Sacramento Crisis Navigation Program

The mental health system of care can be complicated – which is why BACS has started the Sacramento Crisis Navigation Program (CNP). We are supporting community members with behavioral health needs who are in the middle of a crisis, at the emergency room, by being side-by-side to help them navigate available resources to find ongoing services and stability.

Some of the people we serve may have been through this cycle before (from emergency room to a referral to ongoing behavioral health services), but without the warm handoff and individualized coordination they slipped through the cracks. BACS Care Coordinators are here to fill that gap and provide a necessary support to these members of our community and help them with behavioral health, housing, and other urgent life needs. Our team is made up of peers, people with lived experience of these same crises, who can connect with clients “where they are at.”

CNP is made possible by MHSA funding, Sacramento County, and partnership with eight hospitals across Sacramento County.

Advocating to Keep People Housed

BACS joined Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Supervisor Keith Carson (Alameda County D5) today to advocate for extending the national eviction moratorium with our Keep Oakland Housed collaborative. KOH has helped more than 5,000 households keep their housing since 2019, and when COVID worsened the housing and economic crises, BACS and our partners were ready to provide emergency rental assistance, legal support, and supportive services to prevent mass evictions. Health and housing are linked, and keeping people housed prevents the spread of COVID.

One of those 5,000 families was Theresa Fortune and her child in elementary school. She is an artist, an entrepreneur, and a community advocate. She was able to get her bills paid and stay in her housing thanks to KOH. “In my experience with Keeping Oakland Housed, the process is so seamless – it was very easy. Thank you so much, and I look forward to getting through this together as a community.” 

“The eviction moratorium protects the 99% of renters who are facing eviction for no reason other than the pandemic,” says Jamie Almanza, MBA, CEO of BACS. “Our economy is still recovering, our workforce is still recovering, and most people in America can barely afford their monthly rent, let alone months of back rent on low pay. This is vital while our country stabilizes. We need to protect our neighbors.” 

Letter of Gratitude from Newly-Housed Della

Every day, BACS is helping end homelessness by helping our neighbors find stable housing – but it’s not every day that we get such an incredible “thank you” letter. Della sent us this letter to thank the staff and the whole community behind BACS for helping her get out of homelessness, and asked us to share it.

“I would like to Thank you for allowing me to be part of the program. BACS is everything it stands for Committed to putting an end to homelessness. You see people on side of freeways in tents, homeless people sleeping in doorways on park benches but you never imagine that being you until it happens to you. It’s not anything you want anybody to know or want to talk to anybody about…

Just when I lost hope of ever having my own place, I was told about BACS! BACS is a program that took me off the streets sleeping in my car.

I am so blessed to have found BACS what they do is amazing and I know I couldn’t have done it without them. I have my own place now and have not been this happy in a long time and not only providing me a place to live they furnished everything I needed to make it complete so Kelly, Khalil, Loren, Elizabeth, Ernesto and staff and a special thanks to BACS for making it all happen!! I wish you all the best and anybody who is blessed to be part of the program. Follow the procedures they require and you will have a place to call home!! I can’t thank you enough.”

If you would like to help a neighbor get out off the streets, donate to BACS today!

Introducing Weinreb House

Today, we honor the legacy of Ilene Weinreb, a former BACS board member and pillar of the community. Ilene passed away on November 22, 2020, at age 89, after dedicating her life to creating affordable housing opportunities.

Ilene was an incredible person – the first elected female mayor of Hayward in 1974, an advocate for the creation of Alameda County’s 211 telephone line (which connects residents with health and human service programs), and included BACS in her estate as part of her commitment to affordable housing.

BACS dedicates our first Supported Independent Living site in Hayward as “Weinreb House” This Hayward home was a pioneering model of the housing co-op model that BACS still provides, creating affordable housing for community members experiencing homelessness and/or other complex challenges. This house has provided stable, affordable, permanent housing for six individuals with behavioral health needs since 1980. Ms. Weinreb’s fierce advocacy for this model, and her deep ties to the Hayward community, make this a perfect home to hold her legacy.

Planned Giving

Have you spent your life trying to make the world a better place? You can leave a legacy and make a generational impact on the community by leaving a charitable gift in your will.

Planned giving to BACS allows you to uplift your community by investing in housing, behavioral health, and other services that make our neighborhoods stronger. As a heritage organization in Northern California since 1953, BACS will preserve your legacy and honor your generosity for many years to come. If you are considering leaving a charitable gift in your will and want help or more information, contact us!