Gigi's Story
Gigi came into this world a fighter. “I am a miracle baby, technically,” she says, standing inside her People’s Village unit. “I wasn’t supposed to be here. My mom was told by doctors that she couldn’t have a child.”
Gigi was born a month and a half premature, on December 30, 1993. “I was the size of a preemie baby but somehow weighed the amount to go home the next day. So they let me go home,” she says. Then, three months later, her mother collapsed in their home. “My dad tried to revive her. But she was pronounced dead at the same hospital that I was born in.”
At only 28 years old, she has been through a lot in her life. She has bounced between homelessness and abusive homes, first staying with a cousin, then a friend of her father, both of whom physically abused her. “Me and my dad have been homeless on and off….But I was basically just…couch surfing, not really having like a stable spot.”
In 2008, she and her father moved in with her aunt in Santa Rosa, where Gigi attended high school. This offered a brief respite, until she met her ex-boyfriend. “He wouldn’t let me go outside at night,” she says. “He was controlling what I ate, when I ate, and how much…but I was like, I have no money and I need a place to stay. I was trying to save up money but most of my money went to him.”
She became homeless again after a series of personal crises, starting with a mental health break in 2018. “I got sent to a mental hospital in San Francisco,” she says. “And then [my ex] broke up with me when I came back. So I moved into my friend’s mom’s house and [stayed] there for three years.” And life didn’t let up after that. In 2021, her fiancé tried to kill her. The next month, November, she was told to leave her home. “Then I had a seizure and died in December, and was homeless basically from there.”
She went back to a mental hospital in January, followed by a stay in a crisis residential unit (CRU) for 30 days in February. “And then I went to The Rose, which is a family and women’s shelter.….I only stayed there for a week before I went back to the CRU residential unit.”
She found COTS through a friend she met at the mental hospital. “Originally, I didn’t want to come all the way out here in Petaluma,” she says. “I just wanted to stay in Santa Rosa. But the other shelters were either full or they weren’t accepting people because of COVID. Or they just didn’t call me back or answer the phone.”
While staying at COTS, Gigi decided to help out in the kitchen at Mary’s Table. That’s where she met COTS’ head chef Janin, who recommended she attend Homeward Bound’s culinary school, the same chef training program Janin herself graduated from. “At first I was like, I’m probably not even going to finish,” she recalls. “[But I thought], ‘I’m gonna be here for six months, I gotta do something other than just sit on my butt all day.’ So I went. And then next thing I knew, I’m running home every day like ‘look what I made, look at all the cool stuff I made!’ So now I love it.”
After she had been at the Mary Isaak Center for almost six months, she was able to secure a unit in the People’s Village, a week before her shelter exit date This allowed her to focus on her training at Homeward Bound, as well as her mental and physical health, something she had a hard time doing while staying in the congregate setting of the shelter. “It’s just the best thing ever, you know; I don’t worry about my mental stuff. I still worry about the seizures that I have every once in a while. We know that it’s triggered by how I’m feeling and panic attacks, so as long as I’m just cool and calm and I take my meds I’m fine.”
She has since graduated the program and passed the manager test, and has been working at Homeward Bound in the Key Room, a fully functioning kitchen and event space that not only caters for outside events but also provides dinners for Homeward Bound’s affiliate shelters. “I get $22 an hour for doing something that I love in a place that I like, and I’m happy about,” Gigi says. “The saying is, if you find something you love, you never work a day in your life; that’s where I’m at right now. And I’m only 28!”
The first time we talked to Gigi was last October. She had just secured her People’s Village unit, and was hopeful for the future.
Now, Gigi is living in her own place, an apartment she rents thanks to a partnership with Buckelew, and her spirits continue to look up. “This is also my first time living by myself,” she says. “This is a big transition for me. I’m used to being around like a bajillion and three people and waking up in the middle of the night….But now, it’s quiet. I like it.”
Though she’s still getting settled (when we spoke to her last, she’d only been moved in a week), she now has room for all her things, and is excited to have designated spaces for different items – a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom. “This is a giant castle to me compared to what I’ve been dealing with,” she laughs.
Sometimes, when she’s talking to someone, she pauses and savors the feeling of having her own place. “It’s nice to say ‘my place,'” she says. “This is my place, just me. All me, all mine. I did this. I got here. It’s nice. It’s really nice. I’m happy that I was able to move in.”
