Crestwood San Diego Honored at the 31st Behavioral Health Recognition Dinner On the night of June 9th, staff from Crestwood San Diego, Crestwood Chula Vista and the Crestwood Home Office, gathered at the San Diego Mission Valley Marriott to attend the 31st Annual Behavioral Health Recognition Dinner. The Behavioral Health Recognition Dinner is a chance to celebrate and recognize individuals and groups who provide outstanding service in San Diego County’s behavioral health field. Behavioral health and substance abuse programs are invited to submit nominations for any of the 12 categories of community awards.  At this year’s event, Crestwood San Diego was the proud and humble recipient of three awards - Support Person of the Year, Clinician of the Year and 24-Hour Facility of the Year! Frank Chargualaf, who is the Transportation Coordinator at Crestwood San Diego, was awarded Support Person of the Year. Frank’s incredible passion and dedication to connecting clients to needed medical appointments helped him win this award.  He has assisted so many clients to overcome obstacles with their insurance, California IDs, Social Security cards and pre-authorizations so that they may connect to their needed medical appointments in the community. “Frank has enhanced so many lives by improving their health and wellness and we are so proud of him,” said Robyn Ramsey, Administrator at Crestwood San Diego. Clinician of the Year was awarded to Dr. Krauz Ganadjian. Dr. Ganadjian is the Psychiatrist and Medical Director at both Crestwood Chula Vista and Crestwood San Diego. Robyn said, “Dr. Ganadjian honors the Crestwood values and has a compassionate treatment approach, as well as the flexibility to work with the team and clients to develop individualized plans to best help each client.  We are so grateful for the wonderful working relationship we have with Dr. Ganadjian!” And finally Crestwood San Diego took home the big award of 24-Hour Facility of the Year! Crestwood San Diego has only been open for three years, but has become a key part of the continuum of care in San Diego County.  Their stakeholders and clients have embraced and appreciated what makes their campus special such as compassionate care, a warm and homelike environment, WRAP, DBT, Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network, Zumba, Yoga and more. Janet Vlavianos, Crestwood’s Director of Development and Corporate Initiatives, accepted the award on behalf of Crestwood San Diego. Joining her on stage was Crestwood San Diego’s first program graduate, Julie, who has also been employed at the campus for two years. She made a powerful speech to a room with more than 650 attendees and truly portrayed what Crestwood stands for and honors. Congratulations Crestwood San Diego, Frank Chargualaf and Dr. Krauz Ganadjian for receiving the recognition you all deserve for the incredible work you do every day for our clients that makes it possible for them to succeed in their recovery. Contributed by: Robyn Ramsey, Administrator, Crestwood San Diego

For decades we have been studying stigma in mental health from the research of Irving Goffman in Asylums in the early 1950’s, to the more recent work of Patrick Corrigan’s Don’t Call me Nuts and Robert Whitaker’s Mad in America . Today we continue to study stigma as evidenced in the recent 2015 research by Patricia A. Carlisle’s, Mental Health Stigma: How to overcome mental health stigma in America . So we have to ask where we are as a society in terms of stigma, fear and mental health. What have we accomplished? Have we made any progress or changed attitudes? Have we created inclusion for our friends and family with mental health issues? Have we shifted beliefs? Are we any closer to creating an environment where teenagers can tell their parents or friends about their voices? Can a 20-year old let a college know they are taking a semester off to go into a behavioral health program? Can a 32-year old nurse ask for accommodation because they are experiencing severe symptoms of bipolar type 2 and still be eligible for a promotion? Can we bring a behavioral health program to a vacant community hospital, bringing 50 to 200 jobs to that small town and be welcomed, rather than attacked? Sadly, in 2017, the answer to these questions is still no. So the mandate today, more than ever, is to wage war on mental health discrimination, stereotypes, stigmatizing images and inflammatory media coverage, national leaders who ridicule and mock, shaming language, intolerance and hatred. It is fear that stops people from telling someone they are experiencing a mental health crisis. It is fear that prevents people from getting help. It is fear that stops parents from getting treatment for their children. It is fear that creates the environment where a community feels vindicated in fighting mental health services coming to their community. This fear and hatred is the stigma that people who have mental health issues live with every day. Stigma is more debilitating than the diagnosis or symptoms. It is a dark shadow hanging over you. It is the barrier to accessibility. It is the barrier to friendships and relationships. It is the barrier to finishing a degree, pursuing a career or even working at all. It is the barrier to recovery. It keeps you sick and disabled if you let it and if our society accepts it. Today we must speak up, make political choices, and fight legal battles to impact this fear and hate of mental health issues. During a recent California land use legal battle, an 85-year old mother, who is a leader in NAMI, closed the public comment section in the meeting with the following statement, “There are two four-letter words - FEAR and HOPE. You choose.” Fighting stigma, fighting fear, fighting hate and discrimination is a battle to be fought by everyone. We must make it our battle and we must win. We must join with the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) and other national movements such as Stamp Out Stigma, NAMI, and Each Mind Matters to fight and eliminate stigma in our services, families, communities and our world. Until the stigma and fear that surrounds mental health has been eliminated, the world will be a darker place, making it more difficult for people to get the help they need and deserve. As former President Bill Clinton said, “Mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all.” Contributed by: Patricia Blum, PhD Executive Vice President

