Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

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BACS Connections March 2019

Keep Oakland Housed

In Oakland, it only costs $2,965 on average to prevent homelessness before it starts.

Keep Oakland Housed (KOH) does exactly that – supportive services, emergency financial assistance, and legal support – for people who are on the verge of losing their housing. To date, the KOH partnership has helped 761 people in under 6 months. 

The need is greater than we imagined, and KOH has received additional grant funding to serve more Oaklanders! BACS thanks Kaiser Permanente, which committed $6 million over 2 years, Crankstart, at $3 million over 3 years, donors who sponsored Mayor Schaaf’s Inaugural Dance Party benefitting KOH, and other anonymous funders. This program would not be possible without such significant community investment. Donate today to keep this program going.

Happy Anniversary: Jovan Yglecias

This month, BACS’ Director of Programs Jovan Yglecias is celebrating 5 years with BACS!

Jovan has been a leader in our behavioral health programs, helping us strengthen existing services while opening new programs to expand our reach. Jovan is an expert in clinical programming and daily operations, which he seamlessly balances with a community-oriented and participant-centered philosophy. Congratulations, Jovan, and thank you for your dedication and leadership!

Job Fair Helps Hundreds

BACS is always looking to help our participants find satisfying, sustainable employment in the community. This month, BACS, Oakland Housing Authority, Alameda County Social Services, and California Department of Rehabilitation partnered to host a job fair, which was a huge success! Over 400 job seekers and over 30 employers showed up to make connections, do on-site interviews, and get to work.

A big thank you to our IPS Supported Employment Team, as well as the volunteers and employers who made this possible!

Case Management Celebrates 26 Years

BACS is delighted to celebrate the 26 year anniversary of BACS’ Intensive Care Coordination / Case Management Program. BACS opened our Case Management program in 1993 to fill a crucial need in the community: providing psychiatric services and care coordination for people with severe behavioral health issues and trauma.

Our Intensive Care Coordination programs have made a difference for hundreds of people over the last 24 years. Learn more about our Intensive Care Coordination programs here.

Invest in Your Community

Micah square

Our work has profound individual and community impacts. Every person that comes to BACS for help can achieve stability, move off of the streets, get a job, live safely with their mental health issue, or stay out of jail. And for each of those success stories, our community gets better. We see fewer people living on the streets or in poverty. We spend less on emergency medical services. We see less of our tax money going to prisons. Your investment in BACS, and in the people we help, transforms our community.

Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 390 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609. Make an ongoing impact by donating monthly.

Simply the Basics & Health while Homeless

Did you know that 67% of homeless community members have a preventable health condition? Without the resources that many people take for granted – like access to a sink – people living on the streets develop health issues. Things like dental issues, skin conditions, foot pain, and hypothermia, which can all prevent keeping a job or finding housing, and can lead to long-term health problems.

Simply the Basics takes hygiene seriously. Simply the Basics partners with BACS and other organizations to provide hygiene kits – including things like feminine hygiene products, toothpaste and toothbrushes, razors, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and more.

[Read more…]

BACS Connections February 2019

BACS Celebrates Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, BACS is paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled against oppression to achieve freedom, citizenship, and equality.

Across our 18+ program sites, we hosted discussions, workshops, and art classes to reflect on our history, and to come together for the work that still needs to be done. Last year, 48% of the people who came to BACS for help identified as Black/African American. They struggled disproportionately with homelessness, with poverty, and with the lasting impacts of criminal justice. We continue to strive for equality, and honor the millions of people who came before us to create the progress achieved so far.

The Tia Family Gives Back

BACS Manager Gary Tia and his family warmed our hearts while helping our clients stay warm this month! The drenching rain has been particularly hard on our homeless community members, especially those recovering from injuries and hospital stays.

Gary and his family surprised our Medical Respite team and clients with home-made, warm, cozy blankets. Everyone is thrilled, thankful and warm.

BACS’ Program Anniversaries

This February, BACS is celebrating program anniversaries for several of our community programs! Woodroe Place opened in 1996, and provides short-term residential services for individuals in active psychiatric distress, in a welcoming and open environment. BACS also celebrates our re-entry program FREE, which opened in Alameda County in 2016, providing care coordination for people living with severe mental health issues who are re-entering the community from jail/prison. BACS is celebrating our SAGE program, which opened in 2016 and provides coordination services for people with mental health challenges who need assistance to obtain Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through legal advocacy.

Start a Career with BACS

BACS services are always expanding, and we are currently recruiting! Check out our career opportunities on our website, and learn more about what makes BACS special.

BACS welcomes people of all backgrounds and expertise to apply. Even if you have never worked in the mental health or homeless solutions fields, but you are inspired to make a change, reach out to BACS – we have many training and entry-level positions.

BACS provides benefits and perks like: fully covered medical/dental/vision/life insurance, tuition reimbursement for loans and tuition, clinical supervision hours towards licensure, internal growth opportunities, and more! BACS also works with a wide variety of populations, and has many opportunities for learning and advancement.

