SUMMER 2021 FRIENDS Interim OF INTERIM on New Affordable NEWSLETTER Project!

Interim Inc. is finally starting on BOARD OF DIRECTORS construction of the new Sun Rose Housing project in Salinas. The three-story complex will 17 PRESIDENT residents and a resident manager. Diana Rosenthal There will be nine studio and one VICE PRESIDENT bedroom units of permanent, John Stafsnes affordable, supported housing for adults with psychiatric disabilities SECRETARY who are homeless, chronically The Soledad House in Salinas is Interim’s Julie Altman homeless or at risk of . original crisis residential facility. Additionally, one floor of the complex TREASURER will contain transitional housing for The complex will also include offices Alan Stumpf eight residents. This project has and meeting rooms for counselors been specifically designed to meet and residents. The entire building MEMBERS the special needs of homeless single will be handicapped-accessible Doug Anderson disabled adults. with an elevator to the upper floors. Fran Baca The Sun Rose Housing project will Many tenants are expected to have Rich Bishop replace the existing Soledad House, other disabilities in addition to the Catherine Brennan located in Salinas, which Interim has psychiatric disabilities. Wald, Ruhnke Diane DeBerry owned since 1980. Soledad House & Dost Architects designed the project. Sheila Holmes was Interim’s original crisis residential All tenants of Sun Rose will be Gladys Houston facility and later provided transitional, offered and case Carl Miller shared housing. This property is in management on-site by Interim staff Mark Shaw disrepair, and Interim will demolish the with the goal of helping residents to building and use the property to build maintain housing and develop skills ADMINISTRATION the Sun Rose . Recent to be successful in the community. Executive Director zoning changes made it possible to Tenants will be encouraged to use Barbara L. Mitchell, MSW increase the number of units allowed on this property. Deputy Director » CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Jane Odegard, PsyD, LMFT, “The Monterey County Behavioral Health Bureau has a long and LPCC, CPRP successful history of partnering with Interim Inc. to provide Development Officer needed services to the most vulnerable seriously mentally ill Deb Shearer individuals in our community. The Sun Rose Housing Project (831) 649-4522 x 205 came about in recognition of the need for local housing and the MCHOME HOMELESS unique supports needed to assist homeless mentally ill individuals Outreach Program to stay housed, safe, and stable. The Bureau worked with Interim (831) 883-3030 to gain funding under the state’s No Place Like Home initiative OMNI RESOURCE CENTER and is excited to have secured a portion of the funding needed AND SUCCESS OVER STIGMA to support the project. This housing project will make a real (831) 800-7530 difference in the lives of the people who will live here; helping Main Office these vulnerable individuals in achieving stability and a higher (831) 649-4522 level of functioning within their own lives and the community.” P.O. Box 3222 Monterey CA 93942 Katy Eckert, MBA, Behavioral Health Bureau Chief - 1 - Housing, Healing and Hope: The Path from Homelessness to Mental Health

