By Dennis Patton
Manager, Santa Cruz Residential Recovery 

Jason Harris wanted to serve Santa Cruz Residential Recovery (SCRR) at Encompass simply because he wanted to give back and stay busy. But when he began serving SCRR as a transportation volunteer, he quickly fell in love with the work as he discovered that his service helps people get their life back.

By Molly Lautamo
Writer

Anyone who works at FUERTE (Families United in Respect, Tranquility and Hope) can tell you the partnership between Encompass and the Santa Cruz County Probation Department is a rare but powerful example of how community collaboration can change lives and the juvenile system as we know it today.

Si Se Puede Success Story: Guillermo Rodriguez Shows That ‘Yes, He Can’

By Molly Lautamo

Guillermo Rodriguez is a leader, a counselor, a mentor, and a teacher. He is actively involved in his community, always giving back and always looking for more ways to make a difference in the lives of others. He is currently the Assistant Director at Sun Street Centers and is pursuing his Master's of Social Work at California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB).

New North County Campus for Encompass Community Services

By Molly Lautamo

Part of the Encompass mission is to build on the strength of people working together to create healthy change in people’s lives and in our community. We have the potential to improve the quality of life of thousands of our county’s residents, but to achieve this, our 40+ programs must work together effectively to provide a seamless network of care.

Photo caption: Jose Rocha, site director at the Starlight State Preschool, helps make reading fun for one of his students.  

By Molly Lautamo

Developing a child’s emotional and social skills before age five is a critical step that helps set that child up for success in elementary school and beyond. The California State Preschool Program (State Pre-K), a state-funded program of Encompass, provides a safe space for children ages three and four to learn how to interact with other children and adults and develop the math, language, and literary skills necessary for a smooth entry into kindergarten.

Santa Cruz Residential Recovery: Evidence-based services for those with co-occurring disorders

By Molly Lautamo

Overcoming substance abuse in addition to managing a mental health disorder can be a long, uphill battle, and like any other chronic health condition, must be managed over a person’s lifetime. Santa Cruz Residential Recovery (SCRR) is one of the few programs in the county that effectively serves men and women facing co-occurring disorders. As a 30-bed co-ed facility, SCRR provides a home and intensive treatment for individuals in the early stages of recovery.

Can you remember your very first teacher? Can you remember the adult, aside from your parents, who introduced you to new experiences, taught you right from wrong, and who acted as a mentor in your early years?

For more than 32 million Americans this person was a dedicated teacher from Head Start. This year marks the 50th anniversary of this national early childhood education program that not only sets our little ones up for success but also helps parents overcome obstacles to education, employment, and housing, empowering them to create a positive, nurturing environment where their children can grow up.

Named after a flower that symbolizes rebirth, the Lotus Apartments in Live Oak recently opened as an affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Of its 12 one-bedroom units, five are home to people with a history of mental illness, three for young adults transitioning out of the foster care system, one for someone who was chronically homeless and the rest is affordable housing. “I think that this really is an effort to ensure that the most vulnerable people have the opportunity to live with dignity and respect,” said Monica Martinez, CEO of Encompass Community Services, which hosted an open house for the complex Wednesday.

SANTA CRUZ >> Carving out a slab of space devoted to the impulses to learn and grow of homeless children was a no-brainer at the Homeless Services Center’s Rebele Family Shelter.

It just took officials a while to get there.

In recent weeks, though, the shelter pushed aside other difficulties, using funding and support of Encompass Community Services’ Head Start program to convert half its dining area into a safe no-pressure place for children to “just be,” said Rebele Family Shelter Program Manager Mary Triulzi.