august newsletter 2008 community catalysts of california employee anniversaries 14 years Wendy Forkas - CORP Chris Korelin - STK 7 years Glenda Brown - Ukiah Carolyn McKinley - RH Amy Moore - STK Marcia Padilla - STK 5 years Deborah McCowan - FSO 4 years Jessiel Manuel - CORP 3 years Griselda Perez - FSO Romy Yang - FSO 2 years Laura Bermudez - PH Brennan Fox - STK Sofia King - STK Farley Odad - SAL 1 year Kristin Fleischacker - SD Karla Martinez - SAL Raisa Pietsch - CORP north valley news ...modesto & stockton modesto Our Advisory Group continues to be very busy this month. On August 2nd, they have a yard sale planned and on August 12th, there will be a Spaghetti Dinner. Staff and Consumers are all participating. They also have an ongoing magazine fundraiser and if anyone is interested in buying magazines, please contact the Modesto Office and we will give you the information! Last month the Advisory raised $236.00 from the car wash and $150.00 from the Cookie Lee jewelry sales. We have not yet heard how much was raised at the Pizza fundraiser at Round Table Pizza. The goal for all this fundraising is a trip to Disneyland, so we are really cheering them on! On the 4th of July, staff and consumers watched the parade downtown and had a great time. It was said that this parade was the best yet. Thanks to Melissa for coming to Modesto and giving a great Butterfly Club presentation! stockton Stockton and Modesto have been busy getting ready for yet another CARF inspection set for September. Seems like we just recovered from the last one, but the last three years have gone by very quickly. In preparation of the surveyors visit, the Modesto and Stockton Living Services Program recently held a CARF training day in Stockton at John’s Incredible Pizza. The day was spent playing trivia games and reviewing CARF related information. It was a great opportunity for staff to meet new faces and also see familar ones from both areas. Everyone seemed to have a good time and although it was a close battle, it was the Modesto crew who were crowned “Winners” of the North Valley in our trivia game! Rumor does have it though, that there may be a “rematch” due to a possible breach of confidential information which may have led to a violation of our Employee CARF Gaming Code of Ethics. But for now, the Modesto team took the first “de-CARF-a-lon Cup” across the S.J. county line to reside in Modesto until the next battle is set. All involved had fun and even learned a few things! We’re looking forward to a successful evaluation from the Surveyors next month. ...goodbye It is with a heavy heart that we are saying “Goodbye” to Paige Alford, Program Leader for our REST program and good friend to all. Paige is leaving us to have much needed “mommy” time with her son, Dane, who is getting ready to start school soon. We wish her only great things for a wonderful adventure as she takes her service to a different level...Wife and Mom! We are going to miss her! welcome... We also welcome Staci Saylors, who has taken over Paige’s position as Program Leader. Staci has a behavioral management background and comes to Community Catalysts with much experience. We welcome her and look forward to working with her! It has been such a pleasure to be a part of the Community Catalysts Family for the past 3 years. I leave here with not only gaining new experiences but with many warm memories that I will carry with me! Fondly, Paige Alford what’s going on ...merced & salinas merced Staff and consumers took a trip to Santa Cruz. They walked the Boardwalk and also got on some rides. They had a great time! Our winners for the Safety Incentive drawings were Sylvia Ruiz-Ortiz (June) and Veronica Aguayo (July) Congratulations to both of them. salinas The Salinas Office would like to welcome aboard their 2 new DSA’s, Yesenia Scott and Alex Bravo. Happy Birthday shout outs to Denise Mansfield, Maria De Leon, and Alex Bravo. A special thank you to Jeannie Leauma for baking the mouth watering cupcakes. This month’s Safety Incentive winner was Frank Rodriguez, who won a gift card to Macy’s. July’s Certificate of Excellence for the Salinas Office was awarded to Loreley Salazar for managing the front office and her multi-tasking skills! Keep up the hard work! You’re the greatest! A special thank you to Melissa Downs for taking time out of her busy schedule to provide us with valuable information about the Butterfly Club. A big thank you from everyone in the Salinas Office for all who made it possible to provide us with 2 Company Fleet Vehicles