The evening of Sunday, October 8th in Napa County started out for many of us as a calm night, watch- ing football, enjoying the return of loved ones from trips away and a night to prepare for the next work day. Later that night, with very little warning, the weather took a horrific turn, with winds that tore through the area at 70 miles per hour. And with the winds, came deadly fast-moving fires that became infernos almost instantly. Shortly after 1:00 am on that Monday morning, many of us were awoken to the notification sound on our cell phones, alerting us that a Nixle alert had been received. Then our phones became this continuous beeping of alerts notifying us of the fires and evacuations. The notifications were so widespread, it was hard to comprehend what was occurring. Multiple fires were being reported in Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. The winds were so strong that it fueled the fires faster than anyone had anticipated. People were forced to flee from their homes with very little warning and had to leave everything they had behind. Sadly, not everyone was able to evacuate in time and some people perished in the fires. Our Crestwood Leadership Team moved into a heightened state, first assuring those we know, love and are responsible for, that they are safe. Then as leaders, we moved into a place of support and compassion for our staff and clients, to ensure that they and our campuses were safe, and that we were addressing the needs of everyone that needed help. For many of our Angwin staff these fires triggered prior trauma, as they had already been through the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley and Clayton fires that had caused significant destruction in 2016 and 2017. Those staff now became the fire veterans to support the staff that were now experiencing firsthand the fear and the power of destruction that fires can do. Many of them were evacuated or had family and friends that were evacuated. Their concern then turned to the possibility of evacuating our Napa Valley 52-bed campus, which thankfully did not happen. In the days that followed it was amazing to see the outpouring of support from staff from other campuses who offered assistance in the form of vans, evacuation sites, masks, emergency phone supports, donuts, hugs, prayers, and just a “How are you and how can I help.” To those of you who were visibly present and those sending silent prayers and good wishes, we all thank you! As the fires were contained and people were let back into their homes or learned that their homes had been destroyed, our Crestwood staff rallied around everyone with love and support. We have learned so much from this experience and we will take those lessons forward to help us in our development of our next emergency preparedness plans. One thing that I know is we will never be the same. When you experience the fear, the lack of any control and the absolute love and compassion of people, you are changed. It is an appropriate time to again reflect on our mission and values as an organization. They were created to help guide our organization. They are the foundation of who we are, not only as a business, but at the core of who we are as people. I am so proud to work for an organization where I was blessed to experience those values from people when we needed it the most! To all who have suffered loss or pain in the Northern and Southern California fires, our prayers of support are with you and your families.   Contributed by: Pam Norris, Director of Operations

