Sanctuary for Healing: State-of-the-Art Mental Health Center to Bring Critical Services Closer to Home for County Residents

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – Community memers, healthcare leaders, County supervisors and sta on ednesday cele rated the ground rea ing of a first-of-itskind facility in the South Bay: a state-of-the-art Behavioral ealth Center that ill o er ental health services close to home for children, adolescents and adults.

“This is the kind of acute care facility we’ve long needed in Santa Clara County for young people in crisis a sanctuary where they can safely begin to heal, close to home,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who chairs the County’s ealth and ospital Co ittee and ho first proposed the new facility in June 2015. “It’s clearly better for these kids to be close to their community when they’re in crisis close to their family, their friends, and their own local health mental health providers. This is about troubled teens at risk of doing damage to themselves or others; this is about families, struggling through the hardest thing they’ll ever face, and being torn apart at precisely the time they need to be together. This goes to the heart of community health and wellness.” he ne center ill include the first County-operated inpatient facility specifically for children and adolescents in need of ehavioral health care as ell a separate oor for adults – with inpatient and outpatient medical and psychiatric care, emergency psychiatric services, intake and assessment, crisis care, and urgent care.

“It will be an absolute boon to some of the County’s most vulnerable young people, allowing them to receive care close to home, close to loved ones,” said Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg. “This new, higher level of care and support in one place will go far in providing the best outcomes for the people we serve.”

The groundbreaking event on Wednesday signaled the official start of construction on the illion Child, Ado- lescent, and Adult Behavioral Health Services Center on the SCVMC campus in San José. The new 207,000 sq. ft. facility is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

“This truly is a dream long in the making,” said Paul Lorenz, CEO of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare. “This is an example of how we achieve our goal of providing better health for all. It will increase access to care by making so many services available under one roof with state-of-the-art design and e uip ent And it ill o er etter value and service through early interventions that can help avoid hospitalization during long-term care.”

Rovina Nimbalkar, Executive Director of the Santa Clara County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, called the center a welcome and crucial new advancement for mental health treatment in the South Bay.

“This new center provides something that NAMI’s members have long looked forward to – easier access to lifechanging services,” Nimbalkar said. “Now our youth can get the help they need close to home, close to the support networks they have and need to achieve better mental health.”

Currently, access to child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric facilities in Santa Clara County is limited. The new facility ill provide the first County-operated acute inpatient care for an underserved population. For many years, children and adolescents who needed short-term psychiatric hospitalization have been sent to facilities as far away as Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, and even Sacramento counties, far from the support of family, caregivers, and their own behavioral care team.

“Separating these kids from their families at one of the toughest times in their lives, that’s just hell on them. I’m worried, frankly, that the specter of long-distance treatment currently deters kids and families from seeking the help they need in the first place, said upervisor i itian

When the Board approved the construction of the new center in 2017, 689 Santa Clara County youth were admitted to out-of-area psychiatric hospitals, staying for an average of six days in facilities often far away from home.

The future facility will be unique in that it will house multiple programs under one roof, providing one centralized location to support the needs of everyone who relies on the County for this level of care. The center will consolidate and integrate behavioral health services now provided elsewhere throughout the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center campus into a new building with: in-patient eds, including eds for children and beds for adolescents

Emergency Psychiatric Services for children and adolescents

Mental Health Urgent Care for children and adolescents adult inpatient psychiatric eds and services, ergency Psychiatric Services, and Urgent Care Services in a separate, secured part of the building

A pharmacy

A new parking structure

About the County of Santa Clara Health System

The County of Santa Clara Health System is the secondlargest County-owned health and hospital system in California and is committed to improving the health of the 1.8 million residents of Santa Clara County. As an integrated health care system, the Health System comprises Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s public hospitals and clinics, Behavioral Health Services Department, Public Health Department, Custody Health, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Valley Health Plan.

Offline

(From Page 13)

The Duterte and Macapagal-Arroyo clans will be allowed to take some of the spoils, but only if they play nice.

I strongly suspect that the way the Marcos/Romualdez clan intends to perpetuate themselves in power is through a shift to a parliamentary form of government, thanks to the 2023/23 con con.

