It was an eventful May 2023, and we have quite a few Masada updates to share. Keep reading to get the latest Masada Homes’ news!
🎉 Congrats on Your New Position Pam!
Masada Homes and the OT Department are thrilled to announce the promotion of Pam Tschumi to Occupational Therapy Supervisor. Pam has been with Masada Homes for just over a year and has already made a tremendous impact on the OT team and the lives of all the clients and families she has interacted with. With over 25 years of experience as an OT in various practice areas, including pediatrics, low vision, home health, and inpatient and outpatient mental health, Pam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role.
In her personal life, Pam is the proud mother of two amazing children, the youngest of whom recently graduated from the University of Washington.
🎉 Congrats on Your New Position Patty!
We are excited to announce the newest member of the QI/QA Department: Patty Melendrez. Patty has successfully transitioned from the Lynwood Outpatient Program, where she excelled as a therapist, and will now be joining us as a QI/QA Clinician.
Patty will play a crucial role in ensuring a high level of quality care and improving the overall performance of mental health services at Masada. With her previous experience and expertise, we are confident that she will bring valuable insights to our team and make significant contributions to our ability to navigate the upcoming changes and provide better support for everyone.
🎉 Congrats on Being Licnsed lleane!
We’d like to extend a BIG congratulations to lleane Lew on recently becoming licensed. Great job!
🍕 Rancho Spring Potluck!
Thank you everyone at Rancho for all your hard work!
It has been a while since the Rancho staff was gathered. Vanessa took the lead in planning a Spring Potluck to celebrate and appreciate everyone’s hard work. Despite the changes brought about by CalAim, the Rancho program has not slowed down but instead become even stronger. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s positive attitude towards these changes and their excellent service in the community. Great job, and I am very proud of all of you!
— Makiko Hoichi (Regional Director of Community)
The Rancho team has been working so hard over the last few months to meet the needs of our community clients and their families. So, we decided to take a little downtime to come together and enjoy each other’s company by planning a spring potluck in May. It was a successful and fun turnout! It was really nice to spend time together and enjoy the great variety of food that everyone contributed.
Thank you to all the staff in our Rancho Outpatient Program for the hard work and dedication you provide to our program and our community clients. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!
— Vanessa Fornasier (Program Manager)
⚾ Mental Health Awareness at Dodger Stadium
We are thrilled to share our staff’s incredible experience at the Mental Health Awareness Night at Dodger Stadium on May 13th.
It was a night filled with camaraderie, unity, and the shared goal of raising mental health awareness. LACDMH’s Dr. Lisa Wong and Alexandria Britton had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to Austin Barnes and Evan Phillips. As we watched the game between the Dodgers and the Padres, the stadium came alive with messages of support for mental health and stories of resilience.
Promoting Mental Health Awareness like this continues to be a vital cause because mental health is a fundamental aspect of our lives. Promoting mental health helps destigmatize treatment and fosters a supportive environment that encourages those seeking help. At Masada, we strive to break down barriers to make treatment accessible. We thank all our clients who come to Masada and we are honored to be part of your journey toward well-being.
🏌🏽♀️ FSP at Top Golf
On May 26, 2023, our FSP program came together at Top Golf to celebrate our collective achievements. Over the past two fiscal years, 2021-22 (Cohort 2) and 2022-23 (Cohort 3), our FSP program has been awarded incentive payments totaling $18,900!
To be eligible for these incentives, specific metrics and outcomes must be achieved across various priority domains. The following are the priority outcomes that our FSP Adult team successfully met:
1A. Chronically Homeless Population – The number of individuals enrolled and retained in the Adult FSP for six months (Payment Metric 1.A)
1B. Acute Mental Health Needs Population – The number of individuals enrolled and retained in the Adult FSP for six months (Payment Metric 1.B)
1C. High Utilizers of Psychiatric Facilities Population – The number of individuals enrolled and retained in the Adult FSP for six months (Payment Metric 1.C)
1D. Justice Involved Population – The number of individuals enrolled and retained in the Adult FSP for six months (Payment Metric 1.D)
In light of this success, the FSP team decided to commemorate their accomplishments by organizing an event at Top Golf in El Segundo. We extend our gratitude to Tiffany Flood, our FSP Director, for coordinating the celebration. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge America Angulo, our Support Specialist/Psychiatrist Assistant, for suggesting that everyone wear green in support of Mental Health Awareness. We hope that our staff had a chance to unwind, relax, and enjoy each other’s company!
