It was an eventful July 2023, and we have quite a few Masada updates to share. Keep reading to get the latest Masada Homes’ news!
🏆 4th Quarter Staff Recognition
Congratulations to our 4th Quarter Staff Recognition Nominees!
Thank you for representing Masada core values of Strength-Based Approach, Communication, Collaboration, Integrity, Respect and Accountability for the overall benefit of our clients and their families.
Cynthia has been with Gardena Outpatient for almost two years and has excelled at her position as a community therapist. Cynthia has had some tough cases but has shown resilience in her ability to help meet the client’s needs and often goes above and beyond.
Cynthia has been consistent in her notes aging this past quarter and often bills over her productivity. She was able to participate in the incentive program from March through June 2023 with an average caseload of 20 or more clients. She has shown great progress and growth in her clinical and documentation skills. She is a huge asset to the Gardena Outpatient department, and we are lucky to have her.
Lissette has been with Masada for just over a year. In this time she has shown herself to be a valuable team member for our Rancho Program. Lissette has a very committed approach in her working with an eagerness to continue learning and growing as a therapist. She is always asking the right questions about how best to support her clients and how to be effective in treatment, or how to handle delicate ethical issues. She consistently meets productivity and timeline expectations.
She possesses a natural care and compassion for the population we serve and her clients feel her sincerity come through in her work. She also possesses a balanced sensitivity which serves her well when working through difficult areas in family dynamics. She has been trained in TF-CBT and in IPT models. We are very happy to have Lissette as a great contributor in our Rancho Program.
Over the past year Kalan has demonstrated a good work ethic and has consistently gone above and beyond his duties or responsibilities.
Kalan provides extra support to his clients by providing mentorship. Kalan does a good job in providing crisis support even when he isn’t on call. His good work has been recognized by clients and his team.
Jessica Dennis is an uh-mazing clinician. She takes pride in building and fostering healthy relationships with her clients and their families; she embodies the heart of a true social worker: and her no-nonsense approach to working with our Adult FSP clients, who can be difficult at times, proves to be effective and well received.
Jessica is a team player, a great role model for onboarding new clinicians, and her feedback and collaboration within the FSP team encourages, motivates, and uplifts. Jessica’s hard work and professionalism is needed in the mental health profession, and the Norwalk Adult FSP family is blessed to work with such a dedicated, talented, and overall good human being. Jessica, you truly ROCK!
Hao Nguyen is a TBS Specialist assigned to the Gardena office and a seasoned staff member, dating back to the HR scrolls of March, 2009. Hao has a strong work ethic, is consistently enthusiastic when working in the field and when engaging his peers in the office. Hao is often praised by caregivers and school staff for being dedicated to his clients and for being a problem solver. Hao often collaborates with the client’s assigned treatment teams, from both in-house and outside agency cases, motivating clients in meeting treatment goals.
During this past fourth quarter, Hao exceeded his productivity each month and the progress notes aging was below agency standards. Additionally, Hao’s team approach was displayed by assisting another TBS Specialist with their challenging case. Great job Hao!
Eric is not a typical IT guy, but a smooth operator; not the fashionable con-man in Sade’s famous song “Smooth Operator,” but a patient, calm and cool embodiment of a great team player. We know Eric as an active listener, a problem solver with a positive attitude, and someone who goes above and beyond to advance the goals of every team he touches.
Masada is currently undergoing a major change in how we document and bill for the critical services provided to our clients. Eric has led us through this complex software migration, remaining calm under pressure and quick to resolve any tech issues that have arisen. And continue to watch Eric as he leads us through an almost total refresh of our computer hardware. Thank you Eric!
📸 Announcing Masada's Summer Fun Photo Contest
Submit your favorite summer photo to Newsletter@masadahomes.org by September 15th.
You may include a caption if you wish. Photos will be presented in the September newsletter, and readers can vote for their favorite pic! Contest winners will receive an Amazon gift card.
🌞 Grupo de Apoyo (Spanish Parent Support Group)
El personal de nuestros programas de servicios a la comunidad y de Wraparound están ofreciendo un grupo de apoyo para padres en nuestra oficina ubicada en la ciudad de Lynwood. Este grupo se junta cada cuarto miércoles del mes. Usted puede participar en persona, o por Zoom. Cualquier familia recibiendo servicios de Masada y personas que son parte de su apoyo emocional son bienvenidos. Este grupo es una colaboración entre Masada y una promotora de salud del departamento de salud mental. Se hablarán de diferentes tópicos cada mes.