How’s this for a worst-case scenario: Sandro Marcos as prime minister for the next 20 years, to be followed by a yet unborn Romualdez. In the meantime, one of GMA’s or Digong’s kids may hold the position for a short spell or two.

Let there be no doubt. The great con is on, and everything that is happening is intended to replace a constitution that has been working ell enough since it as ratified in

My dirty mind tells me that cha cha is another way that Marcos Junior wants to erase as many vestiges of the rule of Cory and later Noynoy Aquino as possible.

The plan stinks to high heaven.

As the people remember the Edsa Revolution this week, it is worth asking if it was all worth it. The Marcoses are back and they have every intention of staying in power for the rest of their days. Soon enough, People Power will be erased from the history books.

By comparison, the presidency was thrust upon Cory and Noynoy. They did not lust for power, but only accepted the challenge that was forced on them.

In y ritings, I usually refer to the People Po er evolution as a revolt, an unfinished revolution verything that has happened since Leni Robredo was the victim of massive cheating in last year’s elections says that the Philippines may indeed be facing the bleakest future imaginable.

The Philippines now has a president who has not paid his taxes, who travels whenever the itch hits him, who gives speeches at even the ost insignificant event, ut ho has produced little e cept to invite praise for his non-existent accomplishments.

A con con filled ith no -nothing relatives of elected govern ent officials ho sold their souls to the devil years ago pro ises that the Philippines’ weak democracy will not last.

No no no to the Con Con con. Too much is at stake if it pushes through.

As I See It

(From Page 12) a separate co panies sa revenue cli ore than percent from the same six-month period a year earlier.”

For Platten’s, “I don’t think we were really measuring it in terms of profita ility, ain right said hat s not really it for us e anted to measure it in productivity. And actually, the productivity has gone through the roof.”

The report also found: “For all those who participated in the trial, there as a drop in the li elihood of e ployees uitting, do n percent compared with the same period a year earlier, as well as those calling out sic , do n percent fro a year ago Isn t this great f the co panies that participated in the trial, percent reported they would continue with the four-day workweek, with 30 percent saying it’s a permanent change. That includes Platten’s, which said it’s sticking with the model permanently.

Charlotte oc hart, co-founder and anaging director of ay Week Global, said “resounding success” of the U.K. pilot program mirrors earlier e orts in Ireland and the

According to Courtney Bonne, Associated Press, with the success of the -day or ee in , he four-day or ee ust eca e a reality for dozens of companies across the U.S. and Canada, at least for the next several months.” he idea is that e ployees or of the ti e for of the pay and aintain productivity It co es do n to or ing ore efficiently, including cutting ac on unnecessary eetings

Qualtrics survey, a cloud-software vendor, found that employees are also enthusiastic a out the idea In fact, a hopping of or ers are in favor of the shortened workweek, the survey revealed.

Some U.S. companies already have a four-day workweek as part of their policies, so this will just justify their existence in the world market, right?

Uncharted CEO Banks Benitez also saw a reduction in work stress and burnout after instituting the shortened week in 2020. “There are so many parts of the workweek that are just a waste of time,” he said.

It has een a great forcing function for us to thin di erently, li e taking a smaller suitcase on vacation,” he added. “We have to make trade-o s

The boost in employee morale also can help companies retain and attract employees.

Research from Robert Half, an employment agency, shows a large a ority of anagers support a four-day or ee for their tea he data sho s e pect their co pany to transition to one ithin the ne t five years

According to Chris Pandolfo, o usiness, ore than copanies tried a four-day work-week and results sho hy are keeping it.”

So, is the US ready for a fourday-work-week? If some companies already implemented this concept on a trial basis, why not continue with it? Now, they are more or less assured of stability, having contented employees, lesser turn-over of employees, while yielding more investments/income for them.

The companies that participated found that shorter work week improves e ployees ell- eing efore and after data sho ed that of e ployees reported feeling less stressed, hile had reduced levels of burnout at the end of the trial. Surveyed employees said they also felt less anxious, less fatigued and were sleeping better.