This hour-long educational seminar was held by Interim Inc. on May 20, 2021. Barbara Mitchell, Executive Director of Interim Inc., and Joe Livernois, Board President for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Monterey County, emceed the event. Interim program directors and staff, Marisol Jacobo, Kevin Gast, Kontrena McPheter, and Antonio Garibaldi also participated in the event. The seminar kicked off with why we acknowledge Mental Health From left: Marisol Jacobo; Barbara Mitchell, Executive Director of Interim Inc; Joe Awareness Month. “Each year millions Livernois, Board President for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Monterey County; of Americans face the reality of living and Kevin Gast. with a mental illness,” explained Livernois, “One in five adults will housing opportunities before they an independent life, supported by experience mental illness in a year, will accept one,” Mitchell elaborated. Interim: “I am so eternally grateful and 1 in 20 adults will experience a “Interim has developed a multi-path to Interim for giving me housing serious mental illness. An estimated approach to overcome barriers to because I could not afford to live 25% of extended families have at getting people housed.” Interim offers anywhere else, and because of least one member with a serious short-term crisis residential treatment Interim, I can live independently, mental illness.” programs, and both residential and successfully, and I get support. Today Livernois asked Barbara Mitchell outpatient dual diagnosis treatment I have hope because I have housing; to explain the impacts of mental for people who have substance I’m happy where I’m at because illness on those living in Monterey use issues, as well as mental illness. that’s where the hope is, at Interim.” County. Mitchell acknowledged Additionally, Interim deploys an that mental illness is often linked outreach and engagement team that to homelessness, although there is seeks out people with mental illness not necessarily one causal factor. who are homeless. “We have found that each client “Do clients ‘graduate’ from Interim?” has a unique situation,” Mitchell asked Livernois. expressed. “We don’t really ‘graduate’ people,” Mitchell played a recorded clip of Kevin Gast (Program Director at Kontrena McPheter, a former client Interim) explained, “We’re here of Interim who now works as a Peer forever. People may graduate from Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator. MCHOME, but then move to other Kontrena McPheter “The housing Interim introduced me programs within Interim. There’s no to on Hayes Circle allowed me to wrong door and no closed door. We According to Mitchell, Interim is the gain strength — strength in my mind, are here for clients in our permanent only organization in Monterey County strength in my body. It allowed me housing as long as they need us, and currently building brick-and-mortar to heal some old wounds. It taught we have extensive services to keep housing specifically for people with me mind over mood. I am grateful to them supported and housed.” Mitchell mental illness. In June, Interim is Interim for giving me my life back,” further explained, “Interim’s services beginning construction on its Sun shared McPheter. are flexible and structured such Rose apartments. Sun Rose will that those services can intensify, or Marisol Jacobo discussed the barriers contain nine permanent studios or decrease, depending on need. Some to housing for many homeless one-bedroom apartments in addition tenants have lived with us for over people. “Homeless people are like to eight transitional housing beds. 30 years.” Mitchell played a clip of anyone else. They have to feel Housing development at Interim is Beth Barrell, A client of Interim and comfortable and safe in housing. funded through a combination of Community Support Worker; Barrell We’ve learned that sometimes government grants and loans from people have to be offered multiple shared how she is now able to live

- 2 - local, state, and federal sources, combined with grants and donations from foundations and private donors. “Have you ever been able to use people with lived experience of homelessness, such as peers, for example, to engage people living homeless?” asked Livernois. McPheter shared how certain aspects of her transition from homelessness were a direct result of the connection she made with the peer outreach worker that found her while she was homeless. “He asked if I trusted him,” said McPheter, “if I trusted to go with From left: Antonio Garibaldi, Barbara Mitchell, Executive Director of Interim Inc, and Joe him, and I told him yes. That was my Livernois, Board President for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Monterey County. first trusting of anything or anyone at that time because I couldn’t even trust the configuration of the housing. If Architects, Interim, Inc. Board of my own mind.” not, they won’t accept the housing. Directors, Fenton & Keller, Lavengood Antonio Garibaldi, Wellness Navigator Family, Mark & Susan Bertelsen, Dr. & 3. Housing people is only the first at Interim, shared his personal Mrs. Philip Bhaskar, Barbara Mitchell task. Keeping people housed is story as well as the biggest support & Bill Pardue, and the Markon really the major effort. It is essential mechanisms that helped him move off Cooperative. to have extensive services, on-site, of the street. “I had a family member to help people maintain housing, who worked with MCHOME,” said and the system as a whole has to Garibaldi. “I started working with work to convince people to accept him and told him what my situation “What can someone these services. was, and he helped me put together do if they have a family a plan that involved an extensive 12- “Sometimes it’s a long journey. step program. From that program, I What’s different about Interim is that member in Monterey went immediately into Bridge House we are here for the long haul. For County who is homeless clients who are willing to engage which is an extensive dual-diagnosis with mental illness, and residential treatment program.” with us, we will be there for them as long as they need us, with a flexible living on the streets?”

level of services. We’ve had some Mitchell wrapped up the seminar If you are concerned tenants for over 30 years. Some with three key takeaways from the about an individual who is clients need services daily, some event: homeless with mental illness, weekly, and some monthly — and contact MCHOME at 1. Affordable is some graduate to being employees (831) 883-3030. exceptionally important and there or move into the community and isn’t enough of it; it requires a lot of don’t need Interim’s support any Note MCHOME is not a money and community willpower. longer. They may get their mental 24-hour emergency service. In an emergency, call 911 2. One size does not fit all in regard health services in the community as to housing. It is not “build it and an out-patient.” they will come.” People have to feel Seminar was sponsored by: Hayashi comfortable with the location and Wayland, Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Other local organizations that provide assistance or resources Thank you to our sponsors for people who are homeless with mental illness include:

GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS • Coalition of Homeless Services Providers Phone: (831) 883-3080 Hayashi Wayland Fenton & Keller Mark and Susan Bertelsen • NAMI Monterey County Phone: The Lavengood Family Dr. & Mrs. Philip Bhaskar Wald, Ruhnke (831) 422-6264 & Dost Architects Barbara Mitchell • Natividad Medical Center - Crisis and Bill Pardue Interim Inc. Board Team Phone: (831) 755-4111 of Directors Markon Cooperative • Monterey County Behavioral Health Access team Phone: (888) 258-6029 - 3 - Interim’s Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) Is Here to Help Navigate the Impact Of COVID-19

Starting April 2021, Interim, Inc. opened the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) as part of the library of services offered by the agency for adults in Monterey County living with mental illness. CCP specifically provides emotional support, crisis counseling, coping strategies and resource referrals to individuals who are struggling with the ongoing fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. When you reach out to the CCP, you are connected with trained, compassionate staff who can offer confidential support, stress- management tools, and local services to meet your needs with issues such as job loss, depression, testing, vaccination clinics, and how to deal with anti-maskers and holiday social gatherings. Interim applied for a grant for funding to run CCP through Substance Abuse and Mental Health From left: Magaby Aleala, Wellness Navigator; Veronica Sanchez, Counselor II with Services Administration (SAMHSA) Health and Community Housing; Idalia Matthews, Crisis Counseling Program Program and the Federal Emergency Director and are currently running CCP for Interim. Management Agency (FEMA). The California Mental Health Services Counselor II with Health and providing a hot line, also aids with Authority (Cal MHSA) provides the Community Housing, and Magaby the following services: training for healthcare providers Aleala, Wellness Navigator are to support people throughout this • Connecting clients with short-term currently running CCP for Interim. pandemic crisis. Interim was awarded services These three women have attended all the funding and immediately had a of the trainings to meet eligibility and • Assisting with locating local team of counselors within the agency have a high level of preparedness providers to meet client needs complete the training to implement to support clients during the the program. • Help with CDC, coping skills, unchartered waters of a world-wide vaccines, and testing sites The training is organized and pandemic. facilitated by Cal MHSA and includes This is what Sanchez had to say Once completed, the Interim team the following: about CCP: hit the ground running and have “Being in the Crisis Counseling • Crisis-counseling skills needed to not looked back. The program is Program (CCP) made me realize the provide behavioral health services designed as a six-week process, but indirect support I had throughout the after a disaster clients can use only what they feel COVID-19 pandemic (family, friends, they need. The team is currently • Understanding the types of and coworkers) and the individuals treating 10 clients, but overall emotional distress reactions I am serving under CCP have no Interim’s Crisis Counseling Program common after a disaster other forms of support. I am glad has supported more than 100 people • Ethical considerations, cultural to be of service to the following since it began. awareness, safety, and self-care of communities who reached out for clients Interim’s Crisis Counseling Program support from CCP especially low- accepts clients from 19 different income individuals, minority groups, Program Director, Idalia Matthews, programs and, in addition to and families.” and her staff, Veronica Sanchez,

- 4 - Crisis Counseling Program serves adults with serious mental illness and their family CRISIS COUNSELING members, providing counseling in Spanish PROGRAM (CCP) and English. Counselors offer support related to COVID-19 stressors and referrals to resources in the community.

Individuals can self- refer by contacting our team: The Crisis Counseling Program is here to help you Phone: navigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. (831) 676-3715 EXT. 500

Email: [email protected]

If you are feeling stress, fear, or anxiety over the uncertainty of COVID-19, contact us for support. You’ll be connected with trained, INTERIM, INC. compassionate staff who can offer support, Pajaro Street ANNEX stress management tools, and connect you 41 E. San Luis St., with local services to meet your needs. All Salinas, CA 93901 contacts are confidential. Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

- 5 - Interim Breaking Ground on New Project!

