CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports}
OPEN YOUR HEART Local organization helps children and families see things from a new perspective Carey Peña | Contributing Writer
There is a big blue heart painted on an otherwise nondescript building near 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road in Phoenix. The heart slants slightly to the left and has a vast open space in the center. It sends the message that there, at Open Hearts Family Wellness, there is ample room for love, support, healing — and hope. The organization’s president and CEO Arjelia “Argie” Gomez is not afraid to show how much this mission means to her. Gomez broke into tears when we sat down for an interview. She said part of being a great leader, in her view, is not being afraid to let her true feelings show. Gomez speaks with both passion and purpose; it’s clear to see she’s determined to help more families and children in need — especially those in underserved and minority communities. “When our clients come in, they are broken,” Gomez said. “We help them put a plan together that is stabilizing, both mentally and physically.”
20 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | FEBRUARY 2020
Open Hearts Family Wellness, formerly known as Youth Evaluation and Treatment Centers or YETC, first opened its doors in 1974 to develop a new model of community-based services. Today, the organization continues to build on that model focusing on life skills, interactive support groups, nationally recognized trauma therapies and medical oversight for psychiatric assessments and medical management. “The mental health crisis in Arizona is entrenched in opioid use, depression, suicide and child safety issues,” Gomez said. Her goal is to break down barriers and make sure more families get services, support and, if needed, medication without red tape. “The team-based model Open Hearts has embraced is nested in our sense of community well-being,” Gomez said. “By coaching and being