A well-meaning part of the report said that “administrative data from the participating co panies sho ed that revenues rose y on average, weighted by company size, during the trial period. When compared to a similar period from previous years, organizations with a shorter work ee actually reported revenue increases of on average hich the study authors said indicated healthy growth at the same time there was a reduction in work.”

So, as companies report strong productivity levels, the four-daywork-week trend is gaining popularity. Survey of management sowed that support a -day schedule he data sho s a e pect their co pany to transition to one ithin the ne t five years o ert alf Fox News)

Data also showed employees were much less likely to leave the companies that participated in the trial progra , ith sta losses dropping y in the si - onth trial period

“Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organizations,” said Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, the lead researcher. Some employees enjoyed the change so much they said keeping the e tra day o each ee ould e ore i portant than a raise ifteen percent of employees said that no amount of money would induce them to return to a five-day schedule

If the results are good and eneficial to oth the e ployees and the companies, why not, right?

Ken Go

perience.

The United States and the United Kingdom leased from Boeing its huge C lo e aster transport aircraft to rapidly deploy troops and equipment.

India, a regional power in South Asia, has been leasing nuclearpowered submarines from Russia and has been talking to South Korea to lease minesweeper vessels.

The Philippines can explore lend-lease arrangements with allies, like the United States, to upgrade its navy and air force faster and cheaper. The United States knows the Philippines needs modern equipment to share the burden of keeping peace and stability in this part of the world.

It could take advantage of the Lend-Lease Act signed by President Biden in May last year. The Philippines has been designated as a major non-NATO ally, like Israel, Egypt and Jordan. It should get a lion’s share of the foreign military sales credit Washington allocates to its allies and partners every year.

ast year, the pro ised illion in ilitary aid ut this is not enough given the threats it faces from a bully in the neighborhood. The Philippines’ defense forces are so puny that they cannot deter China.

Raising the military aid to $500 million to allow the Philippines to lease fighters, I A , and transfer at a give-a ay price Cyclone-class Patrol ships and C heavy-lift transport planes would be enough to energize the armed forces.

It’s about time the Philippine military looked into del Rosario’s proposal to modernize the military through lease arrangements. It might be the answer to the country’s problem of a delayed modernization program.

(Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Manny Mogato wrote this column originally for PressOne.Ph)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 20) doesn’t mean lenders make loans to just anyone. In fact, no-docu entation ortgage lenders o ering the loans ust a e a good faith e ort to sho you can repay the loan hat eans they ll as for other proof you can a ord the pay ents elo are four co on re uire ents for no-inco e-verification mortgages.

A C I o-inco e-verification ortgage programs generally require a higher credit score than a regular loan with income documents.

2. MAKE A LARGE DOWN PAYMENT. The down payment ini u on no-doc ortgage loans usually starts at ut in so e cases they ill allo do n

3. EXPECT HIGHER INTEREST RATES. Lenders may charge higher rates than you’d pay for a regular mortgage to cover the higher risk of forgoing documentation.

P CA PA A hether it s an statement deposits, rents on an investment property you’re buying or a large stockpile of assets, lenders need proof you have the resources to make monthly payments on your loan.

Are you eligi le for a govern ent- ac ed, no-doc refinance o-inco e-verification ortgage progra s are availa le to ualified orro ers to refinance govern ent- ac ed ortgages Homeowners who have paid on time over the past year and have a loan backed by the FHA, may be eligible for one of these reduceddocu ent refinance loans hese progra s on t need a ho e appraisal.

FHA streamline. Homeowners with an FHA loan can reduce their interest rate or get better terms without any income documents through the A strea line refinance progra ne dra ac , however, is that closing costs can’t be rolled into the loan amount unless you agree to a higher interest rate. or cash out refinancing, second ortgages are eco ing very popular due to confor ing refinance rates a ecting your first ortgage rates.

Please call en o of st Innovative inance roup for your ortgage needs, call - - CA

In the Trenches

(From Page 12) ment would be much lower than acquiring them. Lending and leasing planes, tanks and ships are not new. Many countries in Europe and even in India have been leasing military equipment to cut costs as governments put a cap on defense spending.