At Crestwood Chula Vista, we celebrate our spirituality. We strive to create an open and free environment for all clients and staff to embrace their spiritual beliefs and practices and who identify with various faiths such as Islam, Catholicism, Christianity, and Judaism. We also have those who consider themselves agnostic or atheist. We do not judge anyone for what they choose to believe and how they choose to express those beliefs. When people think of spirituality they may automatically think about a certain religion, but spirituality is so much more than that! Spirituality is one of our Pillars of Recovery at Crestwood and we define it as a connection to a greater power, others and self and a way to find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in life. Spirituality is a lifestyle, and for many, it is the very core of who they are as individuals. We live in a multicultural society and we are surrounded by an array of religions and spiritual practices. Our world is rich in culture and that is a beautiful asset to healthy living. Each week I have the wonderful privilege of facilitating our spirituality groups with our clients. We have created learning and hands-on experiences with each culture, belief and spirituality practice we’ve studied. We devote an entire month to a specific faith/spirituality practice and we post flyers throughout the campus announcing that month’s spirituality group and topic. For example, last July, we focused on Judaism and we went through a PowerPoint presentation that laid out its foundation. The next week we learned about the Israeli flag and painted that flag as we listened to Israeli music. For our next group meeting we watched a documentary on Judaism, which our clients absolutely loved! The final group was centered on what Challah bread means to the Israeli people and learned about Shabbat and ate Challah bread together. During August, we studied Islam. One of our clients is from Afghanistan and since Afghanistan is an Islamic country, we chose to focus on his home country. Our first week started out with a PowerPoint presentation that helped clients and our staff learn the fundamentals of Islam. The following week we learned about the significance of the Afghan flag as we all painted it. We also painted mosques as we learned about the roles they play in Islam. The next week, I read to the clients from the Quran as they completed Islamic word searches. They really enjoyed hearing the words of the Quran, which for many of them, was the first time. For our last group session that month, we gathered in the recreation room and watched an excellent documentary on the Islamic faith and spiritual practices. When choosing the topics for each month we invite the clients to select what they would like to focus on. For the month of September, they requested that we learn more about Christianity; for October, the clients asked to discover the treasures of Buddhism; and in November, they asked to learn about the traditions of Catholicism. At the end of each group, I like to ask clients what their golden nuggets are of what they have learned and what they will take with them. Each week I am amazed at the insightful answers that they share with the group and it is wonderful to see they truly are enjoying this experience. I am so blessed to have the support and encouragement from our leadership team to fully engage our staff and clients in our spirituality groups. As Billy Corgan, the musician with Smashing Pumpkins, said, “I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discovery. It’s a journey of recovery. It’s a journey of uncovering your own inner nature. It’s already there.”   Contributed by: Wanda Anderson, Service Coordinator Crestwood Chula Vista

On Saturday, May 6, the community gathered to support “Mental Health for All” at the Northern California NAMIWalks . Despite a little rain, there was a great turnout! The annual event held at William Land Park in Sacramento is an opportunity to fight stigma, connect with the community, and learn about mental health resources in the area. Crestwood was proud to once again be a sponsor of the event and was represented by staff from Crestwood Center Sacramento, American River Residential Services, and the Sacramento Home Office. Thank you to our campus staff who participated in the walk with several of our persons served!! And thank you to everyone who helped staff our table!

“When we talk about different groups, whether gender, identity, or ethnicity, we must also talk about how they are shaped by their environment,” Felton Board Chair and neuropsychiatrist Dr. George Woods explains. “African Americans have historically been shaped by racism. They’ve been shaped by trauma.” Dr. Woods, who has practiced forensic psychiatry (the study of psychiatry within the legal system) for over 40 years, stresses that this also translates to the criminal justice system. As President of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, Dr. Woods explains that “for almost any young person, but certainly young African Americans, becoming involved in the criminal justice system upends their lives. It negatively impacts opportunities and employment prospects.” African Americans are largely overrepresented in the criminal justice system, incarcerated five times the rate of whites. A legacy of slavery and racism translates to trauma and mental health disorders. Dr. Woods elucidates that throughout his career, “I saw how many people that have difficulty in the criminal system have cognitive impairments, substance and alcohol abuse, or other difficulties.” Dr. Woods points out that individuals with a history of trauma, substance abuse, early childhood education difficulties, homelessness, and mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Felton’s Justice Services Division, Dr. Woods asserts, provides programs and services that address these issues. “So many of the social determinants impact health. Felton identifies these determinants and provides multiple outreach programs,” explains Dr. Woods. From birth to end-of-life, Felton serves individuals and their families who may be experiencing mental health issues, alcohol or substance abuse disorders, or are unhoused. Felton positively transforms their quality of life and promotes social justice to accelerate community-led change. Dr. Woods emphasizes, “It’s both the depth and breadth of Felton’s programs that continue to attract me because we need to be working on all these things.” Article from felton.org