Talking to her, you would never know she has been to Hell and back. She smiles, laughs, tells funny stories, and shows off her Pokémon plushie collection. “It’s the little things, that’s what gets me by,” she says. “There’s always a silver lining to everything, you know. Just know that it’s a roller coaster; for every down, there’s an up. It’s been [a ride]. But right now I’m going up, I’m goin’ to the moon!”
“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve tried to kill myself a couple of times,” she adds. “But now I’m like, You know what? I don’t want to die, I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m doing a lot better. I talk to a therapist and psychiatrist, make sure I take my meds. I just try to just center myself and do me.
“I’ve had people say that I wasn’t going to amount anything or I wasn’t going to accomplish stuff or whatever. But I graduated high school with a 4.0, without trying. I went to two different culinary schools…I’m a certified massage therapist.
“I like to help people, put a smile on people’s faces. Handing them food that’s tasty, giving them a massage or giving them a good mixed drink, it’s just icing on the cake.”
A Mother's Hope
Homelessness often means that an individual hasn’t just lost their housing, but their relationships and community as well. This Mother’s Day we are highlighting one mother and daughter for whom addiction and homelessness severed their relationship, but through healing and support from COTS was restored.
As a child and young adult, Diana was close to her mom Beverly. They did everything together, like shopping and going to the movies. But things began to change. A traumatic experience caused Diana to keep parts of her life secret. “I didn’t know how to talk about it and I turned into a very secretive person,” said Diana. Diana’s alcoholism further separated her from her mother and eventually caused Diana to become homeless.
“So, when you're homeless, for me, I was very embarrassed,” said Diana. “I knew that the minute I asked for help, I would have to stop drinking. And I wasn't ready at that time.” Beverly knew that Diana was homeless. “I was terrified, she said, “that's the only word I can use. I looked for her all the time.”
After a few shelter stays, Diana came to COTS. Through support and determination, Diana was able to become sober, get a new job, and gain housing. One day, after a few years of stability and sobriety, Diana’s partner suggested she call her mom. So, she did.
Beverly was beyond thrilled. “Oh my God, it was the happiest day of my life,” she said. “I was on top of the world. Anybody who knows me saw the biggest change in me you could ever imagine, because I always felt like I just couldn't be happy, not knowing how my daughter was. And to get a call like that…I just couldn't wait to see her. I couldn't wait to put my arms around her.”
Today, their relationship is stronger than ever. They are back to shopping, going to movies and more. “Our relationship now is wonderful,” said Beverly. “We love being together. We laugh a lot. We chatter away incessantly.” Diana credits the mental health support she received at COTS with not only helping her personally, but also helping her relationship with her mother. “Therapy, I think that was one of the biggest turning points in my entire life,” said Diana.
Homelessness doesn’t just affect one individual. The loss of connection can be devastating to families, but the connection doesn’t have to be lost forever. When meeting other families in this same experience, Beverly refers them to COTS. “The success rate, what they offer, it’s just wonderful.”
The COTS Collective: April 2023
New Beginnings for People’s Village Residents Moving into Studios at Montero
COTS is proud to partner with Burbank Housing in the provision of supportive services at our newest project, Studios at Montero. From comprehensive case management to job assistance, healthcare navigation, and social events with peers—these residents will have access to necessary resources to help them navigate their exciting transition into permanent housing.
Studios at Montero, located in Petaluma, will house 60 individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness in our community. Each unit comes outfitted with a kitchenette, bathroom, and studio living space. All units are fully remodeled, with four ADA-accessible units available. Every unit will be furnished with basic household furnishings, and every resident will receive a “Welcome-Home” basket filled with household necessities like food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies.
Studios at Montero residents each have unique backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Onsite groups and recreational activities will allow residents to build a sense of community and belonging in their new homes—this type of peer connection helps ensure each resident successfully maintains permanent housing for many years to come.
Seven residents will be moving from the COTS People’s Village project into Studios at Montero, a true testament to the power of organizations like COTS in moving chronically homeless Sonoma County residents into permanent housing. All of these residents have experienced chronic homelessness in Sonoma County, and for many, Studios at Montero will be their first permanent home in more than ten years.
COTS staff have worked tirelessly for the last six months preparing future Studios at Montero residents for move-in day. The COTS team is beyond excited to welcome residents into their new homes, and we hope you will join us in congratulating each new resident!