Members of the Board of Directors, Justin Stallings and Jessica Polk, as well as a few members from the executive team (Steve Schultz & Kelly Asato) and the administrative team (Director Efrain Ibarra) joined the celebration to show their support for our exceptional staff. The FSP Child Program Team also briefly joined before attending to a crisis.
With the incentive earnings, the Norwalk office has planned several improvements, including a garden wall, among other things. Some of the funds will also go directly to the staff as recognition of their contributions in achieving these domains. We extend our appreciation to our FSP team for a job well done!
🌺 Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates anyone with AAPI heritage, especially in the rise of Asian hate crimes and the aftermath of COVID. It is another opportunity to reaffirm our right to exist and our commitment to inclusivity and understanding. By observing this month, we can share intergenerational stories that provide insight into the resilience and ingenuity of AAPI communities. Furthermore, it allows us to acknowledge contributions that challenge prevailing historical narratives which frequently marginalize or neglect AAPI experiences while also dispelling stereotypes and misconceptions. In honor of such experiences, here are some AAPI stories that have made or continue to make a cultural, social, or political impact on the United States.
Amanda Nguyen is an activist and the founder of Rise, a multi-coalition that advocates for the rights of sexual assault survivors. She is known for her work in passing the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 in the United States, which provides survivors with certain guarantees such as the right to a rape kit procedure at no cost and the preservation of kits for 20 years.
Craig Santos Perez is a native Chamoru (Chamorro) from the Pacific Island of Guåhan/Guam. He is a poet, essayist, scholar, and assistant professor teaching Pacific literature and creative writing. His work often explores themes of indigenous identity, environmental justice, and the impact of colonization on Pacific Island communities.
Dr. Derald Wing Sue and Dr. Stanley Sue were brothers and influential figures in ethnic minority psychology–a subfield of psychology that examines how an individual’s ethnic and racial background impacts their psychological development and mental health. The two were also part of the first core group that established the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), which aimed to provide culturally sensitive mental health services to Asian Americans.
Philip Vera Cruz is a Filipino-American labor leader and civil rights activist who played a crucial role in organizing Filipino farmworkers in California and fought for fair working conditions and equal rights for agricultural workers.
Schuyler Bailar is an American transgender swimmer and LGBTQ+ advocate. He made history as the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer and has been a vocal advocate for transgender rights and inclusion in sports.
For more information of AAPI Heritage Month, please visit the following websites:
https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/index.html
https://www.history.com/news/asian-american-inventions-contributions
🏆 April Raffle Winners
🌸 May Virtual Raffle Invitation
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
- Full-Time Case Manager
Norwalk Office:
- Full-Time Support Specialist
- 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 Wraparound Facilitator/Care Coordinator
- Full-Time Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT)/Intake Assessor
- Full-Time Occupational Therapist
- Full-Time Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) Specialist
- Full-Time Quality Improvement Clinician
- Full-Time Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist (TBS) Supervisor
- Full-Time Executive Assistant
- Full-Time Wraparound Parent Partner
Lynwood Office:
- Full-Time Wraparound Therapist
- Full-Time Parent Partner
- Full-Time Case Manager
- Full-Time Community Therapist
Lancaster Office:
- Full-Time Therapeutic Behavorial (TBS) Specialist
- Full-Time Occupational Therapist
- Part-Time Community Therapist (Hybrid)
Los Angeles Office:
No open positions at this time