Last Fall we welcomed two new family members into our community at Crestwood Treatment Center in Fremont These individuals became instant local celebrities with their inquisitive demeanors, gentle dispositions, and feathered feet. Our new family members are two hens that have provided our residents and staff with the opportunity to deliver nurturing care, revisit childhood memories, and stimulate cognition, as well as being a source of therapeutic amusement. Our residents consist of men and women who have had brain injuries, as well as a combination of psychiatric and dementia-related behaviors. Many have resided here for many years, supported by the structure, consistency and kindness of our environment. Our staff’s primary goal in developing the Hen Program was to promote a sense of well-being and self-worth for our residents, that by caring for an animal, offers an opportunity for companionship and a calming and emotionally regulating experience. By promoting participation in our Hen Program, we hoped to educate our residents and minimize a sense of boredom and isolation. Our Hen Program officially started months before the arrival of the hens themselves as a truly interdisciplinary collaboration between our Administrator, Lilian Fong, our Rehab Staff/Occupational Therapists, Maintenance staff, and Program staff. A large enclosure was constructed in our Zen Garden, with a smaller henhouse inside; both are able to be locked to protect the hens. Food, wood shavings, and hay, along with storage containers, were purchased from a local feed store. When our hens arrived, residents submitted ideas for names, which were then voted on by everyone and the winning names were Buddy and Gismo. Residents then got to know each hen’s distinct personality traits, favorite foods, and daily routines. Residents are an integral part of each hen’s care and wellbeing. “We make sure the chickens know they’re loved, safe, and welcome here,” said Patti, one of the residents. The chicken coop has now become a favorite destination for socializing, restorative ambulation programs, 1:1 meetings, gardening groups, and the official Chicken Welfare Committee. Another resident, Gloria, observed, “Buddy and Gismo have potential. They help us feel good when we go outside by playing together and taking care of each other.”   Our Chicken Welfare Committee (CWC) consists of a group of 6-10 residents who meet weekly to discuss and make decisions about Buddy’s and Gismo’s health, as well as to ask questions and research answers to better understand these animals’ behavior and preferences. Each meeting begins with an egg count, overview of each hen’s health, and any significant changes in their routines/behaviors during the past week. The group then delves into activities such as cage beautification projects, scientific articles about the anatomy/cognition/evolution of chickens, or group discussion and personal anecdotes about chickens. The CWC has also led to improving our hens’ wellbeing by adding a dust bath to their enclosure, discovering a favorite treat (freeze-dried mealworms), and providing companionship. Perhaps the most notable accomplishment of the CWC was the celebration of Gismo’s and Buddy’s 1st birthday party in February. The residents spent time making a celebratory banner and birdseed birthday cakes, then converged in the Zen Garden to prepare a fruit salad and enjoy the party. This experience was immensely meaningful for the residents, who continue to talk about it. Residents are not the only ones who benefit from our chickens. Our staff, many of whom grew up in rural areas, have expressed delight, concern, and nostalgia regarding our hens. Staff is invited to take home the eggs and often compete playfully to get to the eggs first. One CNA reported that she made a quiche with our eggs and brought it to share with her co-workers. Rehab staff often elect to have their meetings outside in the garden to enjoy the calming effects of nature on their overall wellness. The hens have provided a warm and fun meeting place for residents and staff to relate to each other and share experiences. Cortney, another resident, remarked, “The chickens are role models for us; they teach us about companionship and how to interact with each other.” Buddy’s and Gismo’s presence here at Crestwood Treatment Center has benefitted our entire community immeasurably. The hens are thriving under the dedication and care provided by our residents and staff, and the humans are thriving through the provision of that care. Our Hen Program embodies our Crestwood values and will continue to do so in the years ahead. Contributed by: Amanda Lord Occupational Therapist Crestwood Treatment Center, Fremont