If you are interested in donating to a COTS program, or donating items to fill a welcome-home basket, please visit www.cots.org or email Diana Morales at [email protected].
Thank you for your ongoing support of our critical programs.We hope to see you at a COTS event soon!
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: From Homelessness to Housed—COTS’ Integrity House Program Highlight
COTS Integrity Housing Care Manager Debbie Robbins
The COTS Integrity Housing program provides permanent housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County. Residents receive case management services as well as other supportive services to ensure they remain safely and stably housed.
COTS is proud that over 95% of our Integrity House resident remain housed. This is a testament to the effectiveness of supportive services combined with permanent, affordable housing.
When Sheryl came to COTS, she was nervous about entering a new environment. “I was scared and angry,” she said. “I had never been homeless before and it was really hard to be around all these different people…”
Initially, Sheryl came to COTS through our Recuperative Care program. After receiving necessary healthcare, Sheryl transitioned to the Mary Isaak Center shelter. Sheryl understood the value of community and belonging and began to volunteer her time working in the COTS Kitchen serving her fellow COTS clients. Sheryl also began to attend COTS’ supportive groups including Qi Gong and Art Group as she focused on her own recovery and made strides toward her housing goals.
For several months, Sheryl worked alongside her COTS CareManager. She successfully increased and stabilized her income through Social Security and obtained a housing voucher through the Sonoma County Housing Authority. When Sheryl learned that COTS’ Integrity Housing program had a room for rent, she jumped on the opportunity to apply. By utilizing her voucher, Sheryl pays a small portion of her income as monthly rent, and now has a permanent place of her own.
According to Sheryl, “I feel very safe at COTS. I know that if something were to happen…that COTS would help me. I’m glad that I got into Integrity [Housing] because I’m not ready to cut the cord with COTS. I feel comfortable having my first place after homelessness being a COTS place.”
The entire COTS team would like to congratulate Sheryl on her successful transition into permanent housing. Here at COTS, we work tirelessly to provide wraparound services and innovative housing options for people experiencing homelessness. We will forever envision a community where everyone has a place to call home.
If you are interested in supporting our critical work in the community, visit us at www.cots.org.
Our Annual Report for FY 2021-22 is now available online. You can view it at cots.org or by clicking the link below.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: March 2023
Spring Forward – Sunny Weather, and New Opportunities
Now that it’s officially Spring, we have much to celebrate! Here at COTS, Spring means abundant sunshine, healing nature walks, fun community events, and new opportunities to serve our community.
This Spring, COTS will celebrate its 35th anniversary at our annual fundraiser, Hops for Homes. We welcome you to join us for dinner, drinks (non-alcoholic beverages also available), live music, and stories of our work in the community. This year’s fundraiser is on April 27th at Brewster’s Beer Garden in downtown Petaluma. Please join us to celebrate our successes, learn about our programs, and to meet other supporters like you. Get your tickets here!
Spring also brings sunshine, warm weather, and beautiful wildflowers peppering the green hills around Sonoma County. We recognize that connecting with nature can be healing for many—that’s why the COTS Social Supports Manager leads nature walks for clients to relax, recharge, and develop bonds with their peers. As the rain fades, clients and staff are excited to explore the natural beauty of Sonoma County once again!
Spring also marks the season of growth for COTS. March through May is grantmaking season, bringing new opportunities for COTS to best support those we serve. COTS is renewing its focus on a housing-focused approach to services, and that means analyzing our programs to identify existing service gaps. The COTS team is hard at work identifying funding sources to address these gaps. We look forward to providing an update on our growth trajectory in the coming months.
We hope that all of you have exciting plans for the Spring. We are honored to receive your support and look forward to seeing you at our Spring fundraiser!
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Volunteers Make All the Difference
COTS relies on a core team of volunteers who help us offer a range of services. From helping in the kitchen at Mary’s Table, to providing transportation, to assisting clients obtain documentation for housing, these volunteers are critical to our success in the community.
The work we do every day is hard, complex, and rewarding. Our volunteers know the feeling of serving a warm meal to someone in need, helping a family navigate housing resources, or helping a client apply for a job as they reintegrate into our community. They know the joy of getting to know our clients as individuals. This year, we hope to expand our volunteer opportunities to better enrich the lives of those we serve every day.
