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Family Loan Program Opens Up Opportunities for Young Family
Giving Children a New, Healthy Start
The Road to Self-Suffiency & Hope
FAST Strengthens Families & Boosts School Success

Family Loan Program Opens Up Opportunities for Young Family

When Mario and Stacia became parents, they awoke to more than their daughter's cries: They realized that the way they were getting by financially was not going to work anymore. They needed more reliable transportation to get to work and to medical appointments, and they needed to set up a savings plan. While they'd decided upon these goals, they did not know what steps to take to reach them until one of Mario's colleagues told him about the Ways to Work Family Loan Program.

Mario and Stacia called the Ways to Work office in Campbell right away, and were invited to come in for an appointment. At the meeting, they explained that they were only barely getting by due to the high costs of raising a family in the county. Stacia had one more year of classes to complete in order to become a legal assistant. Mario was staying home with their one-year-old during the day and working nights doing maintenance.

Because their old car had broken down beyond repair, Stacia commuted to campus with a friend and Mario took the bus to work. Mario knew that with his strong work history and skills, he could get a better job with more benefits and more opportunities for advancement, if he could look for jobs outside of the limited area served by their local bus route. In addition, getting to pediatrician appointments by bus made a visit almost a full-day activity. They had never looked into loans because they assumed they could not afford the payments.

"We learned so much about our finances just at that first meeting. I had never looked at my credit report until then," Stacia said.

Their application went to the loan review committee, and the couple soon learned they had been approved for a $4,000 loan at 4% interest to purchase a used car.

"Our goal is for families to succeed," said Jim Dale, the program director. "We want our clients to obtain the skills and knowledge they need to be self-sufficient. For example, if money is tight one month, we give them advice on how to handle their pile of bills and make arrangements with their creditors. Then we talk through how to avoid these situations in the future."

For Mario and Stacia, the car opened up new opportunities. Mario found a job paying twice the salary, with better health benefits and a good training program. After Stacia finished her training program and began her career, they set up a savings account dedicated to Ines' future education. When Ines is old enough, they plan to help her open her own savings account, so she gets in the habit of banking and saving early.

Learn more about the Ways to Work Family Loan Program.

Giving a Child a New, Healthy Start

Olivia had been attending her childcare center for only two weeks when the staff began to wonder if something was wrong. The three-year old sat alone and resisted the children's and staff members' attempts to play with her or include her in activities. He seemed shut off from the world.

"My staff suspected Olivia had been abused," said Michelle, the childcare center director. "Many of the children in our center come from high-need families. Since partnering with ECS (Early Childhood Services), we've been able to address the kids' emotional health needs at a new level. Olivia's was another case where we were so glad to be able to call in experts."

Michelle contacted the coordinator of the ECS program at Family & Children Services and explained what the staff had observed. One of the ECS therapists came to the center and observed Olivia in the classroom and met with her. Olivia did not seem to respond emotionally to anything that she saw, heard, or experienced. The therapist brought in the agency's child psychiatrist for further evaluation. This visit, like the therapist's assessment, was at no cost to the family.

Olivia had been passed from family member to family member due to her mother's problems with substance abuse and an absent father. The psychiatrist diagnosed her with attachment disorder. A good sign for the future was that Olivia was now living with her grandmother, who had committed herself to provide Olivia with her first stable home. "I was worried about Olivia. She didn't act like other kids. I thank Michelle every day for getting us help. I live on Social Security, so I can't pay for such care," she said.

In addition to overseeing Olivia's progress and treatment, the therapist trained the center's staff to recognize attachment disorder from warning signs, so they can better support other children like Olivia who walk through their doors.

Learn more about the Early Childhood Services Program.
Support services like these by means of a donation or by volunteering.

The Road to Self-Suffiency & Hope

Marlene, 25, came to Substance Abuse Services after the court had ordered her into treatment. Until she completed treatment and other court-ordered obligations, she would not be considered for reunification with her daughters, who had been placed in foster care.

Recovery brought challenges in several areas of Marlene’s life. Gradually, through participation in all-women group treatment, she found hope. Encouragement helped her to see that disappointment was not inevitable, and this motivated her to stay on track. A sponsor and new friends, from both inside and outside of the treatment program, formed a network of positive, healthy support that helped her get through each day.