Homelessness is a national challenge and evident in the streets of our cities. The number of homeless across the country is staggering, however, in California, it is a crisis. The state auditor stated in April 2018 that California is doing a poor job of sheltering the nation’s largest homeless population and needs to provide statewide leadership to address it. California has approximately 134,000 homeless people, roughly 24 percent of the nation’s total homeless population. Of this homeless population, 34 percent lived in a place not meant for human habitation, such as the street, under freeways, grassy fields, parks and abandoned buildings. Our Crestwood San Diego campus had an opportunity to interface and participate in relieving homelessness for some individuals in the community. In 2017, Crestwood San Diego took its first steps toward a major expansion project to increase their bed capacity by an additional 80 beds throughout the campus. As we assumed responsibility for the entire property, we had opportunities, as well as challenges. We found a sizable homeless encampment on our property, in a large canyon adjacent to the parking lot. There were 15 to 20 individuals living in the canyon, with an enormous amount of belongings and trash. The status of the canyon posed safety risks, leaving Crestwood with no choice but to address the homeless camps that had taken over the canyon. Our approach was to address these campsites and its inhabitants with dignity and compassion. We assembled a team of caring community partners that included San Diego County Behavioral Health Services, local law enforcement, the city’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), the San Diego Public Health Department, Alpha Project, Episcopal Community Services, and local city government. Preparation for the upcoming move-out day was very thoughtful and deliberate. We worked together to provide as much notice as we could, to prepare the homeless individuals for their need to relocate. Our goal was to provide support to them every step of the way, to connect them to needed services while considering the major impact this would have on their current living situation and sense of safety. The homeless safety risk in San Diego was also increased by an outbreak of Hepatitis A, that had already killed 17 people. The canyon encampments were visited by Terry Hoskins, San Diego Police Department’s Communi- ty Outreach Officer, and Crestwood staff, who provided them with information and resources, as well as notification of their need to relocate. Months of preparation went into this project and by the time the day of the move arrived, many of the inhabitants had already found alternative housing. The few that remained were assisted by our team of compassionate workers who provided counseling and supportive services to those who were dealing with issues of substance abuse, family displacement, unemployment, financial issues and health concerns. Once the inhabitants had vacated, another large project lay ahead. There was an abundant amount of trash and belongings left in the encampment, as well as the overgrowth of trees and bushes. We contracted with an amazing local organization, Alpha Project, to spearhead this phase of the project. Alpha Project is a not-for-profit human services organization that serves more than 4,000 people each day with affordable housing and residential substance abuse treatment. They have a program called Take Back the Streets (TBS) that is a catalyst for homeless people who are able to work, providing them with immediate transitional employment and training while providing the community with vital cost-saving services. TBS arrived within an hour with a crew of 10 able-bodied adults, many of them with their own life experiences with substance abuse and homelessness. They worked tirelessly for two weeks to clean out the canyon and restore it to its natural beauty. Addressing this homeless challenge aligned beautifully with Crestwood’s mission and values. Crestwood’s values of compassion, character and family were prominently displayed throughout this project, teaching us all that such challenges are best handled with sensitivity, respectful care and teamwork. Contributed by: Patricia Blum, PhD Crestwood Executive Vice President

From the Santa Barbara Independant: Santa Barbara County Opens 34 New Beds for Severely Mentally Ill People By  Nick Welsh Mon Dec 07, 2020 | 1:58pm Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Finally. After many rumors, much back-room whispering by elected officials,  and even more anticipation — Lompoc’s Champion Center opened its doors for a new mental health treatment center offering 80 new beds for those suffering serious mental health issues. Of those 80 beds, 34 will be filled by clients of the County’s Department of Behavioral Wellness at a cost of $362 a night per bed. On the first day, two of those slots were filled. By the end of the week, 10 had been. On the convoluted chess board of mental-health services available in Santa Barbara County, this ranks as a major addition. Click here to read the full article

At our Crestwood San Jose Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) we are constantly striving to meet the needs of our clients and recognize the importance of an active recovery. As an acute PHF, we are a short-term, stabilization crisis center that helps our clients move forward with their recovery goals, and often that means they may be with us two or three months if they are waiting for long-term care. Our staff works on providing holistic recovery services that addresses the mind, body and spirit for every client who comes into our program, so that we can meet as many of their needs as possible. In taking this holistic approach, we have added many new features and programs such as, each client is met with a welcome basket which provides a variety of toiletries, a journal, and a water bottle to meet their basic needs, while promoting self-care. Every morning we also introduce a new DBT skill of the day, which is incorporated into each group we provide. We have added a gym to our unit to help our clients practice the skills we are teaching related to distress tolerance and physical wellbeing. We have also added a prevocational track called Achieving Success, which allows our clients to be productive and engaged in their recovery throughout the day. Feeling safe, individualized and progressive allows our clients to meet their ongoing mental health recovery needs. Every day, our team looks for ways on how we can best ensure the dignity, recovery and care of the people we serve. Contributed by: Angele Suarez, Clinical Director, Crestwood San Jose PHF and Michael Bargagliotti, Campus Administrator, Crestwood San JoseMichael Bargagliotti