which are brand new Nissan Sentra’s!! Thanks to Jeannie and Arlene for picking up the new cars. You gals rock! redwood coastal news ukiah... ukiah The smoke is finally clearing in Ukiah. We are all busy getting ready for our CARF visit in early September. Consumer Darryl C. had a lovely time in Santa Cruz visiting with his family and boating. Allison J. and Darryl went to the fourth of July festivities in Lakeport. Plum House had a big barbeque on the 4th and several people from the SLS program stopped by and enjoyed the food and fun. Outdoor movies are being shown on Friday nights in the plaza in Ukiah and many staff and consumers show up for that fun community event! We would like to welcome several new staff: Tabatha Kauhola and Kim Rodallegas at Plum House and Wanda Brown and Brandon Elsberry in SLS. Sharon Knivila was the Safety meeting winner. She won a gift card to a local coffee shop. consumer anniversaries 16 years Ana R. - COAL 14 years Jeff L. - SM Connie M. - SM 13 years Crystal C. - EC 11 years Rebecca C. - SM Rene E. - EC 10 years Ronald P. - SC Reyanida V. - SN James W. - SC Winifred S. - SM Kelly M. - SM 9 years Ron G. - SM 8 years Esmeralda R. - EC 6 years Laura C. - SC Maria C. - SC 5 years Lucky S. - MCD Ernest R. - FSO Moua C. - FSO Armando O. - SAL 4 years Melissa C. - FSO 3 years Christine P. - MCD 2 years Jesus A. - STK Chris L. - SC Russel S. - SC Claudia S. - MCD Casey F. - MCD Kimberly V. - FSO Lorraine H. - SC 1 year Manuel S. - SD Mark C. - SAL Southern California ...san marcos san marcos San Marcos is so proud of our staff and consumers. Teresa Grenawalt, IL/SE Case Manager was awarded the Management of Excellence Award for the 2nd Quarter and Consumer, Chris A. is the August Consumer of the Month! Climbing our corporate ladder is Evelyn Bardales who after being hired and spending a short time as an IL/SL Case Manager, took on the SE Case Manager and now is the program Leader for the San Marcos Office. This just goes to show that we are a company that promotes from within and that there are growth opportunity for Community Catalysts of California’s employees who show dedication to our services. Employment Coordinator Kasey Rabin has been excepted into the Masters Program and is looking to further her education in the field of Social Service and Rehabilitation. After saying farewell to Amy Kawabata, who served as Office Manager for both San Marcos and San Diego, we now welcome our new San Marcos Office Assistant Claudia Marshall. Other new staff we are glad to have on board are: Stacy Meyer and Maureen Costales as new IL direct Service Aides, Kelley Staheli, Bowen Stidger and Christina Newcomb as SE Employment Coordinators and Bruce Stater as our new Employment Specialist who will assist our many new Supported Employment consumers with finding jobs. Thank you to Krista Hribar, SE Employment Coordinator for taking on the extra responsibility of Job Developing for a few of her consumers. Congratulations to SE client Marty who, after saving money for a year, purchased a new computer and will be taking computer classes at our local community college. Also, congratulations to SE Client Juan who is enjoying his new job at Panera. Our Annual Wheelchair Regatta was a huge success! Each year we attend our group of clients gets larger. The first year we attended we had 5 clients and this year we had over 25 clients participate. The Wheelchair Regatta is a fantastic chance for our clients to experience a once in a lifetime event. We get to go on a 1.5 hour Harbor Cruise on private yachts. What a relaxing day it was! The weather was fantastic and the views of the sea lions were amazing. Preparing for Future Earthquakes magellan health To protect yourself, your family and your home from future earthquakes, consider taking some steps now. If you are rebuilding your home, learn about your area’s local seismic building standards and safe land use codes. Many cities located near fault lines have developed codes and standards to protect property and occupants. The Red Cross and other organizations may also be able to provide safety tips that can help prepare your family in the event of future emergencies. The Red Cross Recommends the Following Safety Tips: Pick safe places in each room of your home. A safe place may be under a heavy piece of furniture • (such as a table or desk) that will protect you from falling objects and against an interior wall, away from windows or tall objects (such as bookcases) that could fall on you. Practice “drop, cover and hold-on.” Drop under a