing the need for your own. Take scheduled breaks to rest your mind and reset. Find a quiet space during

your day or at home when off-duty. It’s important to be mindful of any internal chatter that may try to convince you that

you don’t have enough time for a break or don’t deserve it. Ignore the chatter and take a break anyway.

5. Create and nurture supportive connections with your co-workers. Check in with your co-workers and remain open to

receiving support in return. Talk to them about your feelings, experiences and accomplishments each day. The validation

will help normalize your experiences and prevent feelings of isolation and moral distress. Be sure to talk about the

positive things occurring with your clients and personally during this crisis.

6. Seek professional support to cope with distress and grief. Many of us are experiencing distress and grief due to the loss

of our normal routines, being isolated, people we care about getting ill, and things not getting and staying better. Symptoms

may include self-criticism, irritation, anger, uncertainty, lack of motivation, anxiety, tiredness, sadness, trouble sleeping or

inability to concentrate. These emotions can be difficult to cope with on your own. You can access to CCC’s Employee

Assistance Program where you can receive confidential support and referrals to help you cope with the stress and your

emotions. You can also contact your health insurance provider for referrals to mental health professionals who

provide video and audio teletherapy. Do not feel you need to overcome it on your own.

Remember, YOU MATTER and are truly appreciated and valued!

Wendy Forkas, CEO

Corporate

San Diego By Wendy Forkas

The Butterfly Club

2

July 2020

The POWER of the BFC: We have been able to send our clients COVID-19 care packages thanks to BFC funds. A few feel-good items to let them know we are here for them: tea, mugs, snacks, lip balm, adult coloring books, word puzzle books, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and a beautiful greeting card!

THANK YOU to all the Butterfly Club members!

#CatalystCares

Employee Anniversaries 17 Years

Sandra Gayles | Santa Clara 13 Years

Ronald Clayton | San

Marcos 12 Years

Teddy AgbayaniStockton

Aaliyah CortezVisalia

11 Years

Eula WilburnSan Marcos 10 Years

Sara Cervantes Imperial

Valley 8 Years

Jacob CarterMerced

Christopher SolisFresno

7 Years

Tanya SierraVisalia

Daynique CandlerFresno

6 Years

Keyshay ThomasFresno

5 Years

Mark CallenVCS

Laurie MastromarinoVCS

I want to extend my most sincere appreciation for all the lovely birthday wishes and surprises! They really made my day and made me feel very special. I was gifted this cool Wonder Woman card! We also enjoyed delicious donuts from Donut Bar.

THANK YOU: ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS FOUNDATION! Thanks to the Enterprise Holdings Foundation for donating $2,500 to CCC! Its support will help CCC provide support to CCC employees as well as health and safety training, and resources!

3

July 2020

Employee Anniversaries continued ….

4 Years

Kiele Yeager | Fresno

Keila Arvizu | Visalia

Brandi Cross | Visalia

Gabriela Astudillo |

Fresno

Geraldine Hood | Visalia

Isabel Lopez | Fresno

3 Years

Ray Graham Jr. | Fresno

2 Years

Jose G Gutierrez |

Corporate

Esmeralda Lemus |

Fresno

Johana Ramirez | Imperial

Valley

Ivan Rios | San Marcos

Rosalinda Coronel |

Salinas

1 Year

Christina Thang | Santa

Clara

Kristina Gomez |

Corporate

Cynthia Quintero |

Salinas

Marian Diaz | VCS

North Valley Stock ton B y J e s s i c a R a m o s

Welcome to the Stockton team!

Congratulations to Tyson R. our ILS client in Lodi for receiving our client of the quarter award. He was presented with the award and goodies that came along with it by his case manager Christina. He was surprised, happy, and excited for receiving it. Christina said, “He loved everything!”

Maria Angelica N. and Jande H. We are happy for both of you to join us and look forward in working with you!

Central Valley

Fresno By Iskra Delic

4

July 2020

Client Anniversaries

29 Years

Nick A. | San Marcos

28 Years

Carol F. | San Marcos

27 Years

Russell T. | San Marcos

25 Years

Mary M. | Imperial Valley

Charles T. | Imperial Valley

22 Years

Mollie W. | Imperial Valley

17 Years

Joe L. | San Marcos

16 Years

Lowella M. | Fresno

15 Years

Eduardo B.| Imperial Valley

Samer M. | Salinas

Miguel S. | Imperial Valley

14 Years

Jose A. | San Marcos

13 Years

Juanita G. | Merced

Christopher V. | San

Marcos

12 Years

Yesenia C. | Salinas

The Fresno office mourns the passing of our ILS client Andy L. Andy lost his battle with cancer on July 20th, 2020. He was 69 years old. Andy’s is remembered by how he loved to tell jokes and make people laugh. He was a creative person who had a green thumb, loved the outdoors, and going fishing. He was also a huge fan of Elvis Presley. According to his CM, Cathy Taylor, his home was filled with Elvis memorabilia. Andy’s favorite day was his birthday because he loved getting a birthday cake. In Andy’s final days, DSA Keyshay Thomas known as “Shay” by Andy, was by his side as much as she could. Keyshay was a constant in Andy’s life and we are so thankful and proud of her strength.