Do you want to help our amazing kitchen team prepare hot and nutritious meals every week? Perhaps you would like to help us pick up regular donations throughout the community?
One-time volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups are also available. Are you a musician or artist interested in teaching a class or performing at the Mary Isaak Center? Maybe you’re a Wellness Coach or a Financial Advisor interested in talking to vulnerable community members about small steps they can take toward self-sufficiency. Or perhaps your company or team is looking for a way to give back to the community together. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and they all have unique reasons for their commitment to serving COTS.
All COTS programs rely heavily on community supporters, including our cherished volunteers. The entire COTS team is honored to work alongside dedicated, talented, and passionate volunteers every day.
Are you interested in volunteering at COTS? We would love to hear from you! Please reach out to us at [email protected] to learn more.
To our cherished volunteers—thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: February 2023
Client Successes Make Our Community Stronger
In the last edition of the COTS Collective, I thanked Chuck Fernandez for his exceptional work leading this organization, and introduced myself as the new CEO. This month, I would like to take an opportunity to highlight a notable client story published in February.
This piece is an exceptional illustration of COTS’ work in the community—providing hope, healing, and support to our most vulnerable community members. While Bradley Brown’s story demonstrates what is possible through community supports and nonprofits like COTS, Brown’s experience with homelessness and the work required to regain self-sufficiency also highlights the complex systems and supports necessary to achieve long-term, positive outcomes.
In the last issue, I wrote about the importance of partnership in addressing homelessness. Brown’s story illustrates this clearly—without partnerships between the City, County, COTS, other nonprofit providers, law enforcement, Brown’s story could have ended much differently. These ongoing partnerships are critical in addressing homelessness now and into the future.
At COTS, we understand that supporting someone on their journey from homelessness to housing can be difficult and long. We also understand that people experiencing homelessness are members of our community—when our clients succeed, our community succeeds.
We are energized by Bradley’s success, and by the success of many other COTS clients just like Bradley Brown. I hope that after reading his story, you are too. Your questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome here. Thank you for your support.
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Improving the Housing-Focused Model
Over the last several months, COTS has implemented a housing-focused model at the Mary Isaak Center shelter. Our goal is to improve self-sufficiency for our clients—with a primary focus on successful placement into long-term, permanent housing.
Staff work one-on-one with clients to create individualized plans, ensuring various barriers facing each client are addressed in unique ways. In the last thirty days, COTS has refreshed its policies related to client enrollment in our shelter, aiming to improve each client’s ability to successfully gain permanent housing while working with COTS.
What does this mean?
Through feedback from people with lived experience and observations of other successful models in the Bay Area, COTS determined that monthly client assessments are an effective way to improve client engagement and increase the effectiveness of our programs.
Each month, Care Managers will work one-on-one with each client to assess progress towards their housing goals over the previous 28 days. We recognize that progress comes in many forms and is rarely achieved in a linear way—each person’s journey from homelessness to housing is unique. For some, progress means applying to jobs, seeing a doctor, or applying for an apartment. For others, progress means improving personal hygiene habits, learning new life skills, or reconnecting with family. COTS is here to support each individual client in their journey to self-sufficiency.
Through monthly assessments, Care Managers and care teams can determine whether a client needs additional services and supports, or whether we may need to alter our approach to better engage a client in setting personal goals and reaching milestones. Think of this process as reviewing a strategic plan—without consistent review and a willingness to pivot, strategy can fail.
Monthly assessments also allow our clients to set both short and long-term goals. Achieving one or more short-term goals each month often provides the motivation necessary for a client to continue their pathway to permanent housing. Celebrating the achievement of short-term goals also creates a bonding moment for clients and Care Managers—a client’s success is a COTS success.
As always, thank you to our advocates, our supporters, and our community for your support of our critical work.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: January 2023
Joining the COTS Community
In December, former COTS Chief Executive Officer Chuck Fernandez retired, leaving big shoes to fill. Chuck’s work at COTS left a beautiful legacy full of hope, determination, love, and kindness. I am honored to carry on these traditions in service to COTS and the larger Sonoma County community.
Homelessness is a complex issue—an issue that cannot be solved without community partnership, determination, love, and compassion. As the new COTSChief Executive Officer, I vow to work alongside our incredible team, and promise to ensure COTS remains a prominent ally in ending homelessness in our community.