As far back as during the Second World War, the United States had sent tan s, fighters, and capital ships to allied countries li e France and the United Kingdom, and now rivals Russia and China, to fight er any and apan he has decided to give ore than illion to raine, including its Abrams main battle tanks.

In the s, the leased ore than illion or the e uivalent of nearly illion orth of supplies and e uip ent to its allies during World War II.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed a Lend-Lease Act to supply for five years ilitary e uip ent to raine during fiscal year 2023.

Since the early 2000s, European states have been leasing aircraft and ships on a need basis. For instance, Germany leased Israeli drones when it deployed troops to Afghanistan. he C ech epu lic also leased aa ripen ulti-role fighters for years he Philippines is negotiating ith eden to acquire the Gripen but it could look at the Czech Republic’s ex-

(From Page 12) document/s no longer need additional authentication by the Philippine Consulate General. Once apostilled, it already has legal validity and can be sent to the Philippines for use.” e, at o ile igning ervices , are co itted, dedicated and ill continue to assist and help old and new clients, particularly the elderly, veterans and those physically handicapped, in the notarization and apostille follow-up of Affidavits, pecial Po er of Attorney, Proof of ife, A I , trajudicial Settlement of Estate and Waiver of Rights, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE and other documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention.

For immediate help and assistance, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNING IC , adrid treet, an rancisco, CA el - or - or e ail art adlaing hot ail co

A AI A evised A A su titled our asic uide Infor ation for uccessful Investing in o e, and and Inco e Property, through A A in ardcover, Paper ac - oo , pages, , per copy respectively ead several ne articles li e “Convenience and Savings in Selling Philippine Properties,” “How to Donate and Sell RP Properties Without Going Home,:”etc. For autographed copy at discounted price, send includes ailing and handling, for ardcover or includes mailing and handling) for Paperback) in check or money order to: ART G. MADAI , - th Avenue, an rancisco, CA

FEBRUARY IS HEART AWARENESS MONTH: To celebrate February as “Heart Awareness Month”, Deborah Quiniones Marcos, nursing educator and registered nurse with KAISER PERMANENTE, will be the featured speaker on the topic , I , on aturday, e ruary , , - p , during the live broadcast of the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco. Don’t miss to watch and hear this important and very timely topic.

A I I atch A A I at face oo co angelradio roadcast I A CA A A - A p y Angel adio.com

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOLR HUMANKITY (aka FIKTNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA )

(From Page 12) er thing to do. If they do not know that – they do not deserve to continue as officers of the P P ith this ind of officers, if they continue on the o , the P P and the country have a pro le s If e cannot even trust our top ran ing police officers, ho can e trust the lo er ran ing officers and the ran and file ho do e turn to for protection when crimes are being committed?

Grapevine: Some people tell me that the order for courtesy resignations is a government plan to name its own boys on designated positions. True or not – I really don’t know. However, considering the performance of this government for the past seven months – the grapevine news appears believable.

If true, it is jump from bad to worse for the PNP, the country and the people. The momentary gainers are the top dog and its fanatical followers. But how long will the gains last?

Problem: The mistake is the leader. Why do we elect leaders who are incompetent and not ualified to govern ringing isery to everyone o the pri ary ista e really is ith the voters ho, in e ect, represent the people nless voters learn to elect the right leaders – the country will continue to be a backwash area and the people in destitute and miserable state. olutions ducate the voters so they ill no ho to vote into office as leaders ducate the leaders If oth fail, ta e a serious loo at ection , Article of II, of our Constitution which mandates that “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.’ How can this be a solution to our current problems when we have a national leader who obviously does not know how to lead and government officials ho have gone astray e have had this type of pro le efore In , efense inister uan Ponce Enrile did Edsa I for “personal survival” according to him in a recent forum. The perception of the people then and the political Opposition led by UNIDO, Cory Aquino and Doy Laurel, however, is that Enrile and PC Chief Fidel Ramos was to correct the fraudulent proclamation of FM as the winner of the snap presidential election.