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 other services in the community, including those provided by Interim at the nearby Pajaro Wellness Center. Interim has received a great amount of community support for the project and have been successful in attracting competitive state and local funding sources. Our local foundations and donors have also “As the representative of the local Continuum of Care (CoC), the been supportive and generous. Coalition of Homeless Services Providers recognizes the severe Interim has also received tremendous challenges many of our neighbors experiencing homelessness support from the City of Salinas, the County of Monterey and the suffer from — one being severe mental illness. This is one of the local Coalition of Homeless Services many driving factors in the CoC’s decision to support and co-fund Providers. Funding commitments Interim’s Sun Rose project in the city of Salinas. Sun Rose is a have been received from the County of Monterey and City of Salinas, including highly anticipated, much-needed program in our community and CDBG funding, Whole Person Care we are very excited to see the project move forward.” funding, County Inclusionary Housing Funds and Homeless Housing Roxanne V. Wilson, Executive Officer Assistance and Prevention funds. Interim was successful in obtaining competitive funds through the California Housing and Community Development No Place Like Home Program through a joint application with the County of Monterey. The project cost is divided into capital construction expenses of $6.5 million, and another $3 million in capitalized operating and other reserves designed to support the operating costs for 20 years. These operating reserves are necessary to ensure the units remain affordable, as the projected rents paid by tenants will be approximately $250-$300 per month, which will not cover the costs of operation. The services to tenants will be funded under Interim’s contract with Monterey County Behavioral Health through Mental deficit. Interim will lend the project for affordable supportive housing Health Services Act Funding, and funds to get construction started for homeless persons is currently Medi-Cal billing. and we hope to reduce this deficit so high in Monterey County. If you The project was delayed about six through more grants, donations, and would like to donate to the project, months by issues related to the other governmental sources. Interim is please contact Barbara Mitchell, pandemic. Unfortunately, the delays actively seeking the additional funding. Executive Director, to discuss how you can help, or send a donation in combined with the rising cost of We feel it’s important to start the the enclosed envelope. construction have created a project construction now as the demand - 6 - his mother left his father. This was Getting to Know Joe Livernois significant because the family was Catholic. Catholicism was extremely Board president for the National Alliance on important to Joe’s father in particular. Following the separation, Joe lost Mental Illness Monterey County Chapter (NAMI) touch with his father. He learned from a friend (who just happened to see his father) that the man was living homeless in the streets of San Diego. Eventually, Catholicism led Joe’s father to Leon, Mexico, where he lived for the rest of his life, even though he could not speak Spanish. “I think he just preferred to be involved in a ceremony that he didn’t understand. That was mystical to him. I think the lore of Mexico and being around that 24 hours a day was magic to him,” explained Joe. Many years later, Joe’s brother reached out to their father through an online message board. Their father invited Joe and his siblings to Mexico to help celebrate his 80th birthday. It ended up being a trip to remember. “We saw everything there was to see in the state of Guanajuato,” said Joe, “We went to a state fair that was awesome. We went to a bullfight (that was not awesome). We just did everything.” The trip lasted a week and a half and Joe did his best to put past issues aside. “I came back from Mexico with this recognition that I really didn’t know much about what he was going through as an adult, and as a result, Joe Livernois, 67, of Monterey, County and seeks to highlight I didn’t know a lot about what I was currently serves as the board voices that are routinely excluded or going through as a child growing up president for the National Alliance represented unfairly. with him. I really felt it would behoove on Mental Illness Monterey County me to learn more about mental illness.” Joe hails from the middle of nowhere Consequently, Joe discovered NAMI, Chapter (NAMI). NAMI is a nonprofit on a “dirt patch about 10 miles from organization dedicated to improving and he has been involved with the the Mexican border.” When Joe was organization ever since. the quality of life for people with young, his father began to show signs mental illness and their families of bipolar disorder. He would cycle “There tends to be this sort of through support, education, and between states of incredible mania stigma, shame, sadness, anxiety, advocacy. He discovered NAMI while and severe depression. At that time, weirdness around mental illness and serving as a writer for the Monterey no one in his family, including his it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just a fact of County Herald. At that time, Joe father, knew anything about mental life. You know if you go out and break was writing a series of 44 articles illness. In order to survive, Joe and an arm, you get it fixed. Nobody focused on his reunion with his his five siblings found it necessary blames anybody for breaking their estranged father in Leon, Mexico. His to avoid their father. “The family just arm. It’s not the person’s fault. I think articles can be found in his book “The sort of fell apart because nobody that if people were able to sort of Road to Guanajuato: Estrangement understood what was going on and shed the stigma and shed the blame in Paradise.” Additionally, Joe is a it was nobody’s fault. Mental illness is then many people could get the help founding editor of Voices of Monterey never anybody’s fault,” said Joe, “We that they need quicker than they are Bay. Voices of Monterey Bay was didn’t have the resources at the time.” getting it now.” created as a reaction to the current When Joe was a senior in high school, Learn more at namimonterey.org state of newspapers in Monterey

- 7 - P.O. Box 3222 Monterey, CA 93942 831-649-4522 www.interiminc.org

SUMMER 2021 Newsletter RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

We are thankful for our generous donors! Your gifts have been especially appreciated during this time of pandemic. Thank you!