Here at COTS, we are eternally grateful to bring light and hope to those we serve, and we couldn’t do it without supporters like you. We are inspired by the incredible changes we see within our clients every day, and I am excited to have the great privilege of writing this to all of you.
Please join me in a sincere thank you to Chuck Fernandez for his dedication and compassion, and a hearty cheers to enjoying his retirement.
I am delighted to continue to provide these monthly updates—your questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome here.
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Solutions Through Partnership
The issue of homelessness did not occur overnight. Permanent solutions take time, resources, and changing strategies to address the evolving needs of our most vulnerable community members. Lasting results demand strong partnerships between service providers, governments, and community members.
We are all part of the broad system of change—without robust partnerships and collective participation, the system fails.
Ask any human services professional about their work and you’re sure to hear words like “burnout,” “frustration,” or any number of synonyms for “tired.” This work is critical, and this work is hard. People in this field are dedicated, compassionate, and demonstrate a “do what it takes” attitude toward their collective mission.
Providers are asked to solve complex human issues with too few resources, often resulting in inefficiencies and workforce fatigue. Despite this, what you’ll find in this field are professionals who show up every day ready to ask, “how can I help?”
COTS is not alone in this experience. Our nonprofit partners, government officials, and community supporters understand the complexity and difficulty in addressing deep-rooted societal factors impacting chronic homelessness. This shared understanding means we can address these factors better together, unifying our efforts and expertise to best serve those who need it most.
True partnership is hard. It takes work, requires patience, and insists we listen to proposed solutions with an open mind. True partnership forces us to reflect on what we do well, but more importantly—what we can improve.
Looking forward, COTS is prioritizing and leveraging its partnerships in service to the Sonoma County community. By taking intentional steps to strengthen our partnerships with other providers, government officials, and community members, COTS can continue its legacy of accessible, quality services in our mission to end homelessness.
In the past month, COTS has increased the availability of mobile showers at the Mary Isaak Center by 50%. In addition, COTS has strengthened its existing collaboration with the City of Petaluma to best align strategic priorities, ensuring COTS clients and others without shelter have access to the services they need, when they need them. We are working with other experienced providers to learn new and innovative practices, and to share our best practices in serving this population. COTS, along with the City of Petaluma, is leading a collaborative effort to amend and improve shelter regulations countywide—a welcome change for our clients, staff, and those experiencing homelessness.
We are unrelenting in our pursuit to end homelessness, but we can’t do it alone. Envisioning a healthy, accessible, and prosperous Sonoma County for all—COTS will continue to lead by example by continually strengthening our bonds with existing partners, and welcoming new supporters with open arms.
As always, thank you to our advocates, our supporters, and our community for your support of our critical work.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
Chuck's Virtual Coffee - December 2022
As COTS’ CEO, each month I take a moment to consider what I want our community to know about our organization and our progress in serving Sonoma County’s homeless. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with you in this Virtual Cup of Coffee – my monthly communique about the business and mission moments of COTS (Committee On The Shelterless).
My best,
Chuck
Farewell…
This is my last Virtual Coffee. I am retiring at the end of December, or as I prefer to say, redirecting my energies and passions. My goal in starting these Coffees in January, 2019, was to raise awareness and educate all of us about those experiencing homelessness. In doing so, I tried to go inside these wonderful humans to better understand who they are and how they became homeless. There is goodness in each one of their souls. I also tried to share the inner workings of COTS, and the homeless systems of care in our government. I have learned so much from writing these Coffees – from research, reading volumes of data, and most importantly, listening to and asking many questions of our fellow team members at COTS. They are the true experts. In return, I hope they learned a little something from me.
I would like to briefly thank some people for making my four years at COTS the best and most rewarding professional experience ever.
Bill Gabbert, our fabulous board president, and genuine soul. Thank you for being the best board president a CEO could ask for. Bill and I met formally every week, and then often again on the phone. Nothing ever happened unless Bill was first informed. We had an amazing trust and faith in each other. We also had an agreement – no surprises. Bill supported me in all the crazy and necessary changes we made to make COTS a better place to be. He also supported me during my mistakes. Of course, as a smart businessman and human, he also wanted to know why, and always had questions so he could better understand. Thank you, Bill, for always being there for me.