We miss you, Andy!

Central Valley(cont’d)

Fresno By Iskra Delic

V isa l ia By Gladys Monje

5

July 2020

Client Anniversaries continued ….

11 Years

Jennifer L. | Merced

7 Years

Derek D. | Visalia

Colin M. | Santa Clara

Mayra Z. | San Marcos

5 Years

Angela C. | Santa Clara

Maggie N. | Santa Clara

Randy R. | Salinas

Filiberto V. | Imperial

Valley

Ramon V. | Imperial Valley

2 Years

Vicki D. | Merced

Fresno would like to congratulate and celebrate our Case Manager Cathy Taylor for being a part of the CCC team for 20 years. Cathy – you bring so much light and joy into our office. We are so honored to have you. You have made a difference in so many lives – staff and client alike. Thank you for all that you do. Here’s to you and many more years!

We want to thank Angelisa who was the Employee of the Quarter for June. She’s been doing a phenomenal job and we just really want to thank her for her hard work and dedication. Angelisa was happy to receive a few gifts from corporate!

I wanted to personally thank one of our local Starbucks that was donating food to our clients for some time, so I ordered specially made cookies just for them. Belssweets did an amazing job with my “thank you” cookies and Starbucks LOVED them!

July 2020

Central Valley(cont’d) Merced B y L i s a G a l l a r d o

Southern California

San Marcos By Alice Olsen

6

Merced Office would like to give a warm welcome to our new Direct Service Aides; Alma Bogarin, Breesianae Calderon, Hunter Martinez, and Kayla MCCartney.

Welcome to the Merced team!

We want to say a huge THANK YOU to our Merced Staff for continuing to provide excellent service to all our clients. This is a challenging time for everyone, and the Merced staff always carry a smile that is so encouraging. We hope all the Community Catalysts in all our offices are staying safe and healthy.

The man with a plan, DSS Mr. Ron Clayton! What is there to say about this guy? A LOT. He is always ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done. He goes above and beyond and maintains a positive attitude. Ron is always willing to step up in any situation at the last-minute, he does a lot for our office and it would be difficult to survive without him. Thank you, Ron, for everything you have done and continue to do. “YOU ARE DA BOMB!” Just as you always say. As you always say.

July 2020

7

Southern California

San Marcos By Alice Olsen

Supported Employment & Independent Liv ing By Jeannie Leauma

Supported Liv ing & Tai lored Day Program By Durry Tahmas

Congratulations to clients Kim S. for landing a new job at Albertsons and Federico V. for becoming a new employee at New Vista Bakery.

A big “Thank You & A Job Well Done” goes out to the ladies of our Job Development Program, Employment Specialist Marti Diegan and Job Developer Janet Johnson, for working diligently to place clients. Thank you, Ladies! Thank you to the Employment Coordinators; Dekevis Matthews, Orlando Garcia, Ivan Rios, Marti Diegan, Janet Johnson and Martha Jordan for continuing to work through this pandemic and supporting our clients as they continue to work on the front lines. YOU ROCK!

We bid a fond farewell to CM Stacy Meyer this month, as she begins a new chapter in her life. We wish you nothing but the best!

A BIG SHOUTOUT goes to all the devoted & hard-working staff that work the ILS program. As we continue this journey under new leadership, just remember, we got this, and we got you!

I just want to say how I truly adore my Supported Living and Tailored Day staff. All your hard work does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Especially with figuring out alternate methods for providing services and exploring new resources. The clients, families, and their extended support team, as well as I, acknowledge, value and respect all that you do to make the lives of those you serve fun, adventurous, and continuing to move forward. THANK YOU: DSS Larry Steckling, House Manager Kathy Hartland, Brenda Banuelos, Mark Drews, Mark Ferreri, Connie Fletcher, Ted Manaktala, Natalie Orssten, Shari Pierce, Cheryl Purdy, Mayra Rameriz, Darren Taylor, and Victor Villalobos.

We salute you: DSS Jacqueline Gritton, DSA’s: Martha Jordan, Reinita Bradley, Cindy Doefler, Maria Connie Fletcher, Tiffany Gradiz, and Archie Green.

Community Support Specialists: Kristen Yodock and Roland Foskey.

