Interim Breaking Ground on New Affordable Housing Project!
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SUMMER 2021 FRIENDS Interim Breaking Ground OF INTERIM on New Affordable NEWSLETTER Housing 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 house 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 homelessness. 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 mental health 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 Apartments. 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 supportive housing 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.