¡Gracias a Sandra Molina por organizar y dirigir el grupo de apoyo!
Masada Homes’s Community Outpatient and Wrap Parent Partners are facilitating a Spanish Parent Support Group in the Lynwood office on the 4th Wednesday of each month. The Parent Support Group is held via Zoom and in person. The group is open to all Masada families and their support systems. The support group is a collaboration between Masada and DMH Promotora de Salud, covering various monthly topics.
Huge shoutouts to Sandra Molina for leading and organizing the Parent Support Group!
🌞 June Raffle Winners
🍉 July Virtual Raffle
Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month celebrates the achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community.
Its origins in the US can be traced back to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. This groundbreaking legislation aimed to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensure accessibility and equal opportunities. Shortly after its enactment, Boston hosted the first Disability Pride Day, marking the inception of an annual celebration that has since spread across the nation and around the globe.
In 2019, Ann Magill designed the Disability Pride Flag as a symbol of pride and diversity within the disability community. The flag was later redesigned in 2021 with input from the disabled community, with each color representing a different aspect of disability:
- Black symbolizes resilience/protest but also victims of ableist abuse and violence.
- Red represents physical disability
- Gold represents neurodivergence
- White represents invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
- Blue represents psychiatric disabilities
- Green represents sensory disability
- The diagonal stripe signifies the light and creativity emanating from the disabled community, cutting through the darkness and barriers that separate disabled people.
During Disability Pride Month, members of the disabled community may have different feelings about celebrating their pride. Some may choose not to for various reasons, and that is entirely valid. Disabled individuals have the right to exist in their bodies and be treated with dignity.
While we acknowledge the progress made in disability rights, it’s crucial to continue working year-round to dismantle ableism. Here are some actions we can take:
- Amplify Voices: Offer platforms for people with disabilities to tell their stories, experiences, and visibility in all spheres of life.
- Educate and Learn: Explore curated collections about Disability Pride Month in local libraries and read stories from and about people with disabilities to foster understanding and empathy. Additionally, familiarize yourself with policies and laws affecting the disability community and exercise your right to vote!
- Normalize Disability: Keep conversations open and respond with straightforward answers regarding disability as there is nothing shameful to hide about disabilities. Recognize that approximately 1 in 4 US adults has some form of disability, and anyone can become disabled at any time.
- Build Community Care Networks: Foster support, understanding, and solidarity by creating community support networks that empower you to help one another in times of need instead of solely relying on institutions. Engage in reciprocal exchanges, such as providing meals, haircuts, transportation, etc., to friends and family with disabilities.
- Participate in Disability Pride Events: Join local Disability Pride events or activities to celebrate and show support for the disability community. (https://www.disabilitypridela.com/)
For more resources or information, visit the following sites:
Open Positions at Masada
Below are the open positions we have at Masada Homes. If you know of someone who is a great fit be sure to let us know!
A referral bonus of $250 will be provided to any current employee who refers someone that gets hired by Masada.
Hawaiian Gardens Office:
- Full-Time Community Therapist
Rancho Cucamonga Office:
- Full-Time Occupational Therapist
- Full-Time Parent Partner
Norwalk Office:
- Full-Time Full Service Partnership (FSP) Adult Case Manager
Bellflower Office:
- Full-Time Child and Family Specialist/Rehab Specialist (Bellflower/Gardena)
- Full-Time Wraparound Parent Partner
Gardena Office:
- Full-Time IT Manager (Hybrid)
- Full-Time Contract Manager (Hybrid)
- Full-Time Full-Service Partnership (FSP) Parent Partner
- Full-Tme Full-Service Partnership Therapist – Child
- Full-Time Community Therapist
- Full-Time Wraparound Facilitator/Care Coordinator
- Full-Time Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT)/Intake Assessor
- Full-Time Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) Specialist
- Full-Time Executive Assistant
- Full-Time Wraparound Parent Partner
Lynwood Office:
- Full-Time Wraparound Therapist
- Full-Time Parent Partner
- Full-Time Community Therapist
Lancaster Office:
- Full-Time Wraparound Parent Partner
- Full-Time Wraparound Team Supervisor
- Full-Time IFCCS Child and Family Specialist/Rehab Specialist
- Full-Time Occupational Therapist
Los Angeles Office:
No open positions at this time