Welcome to the San Marcos team!

Southern California (cont’d) VCS B y Alex Rockabrand

89

July 2020

Veteran’s Community Services has been busy welcoming promising new staff over the past couple months! Please join us in welcoming the following Case Coordinators: Kenia Ruiz, Francisco Campos, Kathryn Sanchez and Cynthia Velasco. We also welcome our new Veteran Specialist Laura Nichols and new intake specialists Esteban Figueroa and Yasmin Gandara. They are all stupendous additions to the VCS team! We look forward to getting to working with them and getting to know them more.

We are happy to share an amazing story that goes to show how important and even infectious the work that we do is! Case Coordinator (CC), Marian Diaz, has been working with Army Veteran Jonathan since May 2020. During his time in the service, Jonathan received the National Defense Service medal, the Iraq Campaign medal, and the Global War on Terrorism service medal! When Jonathan first contacted our program, he had just graduated from the Veterans Village of San Diego inpatient program Cognitive Behavioral Thinking and Relapse Prevention training. He has been sober now for 242+ days! For nearly 5 years, Jonathan did not have stable housing. After entering our program, Jonathan was housed in just under a month by Housing Coordinator, Anjzanice Derr. Jonathan was provided with a bus pass, and professional clothes via Sharia's Closet for interviews. He has since found work with the McAlister Institute doing homeless outreach! He assists the local homeless population in getting access to appropriate treatment and recovery support services! He helps especially in providing empathy, education, and resources. Jonathan has made the best of the opportunity that was given to him and has chosen to help others who are struggling with homelessness, just as he once did. Along with being dedicated to his work, he is also a devoted father who makes time for his son. They spend quality hours at the park, sharing meals, visiting family, and even flying drones together! The VCS staff could not be happier for Johnathan and we look at Jonathan's future with excitement and joy!

Welcome to the VCS team!

Wellness By Jose Gutierrez

Financial Wellness, in simple terms, means the ability to have a healthy financial life. It means your debts are payable and you have ample emergency, college, and/or retirement funds – not necessarily that you are rich. It means feeling good about your financial health now and in the future. Managing finances can be a stressful endeavor and achieving a comfortable place takes a considerable amount of time. Without control of your financial health, you take your worries with you everywhere you go, which can affect your physical and mental health. Lack of sleep and concerns about your financial situation can result in the loss of focus and less productivity at work. You are likely stressed because you want to keep your family safe and comfortable, which is where financial wellness comes in. This month along with the financial Wellness Checklist that staff completed – I held “Know Your Benefits” lunch learn sessions on various benefit related topics. My goal with these sessions was to provide you with a refresher on CCC benefits and learn ways to save money. I appreciate everyone who took time out of their day to attend these sessions! One of the last items on the Financial checklist was to make 1 financial goal for yourself. I challenge you to continue that goal past this month in hopes that small steps can create habits that have the potential to benefit you long term. (Checkout CCC’s website after logging in as a Staff member to access all Wellness related content)

Additional Financial Resources (courtesy of HoneyBee): HERE

July 2020

9

10

July 2020

Safety Topic of the Month: Disaster Safety Procedures By Jose Gutierrez

Safety Topic of the Month: Active Shooter

Profile of an Active Shooter: An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearm(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation. Good practices for coping with an active shooter situation:

Policy of the Month: Employee Grievance Procedure

Employees have a right to question and appeal any decision or action. Before initiating a formal

grievance, the employee should attempt to resolve the issue with one’s immediate supervisor (unless

it pertains to a direct action of their immediate supervisor in which case they can escalate to Program

Manager/Regional Manager/Regional Director). Employees have a right to be free of retaliation and

barriers to employment due to filing a complaint or grievance. CCC’s grievance process is designed to

ensure employees have a fair and objective system to raise and review serious issues and complaints

without bias and/or fear of retaliation.

Formal Grievance Procedure:

• Submit complaint, allegations of unfair or unethical treatment, and/or allegations of discrimination in writing to the CEO at the Corporate Office. CEO will confirm receipt of grievance within 5 working days.

• In cases of potential endangerment to a client’s health or welfare is in question – CEO may suspend services, suspend, or reassign CCC personnel.

• In cases of illegal actions – CEO or their designee will notify all appropriate agencies immediately

• CEO may choose to act as a mediator and/or initiate a formal investigation. o Investigation will be completed timely and a decision will be announced within 30

working days of receipt of the grievance. If longer – all appropriate parties will be notified.

• Employee has a right to appeal an action or finding of the CEO to the Board of Directors of CCC. This appeal must also be in writing within 90 calendar days of the action or finding.

Remember: Call 911 when it is safe to do so! Additional Resources:

here