To our many fabulous community members and leaders in Sonoma County and beyond – our donors, friends, investors, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and businesses – thank you for always supporting COTS. Petaluma has it going and if one wants to know what a close-knit, progressive, and caring community looks and feels like, and also how a community rallies around each other, then come to Petaluma. Petalumans rock.
And to our dear COTS team members who make the magic happen…every single day. You are the most kind, loving, professional, competent, fun, and caring humans I have every worked with. I will be forever grateful for what you taught me over the last four years. I love you all.
And finally, on a personal note. I am native Hawaiian, born and raised in the Islands. Many of us know the word Aloha as a greeting – hi or how are you. But to the Islanders, Aloha is so much more than a greeting. It’s how you live your life. It’s a North Star. The authentic meaning of Aloha is to live a life full of love, with a heart full of gratitude and joy…for yourself and for those around you. It means having respect for others, and to live with grace, kindness, truthfulness, and patience. To work for unity, goodness, and an understanding of others…and to do all that with an abundance of humility.
Our world has become polarized, divided, and even angry. Being mean spirited is almost a sport. What happened to truth, respect for our differences, a grace filled and compassionate society, and the common good? Our world needs more Aloha. Of course, we are all human and sometimes we don’t show up as our best selves. But we can certainly strive to Live Aloha – with ourselves, with each other, and with those experiencing homelessness.
With so much love, hope, and Aloha,
chuck
Mission Moment
Welcome Chris Cabral. I am so happy that you are our next CEO at COTS. I can speak for our COTS team and board of directors that we are thrilled to have you. I will be cheering you on every step of the way.
Chuck's Virtual Coffee - November 2022
As COTS’ CEO, each month I take a moment to consider what I want our community to know about our organization and our progress in serving Sonoma County’s homeless. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with you in this Virtual Cup of Coffee – my monthly communique about the business and mission moments of COTS (Committee On The Shelterless).
My best,
Chuck
People’s Village resident Gigi standing in the doorway of her unit
Autumn – a time to celebrate our successes
I love Autumn. The weather changes, leaves fall, and rain is on the way (I hope). It’s also a time to pause, reflect on what we’ve accomplished this year, and to be grateful for our successes…and also our challenges because that’s how learn and grow. Although I’ve shared some successes with you, I’d like to highlight four major accomplishments just so we can celebrate how far we’ve come this year in accomplishing our Mission at COTS, where we assist those experiencing homelessness in finding and keeping housing, increasing self-sufficiency, and improving well-being.
Created More Housing Options – Thanks to our cherished partnership with the City of Petaluma, we created People’s Village (PV), a 25-unit tiny home village on the Mary Isaak Campus. Twenty-five chronically homeless adults were taken off the streets and into PV, where they receive meals, showers, case management, and help on their pathway to housing. Of course, we’ve had challenges, but anything worthwhile is never easy.
And thanks to another partnership with the City of Petaluma and Burbank Housing, we are working to open the Studios at Montero (SAM) in Petaluma in early Spring of 2023. This is part of Governor Newsom’s Project Homekey that provides local government agencies with funds to purchase and rehabilitate housing – including hotels and motels and convert them into permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. SAM has 60 studio apartments for the chronically homeless.
Improving Well-being – Health care plays a critical role in solving homelessness. CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) is another State of California innovation to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of some of California’s most vulnerable residents, such as individuals experiencing homelessness. We will begin providing and billing for CalAIM services on January 1, 2023. CalAIM combines traditional medical care with non-medical services for the homeless, such as help with developing a housing plan or with housing search; assistance with housing documentation needed for leasing a rental unit, including security deposits; landlord education and tenant advocacy; and case management for help with behaviors that may jeopardize their housing. CalAIM won’t be easy, and we estimate it will take us at least two years before we feel comfortable learning a whole new medical language and way of caring for our clients. But we believe CalAIM is a win for Medi-Cal to better serve its members/enrollees; for health care providers to provide urgent and preventative care for their patients in the proper setting; for the sheltered and unsheltered to receive more comprehensive services; and for COTS to keep our clients healthy and housed long term.
More Accountability and Action – We’ve struggled with the Housing First (HF) approach. It’s core principles include choice or self-determination, meaning that getting case management, help for their substance abuse/addiction, mental health, lifestyle choices, or other issues that led to their homelessness are optional. Our experience shows that given a choice, most choose not to receive help. And that only results in people cycling in and out of shelters year after year. Staff get frustrated, and taxpayers get frustrated because the homeless problem is not getting better. No one wins.