 “It’s not an excuse, but I've had a lot of bad things happen to me since I was very young. I used for a long time for so many reasons, and I couldn’t see a life without drugs. Working with my counselor and women in the group, being heard and understood, has cleared some of my fears away. Now I can focus on reunifying with my children and seeing our futures in a positive light,” she said.

Marlene’s story is not unusual in Family & Children Services’ Substance Abuse Services program. At any point in time, about 200 adults are participating in outpatient treatment at our San Jose office. We have served adult clients through a contract and partnership with the Santa Clara County Department of Alcohol and Drug Services (SCCDADS) for more than 20 years. Almost 700 adults received outpatient treatment last year. Of those who completed treatment, 90% reported continued abstinence or reduced substance use, and either job-readiness or employment.

“Because our clinicians are mental health professionals with deep understandings of and training in addiction and recovery, they are able to assist clients when mental health issues arise. This allows clients to address these issues, which could be a barrier to their recovery, as part of their treatment sessions” said Howard Lagoze, Director of Medi-Cal Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.

Recent advances in the science of addiction have corrected many historical misconceptions. Researchers now view addiction as a chronic, relapse-prone brain disorder, with biological, psychological, and social origins. This means that addiction is similar to other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, which require significant changes in patterns of thought and behavior as part of their long-term management.

Substance Abuse Services strives to include such “cutting-edge” advances in addiction treatment in its program. For the past year it has been part of a SCCDADS pilot study that involves gathering regular and systematic client feedback on progress in treatment and their feelings about the usefulness of the treatment experience. The aim is to increase client engagement in treatment, and clinician understanding of what is and isn’t working for each client. The ultimate goal is better outcomes in reduced periods of time.  

“Our clients come to us with multiple personal and environmental challenges that complicate treatment and recovery. These can include such factors as traumatic histories of abuse and domestic violence, criminal justice system involvement, and dysfunctional family dynamics. The incredible rewards of this work come from participating in and witnessing the dramatic turnarounds in individual and family functioning that come with a client’s commitment to a life without alcohol and other drugs,” said Charley Laufersweiler, Program Director of Substance Abuse Services.

Learn more about Substance Abuse Services.

Support clients like Marlene and services like these by means of a donation or by volunteering.

FAST Strengthens Families & Boosts Academic Success

When Ernie was referred by his second grade teacher to the FAST (Families and Schools Together) Program run by Family & Children Services at his school, he was not doing well academically and he was frequently disruptive in class. His teacher believed that if Ernie’s family participated in FAST’s multifamily program, it would help his academic performance.

The FAST coordinator invited Ernie’s parents to an informational meeting to learn more about the program. Only his mother was able to attend. She explained that her husband was working two jobs, which not only would prevent him from participating in FAST but left him uninvolved in their children’s school activities more generally.

FAST’s mission is to enhance family communication and overall functioning, increase parental involvement in school, and build family social support networks. The participation of the whole family is a significant contributor to achieving these positive outcomes for children and families, so the FAST team decided to contact Ernie’s father anyway.

After talking with the FAST program coordinator, his father understood how important it was for him to participate and allowed the FAST team to write a letter to his employer, asking if his work schedule could be rearranged on the days of FAST meetings. His employer agreed. 

The family joined other families in attending the FAST weekly meetings. At each meeting the FAST team would coordinate structured interactions between parents and their children, parents and other parents, and parents and the school staff. Families also would spend at least 15 minutes in uninterrupted time together, which children in FAST consistently rate as their favorite part.

Five weeks into the program, the FAST team was seeing positive changes within Ernie’s family: communication had increased, his parents were more active in Ernie’s academics, and Ernie's attendance, academic performance, and classroom behavior were greatly improved. 

“FAST helped our family to spend more quality time together on a regular basis. It also connected us with a group of parents. We all encourage and advise each other now. Being at school for meetings and getting to know more about how the school works made me more comfortable talking with my son’s teacher and the staff and asking questions,” said Ernie’s mother.

Learn more about FAST and other services for students and families.

* Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.