sturdy piece of furniture, hold on and protect your • face and eyes by pressing your face against your arm. Do not try to leave the building during an earthquake because objects and debris can fall on you. It • is safest to stay where you are until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. If you are outdoors, it is typically best to move to a clear area, away from buildings, trees, power • lines, streetlights or overpasses. If you are in a vehicle, try to move to a clear area, stop and stay in the vehicle with your seat belt • on. Once the shaking has stopped, proceed cautiously and avoid bridges and ramps that may have been damaged or weakened. Assemble a disaster supplies kit that contains: a first aid kit, canned food and can opener, at least • three gallons of water per person, protective clothing, battery-powered radio and flashlights (including extra batteries), essential items for children or elderly family members (medications, diapers, warm clothing, etc.) Make sure all family members know how to respond after an earthquake and develop an emergency • communication plan in case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake. Check for hazards in your home; fasten heavy items such as shelves, light fixtures and water heaters • securely. Have an expert check your home for deep cracks in ceilings or the foundation.• Talk to your insurance agent. Consider purchasing or renewing an earthquake insurance policy.• Getting Help If you would like more information, you can call our Employee Assistance Program toll-free number 800-523-5668. © 2007 Magellan Health Services christina cervantez Community Catalysts of California is proud to announce that Christina Cervantez was selected to receive the Catalyst P.R.I.D.E. Award~Leading by Example for July 2008. Christina has been with Community Catalysts of California for 4 years and is a Direct Service Aide for the Supported Living Program in the Modesto area. Christina is being recognized for going above and beyond and for being a great example of a team player. She has recently taken on additional job duties and responsibilities and has been a great help to those around her. Christina is also always willing to pick up extra hours for a particular consumer who is in great need and will stand up to any challenge that comes her way. She has also demonstrated strong leadership skills through sound judgement as the employee who carries the on-call phone. Her work truly comes from the heart and it shows in all that she does. She is greatly respected and admired by her peers and team members. We appreciate the great service and dedication to the vision of Community Catalysts of California that Christina has provided and would like to recognize her for her hard work and for Leading by Example. Thanks for Leading Us In the Right Direction! Consumer Catalysts of the Month August 2008 Chris Arellano Chris has been a Community Catalysts of California consumer in the San Marcos area for over 15 years. At one time we provided IL Services with Chris but his level of independence became so high, our services were no longer needed. He has been living independently now for over 13 years. He is a true ILS success story! Chris is now in our Supported Employment Program. He has been working at Stater Brothers for over a year and a half. He received a promotion from courtesy clerk to stock clerk within 9 months. Even after the promotion, you can still find Chris in the front helping to bag the groceries or collecting carts. Chris’ manager states, “Chris is the best employee I have”! He has a strong work ethic and it definitely shows in his work. He is always helpful to customers and coworkers including dropping whatever he is doing to lend a hand. His manager knows that Chris, who lives very close to work, can be counted on to help out on his days off with just a phone call. Chris has been known to work the overnight shift and still be smiling when he meets his SE team at 12pm. Chris has a love for all types of music. He has an extensive collection of CD’s that range from Blues to Oldies to Rock ‘n’ Roll. Besides his CD collection he also has a large collection of records...remember those? Many of them at this time are collector’s items. Chris has a talent for making people happy. He is always laughing, and that laughter becomes contagious. You can’t help but smile after spending 5 minutes with Chris. He is a true joy to be around and these are just a few of the reasons why he is our Consumer of the Month for August! Congratulations Chris!