Thus, we changed our model of care. All shelter residents must keep their appointments with their case manager, have a housing plan, and actively work toward housing. And if that doesn’t work for them, then COTS is not the place for them. In actuality, we’ve gone back to what worked before at COTS – a housing readiness approach. That is, a gradual process of addressing the issues that led to one’s homelessness before getting housing. Accountability and action are key. And this is confirmed by Governor Newsom halting $1B in homeless funding because of his frustration with the lack of progress and the lack of accountability for results. And guess what…it’s working again.
Our Amazing COTS Team and Work Culture – This summer, COTS was awarded “One of the Best Places to Work in Sonoma County” by the North Bay Business Journal (NBBJ). And for the 3rd year in a row, our July 2022 Employee Engagement Survey received an overwhelming satisfaction score by our team members. We worked hard to create a strong, safe, professional, and fun filled culture where people can come to work and do what they do best, and also feel they are contributing to the Mission of COTS. To be our best, and to provide the best care for those experiencing homelessness, we have to have the best people to do this difficult work. And having a great culture makes all that happen. So often, we hear businesses being measured by revenue, market share, or products sold. And while that is good, just as important are metrics like quality of leadership, culture, and staff satisfaction. After all, it’s the people and culture that ultimately drive the numbers and results.
So, in this season of gratitude, let’s remember all the goodness in our lives, even when things aren’t so perfect. COTS, our amazingly talented team, and our community partners have accomplished much to end homelessness in Petaluma. And while we have more work to do, let’s celebrate and be grateful for what we’ve accomplished together.
Happy Holidays,
chuck
Until next month,
Chuck Fernandez
Chuck's Virtual Coffee - October 2022
As COTS’ CEO, each month I take a moment to consider what I want our community to know about our organization and our progress in serving Sonoma County’s homeless. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with you in this Virtual Cup of Coffee – my monthly communique about the business and mission moments of COTS (Committee On The Shelterless).
My best,
Chuck
2022 Annual Point in Time (PIT) Count
Last month, we received the results of the Annual Point in Time Count (PIT) done on February 25, 2022. 2,893 homeless individuals were counted between 5am and 10am. This is a 5% increase from the PIT of 2,745 taken in 2020.
This is frustrating. My colleague homeless services providers in Sonoma County work hard. They are smart, innovative, compassionate, work very well together, and always try to do the right things. Of course, we could minimize the results by saying, it could have been worse given COVID. Regardless, our community is also frustrated with the money spent on solving this ever-growing issue.
Why Do This?
The PIT Count is the only source of national data on sheltered and unsheltered homeless and is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This data helps the federal government better understand homelessness, and helps local communities in their strategic planning, capacity building, and advocacy campaigns to prevent and end homelessness.
The Count is done in each community and collects information on individuals and families residing in shelters, sleeping on the streets, in cars, abandoned properties, and other places not meant for human habitation.
Some Of The 2022 Results For Sonoma County:
- 5% – increase in homelessness from 2020.
- 33% – homeless that were multi-racial, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander.
- Gender breakdown – 63% were male, 35% female, and 2% transgender/gender non-binary. Females were 27% in 2020.
- Primary causes of homelessness – Job loss (23%); Argument with family/friend (11%); Divorce/separation (10%); Eviction (9%).
- 32% – first time experiencing homelessness.
- 6% – homeless for 0-30 days.
- 16% – homeless for 1-6 months.
- 9% – homeless for 7-11 months.
- 43% – increase in chronically homeless from 2020 (508 to 725).
- 42% – had at least one disabling condition (developmental, HIV/AIDS, physical or mental impairment).
- 40% – suffer from drug or alcohol abuse.
- 40% – suffer from psychiatric or emotional conditions.
- 36% – suffer from PTSD.
- 20% – not interested in housing.
- 17% – history of foster care.
So, What Does This All Mean?