Invest in Your Community

Micah square

Our work has profound individual and community impacts. Every person that comes to BACS for help can achieve stability, move off of the streets, get a job, live safely with their mental health issue, or stay out of jail. And for each of those success stories, our community gets better. We see fewer people living on the streets or in poverty. We spend less on emergency medical services. We see less of our tax money going to prisons. Your investment in BACS, and in the people we help, transforms our community.

Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 390 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609. Make an ongoing impact by donating monthly.

BACS Connections January 2019

The Holland, Oakland’s Newest Program to End Homelessness, Opens!

(Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)

BACS is thrilled to announce the opening of ‘The Holland’ in January, which replicates our very successful Housing Fast Support Network program at the Henry Robinson Center! This is the next and continuing step in BACS’ goal to eradicate homelessness.

At ‘The Holland’, we are providing short-term housing and supportive services (to connect people with job supports, benefits, food, and more), while our expert Housing Navigators help locate permanent housing.

BACS thanks the City of Oakland, Kaiser Permanente, the Anthem Foundation, and the citizens of Oakland, for making this possible. Anthem Blue Cross Foundation is making it possible to provide every resident with a warm, healthy, filling meal every day in 2019.You can read our story, or check out the East Bay Times announcement.

Next Supper

In 2011, Kenneth Prabhakar and his brother Kevin, who were only 9 and 13 years old, saw the impacts of homelessness during a school trip. They immediately formed Next Supper, dedicated to helping homeless community members. Every year, all year, they collect empty bottles and cans, bring them to the recycling center, and save the funds. In 2018, Kenneth raised more than ever – nearly $3,000!

Many of our participants have not had new clothing since they became homeless, and often experience the winter unprepared. This year Kenneth purchased jackets, gloves, socks, warm pants.  BACS is inspired by Kenneth and the Prabhakar family, and very grateful for their continued support! Check out the full heartwarming story here.

‘A House a Year’ to End Homelessness

BACS meets Strategic Plan Goal and Buys a ‘House a Year’ to end homelessness! At the end of 2018, BACS purchased the newest addition to our Supported Independent Living program! BACS thanks our donor community, who helped us pay the down payment.

The house, which is located in East Oakland, will provide permanent housing for six people who are struggling with behavioral health issues and independent living, who would otherwise fall into homelessness. This house was dedicated on January 7, 2019, as the Williams House, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of BACS team member Richard Williams.

This was one of the major promises of our 2018-2020 Strategic Plan, and we are so glad to keep progressing in our goal to end homelessness, permanently.

Housing Fast Support Network Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary

BACS is pleased to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of BACS’ Housing Fast Support Network (HFSN) program at the Henry Robinson Center!

BACS’ HFSN program is the most effective, innovative program of its kind to end homelessness in the Bay Area. Each year, we help 300 people move off the streets and into our rapid re-housing site. Last year, 88% of our participants moved into permanent housing.

Congratulations to the HFSN team and to each person who has successfully moved from the streets to permanent housing, and thank you to all our of community supporters!

Employee of the Month

BACS is delighted to announce that January’s winner is Shawn Moore of the Intensive Case Management team! Shawn says “BACS’ work matters a great deal. The unique approach is very effective. Other agencies use a text book approach and do not address the heart of the problem. We assist clients with obtaining housing, employment, food, and psychiatry. In addition, we advocate for our clients, educate, and model independent living skills.”

Congratulations, Shawn, and thank you for all you do on the BACS team!

Invest in Your Community

Micah square

Our work has profound individual and community impacts. Every person that comes to BACS for help can achieve stability, move off of the streets, get a job, live safely with their mental health issue, or stay out of jail. And for each of those success stories, our community gets better. We see fewer people living on the streets or in poverty. We spend less on emergency medical services. We see less of our tax money going to prisons. Your investment in BACS, and in the people we help, transforms our community.

Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 390 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609. Make an ongoing impact by donating monthly.

Oakland’s New Rapid Re-Housing Program ‘The Holland’ Receives Major Grant from Anthem Foundation

BACS is thrilled to announce that the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has partnered with BACS to end homelessness in the Bay Area, through a significant grant award.

Individuals who move in to The Holland are coming directly from the streets and encampments, and need support to immediately get basic needs met – food, clothing, hygiene, healthcare and medical needs, and more. Anthem Blue Cross Foundation is making it possible to provide every resident with a warm, healthy, filling meal every day in 2019.

BACS officially opened ‘The Holland’ in January, and immediately began to move community members out of encampments. The Holland is the second location in Oakland of a rapid re-housing program known as the Housing Fast Support Network (HFSN).

This program model is the largest and most effective effort to target homelessness in Oakland to date. At the Henry Robinson Center, BACS serves 300 people per year, and has an 88% success rate in getting people in to permanent housing after just 6 months. This is vastly shorter than similar models, which last 12-18 months.

[Read more…]

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