BRIDGE HOUSE AND CLIENT ACTIVITIES IN MEMORY OF DORIS Donald & Jane Davidson Mr. and Mrs. Alexander COMMUNITY HOUSING Sanctuary Vacation Rentals AUERBACH Charitable Remainder Trust Ljubimow IN KIND DONATIONS Mr. John Stafsnes and Ms. De Lay & Laredo, Attorneys Dr. and Mrs. William A. Iathan Annand at Law Melendez Carmel Medical Supplies UNITED WAY, MONTEREY Ms. Heather Deming COUNTY Ms. Linda Frederiksen Ms Sandra Dewey Mrs. Martha Myszak ICU Health Mr. Travis Beye Mr. Dennis Gray Ms. Natasha Doner Mr. and Mrs. Dan Nussbaum Panera Bread Ms. Lynsey Ferreira Mr. James Gray Mrs Laura Dunn Ms. Janna L. Ottman Dawn Rehm Ms. Sarah Hardgrave Mr. Michael Luery Mr. Joseph Fernandez Jr. Mr. Bill Pardue Mr. Jim Sullivan and Ms. Cate Ms. Cheryl Hawkins Ms. Christa Martin Ms Theresa Flanders Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Porter Brennan Ms Amy Haynes Ms. Deborah Stern Ms. Mary R. Gale Mr. & Mrs. Richard Prader Ms. Adrianna James Mr. David P. Wharton Ms. Janette Golomeic Mr. and Mrs. Bob Prince VIRTUAL EVENT SPONSORS Mr. Dan Limesand Mr. and Mrs. Gary Gunderson Ms. Janine Robinette Mr. Mark Bertelsen Ms. Cheryle Rivera DONATIONS WITHOUT Mr. and Mrs. William J. Gutches Mr. Brian Robinson Dr. & Mrs. Philip Bhaskar RESTRICTIONS Mr. and Mrs. Arnold M. Hedlund Ms Roxanne Rossiter Ms Emma Altman Mr. and Mrs. Casey Boyns MCHOME HOMELESS Mr Abe Holston Mr. Henry Ruhnke Fenton and Keller SERVICES Ms. Carol Arredondo Ms. Christina Holston Mr. David Sabih (in honor of Hayashi Wayland Carmel Presbyterian Church Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas C. Baldo Mr. David M. Howell Barbara Mitchell) (in honor of Camille Baldo) Mr. Bill Eyres and Ms. Sheila Ms. Bernadette Rojas-Ramirez Dr. Richard Jackson Contact Ms. Mary Schley Mary Holmes Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Bell Ph. D. Ms. Daphne Shaw Mr. Mark Bertelsen Mr. Steve Bradford and Mrs. SUN ROSE APARTMENTS Mr. Michael Kean Mr. Mark Shaw Gladys Houston Blackbaud Giving Fund (Mr. The Harden Foundation Mrs. Suzanne Killett Ms. Roselyn Singh (in memory Richard Altman) The Lavengood Family Mr. and Ms. Kahei J. Kyutoku of Kusma Singh) Ms. Sara Boyns Mr. Bill Pardue and Ms. Barbara Mr. and Mrs. Wayne P. Mr. and Mrs. Rod Skager Mitchell IN MEMORY OF JOYCE Ms. Rosalba Castro VANDERVERE Lavengood Mr. John Stafsnes and Ms. Markon Cooperative Mr. and Mrs. Eric Coburn Iathan Annand Ms. Natasha Doner Mr. and Mrs. Jean M. Lesieutre Ms. Diana W. Rosenthal Mr. Kevin Critchlow Alicia Swithenbank Mr. and Mrs. Rod Skager Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Lopez Mark Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Weiner Wald, Ruhnke and Dost Mr. David P. Wharton Architects Mr. and Mrs. Bob Whitlock - 8 -