Shelters will always play an important role. The PIT showed that 6% were homeless for less than 30 days, while 25% were homeless between 1 – 11 months. 32% said it was their first-time experiencing homelessness. Often, many just need a place to stay for a short period to help get them back on their feet. However, while mental health, substance abuse, and medical problems are a risk factor for homelessness (cause), being homeless is also a risk factor for those problems. Drugs are everywhere on the streets and often used as a coping mechanism. And the stress of daily survival takes a toll on one’s medical and mental health. Moreover, newly homeless can normalize being homeless very quickly and adapt to the lifestyle. As a shelter operator, we need to ensure that we reach the newly homeless immediately before they adapt to the homeless lifestyle and all that goes with it. We just need to make sure that we are staffed appropriately with trained professionals and have the adequate number of staff needed to do the work.
More focus on prevention. There are many life situations that add to homelessness. Like job loss, divorce, cost of living, inflation, the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences, mental health and drug/alcohol abuse, illnesses, and domestic violence. As a society, we also need to focus on the social determinants to health if we are to have any chance at ending homelessness. Social determinants are the conditions in which people are born into, grow, live, and work as well as the interrelated social and economic systems that shape their lives. They include income, education, job opportunities, literacy skills, access to nutritious food and health care, safe housing and transportation, neighborhoods lived in, and racism, discrimination, and violence. However, just promoting or fixing one or two of those disparities in the homeless won’t eliminate the other disparities or inequities.
More housing options. There is more housing on the way, and most is geared to the chronically homeless. Six housing projects will open in 2022-2023 in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Guerneville, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, and Sonoma. Moreover, the County and various cities have opened safe parking, managed encampments, and tiny home villages in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Petaluma, and Sonoma. To successfully address this issue, we must continue to offer a range of housing solutions. There is no one silver bullet. And what we’ve learned from our People’s Village (tiny homes) program is that not everyone is a fit for permanent housing. Some just want the independence of being homeless and without the responsibilities of being a renter.
Treatment First. Given that 40% of the homeless suffer from drug and alcohol abuse and psychiatric or emotional conditions, we have to do a better job as a society in providing treatment. Just ask the case managers in our shelter or People’s Village, and they will tell you the number is more like 90%. Yes, you are probably tired of often hearing this, but we simply need more licensed mental health providers and more detox and treatment centers in Sonoma County.
A generational challenge. Homelessness will not go away next year or in five years. It’s complicated. As one of our residents once said to me, “Charles – we are all broken and imperfect people.” While we see glimpses of a wonderful human being in each person we serve, we also see where the diseases of mental health and/or substance abuse has control of that human. But we cannot give up hope. After all, the person we serve is someone’s brother, sister, mother, or father, grandparent, or friend. And getting them treatment and into one of several housing options is the most humane thing to do. And with California’s smart investments in more housing (Project Homekey), CalAIM (expanding Medi-Cal services to the homeless), and the CARE Court, we are headed in the right direction.
Unfortunately, ending homelessness will just take more time and more investments.
Until next month,
Chuck Fernandez
Lisa's Story
Eight years ago, Lisa came to the Mary Isaak Center for the first time due to domestic violence.
“When I came here, it was a blessing,” she says. “I was able to focus on healing, plus getting my life in order, because I was dysfunctional before I came here. They helped me to stand on my feet, get my self-esteem back, grow from my experience, and to be able to see that, as a woman, I could step out of it and be a survivor.”
Even then, Lisa was determined to turn her life around. “I ended up volunteering in the kitchen.…I went to school, and then I got a job, got an apartment, and moved out. Rapid Re-Housing helped me from there. And it lasted for a while. This time, I’m back again, not for the same reasons, but for some of the same behavior.”
For many of our clients, breaking the cycle of homelessness takes years of effort. But while Lisa’s setbacks have brought her once more to the Mary Isaak Center, her determination and self-awareness are helping her make a plan to get back into permanent housing. “I’m doing the same thing I did last time, because it worked,” she says.
She’s volunteering again in the kitchen, this time with the support of Executive Chef Janin Harmon, who is encouraging Lisa to get her culinary degree at Fresh Starts Culinary Academy in Marin, where Janin herself is a graduate. “Here, it’s so nurturing,” Lisa says, “and so different from any other place that I’ve really ever been. Because it’s like, you get a lot of love. You get a lot of tough love, but you also get experience from the other staff that has been here and done that.
“It’s a little embarrassing to come in all broken and talk to somebody that has book knowledge, because they really don’t know where you’ve been at. The staff here lets you know, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been there. And you don’t have to feel afraid to let me know what’s going on with you.’ So it’s easier to get a footing and a foundation, to be able to face the world again, with a different perspective, but a stronger character.”