At 50 years, being thankful seems natural. You have lived enough life to appreciate and comprehend the value of the gifts and friends that have supported you and you also have the experience and knowledge to know what it’s like to go without and to go it alone. Gratitude is the practice Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. is choosing to celebrate for our 50th Anniversary. According to Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence, “Gratitude isn’t just an emotion that occurs, but a virtue we can cultivate. Gratitude is something you practice as you might a sport, piano or meditation. Gratitude practice begins by paying attention, being mindful. Notice all the good things and relationships that you normally take for granted.” Gratitude means saying thank you, demonstrating appreciation, and sharing your gifts with others. Gratitude implies a relationship. You can be grateful to your higher power and that is relational. You can be grateful to someone who has given you a gift and that is relational. Relationships are central to gratitude. And so, for the past 50 years, relationships and partnerships have been at Crestwood’s core as a company. Our Mission Statement begins with two statements related to relationships: Our mission at Crestwood Behavioral Health is to create a partnership with clients, employees, families, business associates and the community in caring for individuals of all ages affected by mental health issues. Together, we invest our energies to enhance the quality of life, social integration, community support and empowerment of mental health clients. The relationships we have built during the past 50 years are what have enabled us to grow and support so many people in their recovery journey. These relationships are significant commitments; some are memorialized in contracts and others with a handshake and a smile. Our relationships are our investment in communities and they start with our county partners; local NAMI organizations; universities and colleges; Rotary Clubs; our employees and their families; peer-led recovery centers; statewide and national advocacy organizations; faith communities; and local businesses that all come together to support the people we serve. We are grateful for and have become a better organization because of these wonderful relationships. We want to especially thank all of our amazing and supportive county stakeholders who we have been honored to partner with during the past 50 years. These partnerships have helped us to grow, so we now serve more than 5,000 people annually, in 22 communities, with 32 programs that are all dedicated to support recovery and resilience. We are grateful to be part of a team that is truly making a difference in peoples’ lives every day. Contributed by: Patty Blum, PhD, Crestwood Executive Vice President

Peer Provider Research StudyLouise Byrne, PhD , recently visited Crestwood Behavioral Health as part of a peer provider research study she is working on in the United States. Louise who has lived experience, is from Australia and based at Yale University. She is conducting research as part of a Fulbright Scholarship, which emphasizes exchange of knowledge and learning about local culture, that includes traveling to many different states and learning about the types of services provided by different organizations. The purpose of her research study is to gain information about how to support the peer workforce more effectively within organizations, particularly those organizations with a multi-disciplinary workforce. The organizations for the study were selected by first bringing together an advisory group of experts from across the United States. This group was asked to nominate five organizations with a multi-disciplinary workforce, including peers, that “demonstrated commitment to the effective employment of peer workers.” Crestwood, as one of the leaders in peer provider services, was one of the organizations that was chosen to be part of the study. At each organization’s site visits, Louise spoke with people in management roles, traditional mental health roles/clinicians and peers. The range of organizational types was deliberately broad, including County Behavioral Health Departments, managed care, private and not-for-profit. The sites were located throughout the United States and served different types of communities from metropolitan to rural. During her visit to Crestwood, Louise visited the Crestwood Sacramento Home Office and was invited to tour our Crestwood Recovery and Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo. She said, “I was provided with a warm and colorful welcome from the Administrator, Minda Bunggay, whose enthusiasm was absolutely infectious! I found that Minda’s sincere commitment to the wellbeing of people staying at Vallejo was evident and reflected in the passion of staff. I was fortunate enough to be guided in my tour by a resident and member of the Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network program, who shared his excitement for what he saw as a wonderful service and, with Dreamcatchers, a wonderful opportunity to gain skills and confidence. Throughout the campus the principles and components of recovery are featured on the walls of the hallways, as are the rights of people accessing mental health services. Beautiful gardens provide a sanctuary that truly felt healing, and the relaxation rooms were fantastic. I could have spent much longer there. While I was there I was told about the impressive schedule of events and got to participate in a drum workshop. As a person with lived experience, Crestwood Vallejo felt like a genuinely warm and nurturing environment.” Louise’s observations about the research study so far are that fairly similar conditions exist in the United States and Australia, where peer work is still struggling to be seen as a necessary part of the wider mental health workforce. She observed, “We still have a long way to go to gain mainstream acceptance, but there were some encouraging pockets where organizations have made a very strong philosophical and financial commitment to the development of peer work and the outcomes for organizations, service users and colleagues in traditional roles were outstanding and very exciting.” Employment of peers has a long history at Crestwood, but expansion from one or two roles to a more robust workforce has become very prominent in the company. This is really encouraging as the data also shows that a few peers in isolation are much less likely to be successful in their roles, whereas a more significant investment provides opportunity for networking/mutual support between peers, for the roles not to be too stretched and for the value of the role to become more apparent within both the workplace and wider community,” observed Louise. For more information on Louise Byrne’s research study, please visit Research Gate at  www.researchgate.net/profile/Louise_Byrne2 . Contributed by: Louise Byrne, PhD, RMIT University, Fulbright fellow/Vice-Chancellors Research Fellow