Caminar's Project Ninety Benefits from Housing Industry Foundation Grant

October 18, 2021 Wendy Garrish

Caminar is grateful to be a recent — and repeat — beneficiary of HIF's latest community-based renovation project grant.

HIF creates direct and immediate impact with a focus on homelessness prevention for families in need through emergency financial support, access to affordable housing, and the renovation of community shelters and transitional living homes.

HIF engaged American Asphalt to complete a renovation of Project Ninety's San Mateo recovery residence driveway, patio, and pathway. The market value of this project was in excess of $14,000 at no cost to Caminar and Project Ninety, keeping valuable resources focused on assisting individuals in Project Nintey's substance use treatment program.

Jim Buckner, Project Ninety's executive director, shared that clients living in this housing site are pleased with the upgrades and have committed to providing ongoing site maintenance.

We are grateful for the partnership with HIF, which allows us to enhance the living conditions for clients in our programs. Please enjoy the project before and after photos.

A Note from Our CEO on COVID-19 and Mental Health Services

March 18, 2020 Wendy Garrish

March 17, 2020

Dear Friends,

In the face of the rapidly-evolving coronavirus outbreak and current shelter-in-place order in many Bay Area counties, I sincerely hope you are all well. You may be concerned about how this is impacting Caminar and the most vulnerable members of our community, and I want to share our response.

Caminar and our divisions are considered essential services and will continue to operate during this time. Our team is committed to providing compassionate and science-based support to all of our clients and will continue to make this our priority as we adapt to this very fluid situation. Our clinical staff spent today contacting all clients and will shift meetings to phone calls where appropriate. Clients for whom an in-person meeting is essential will be screened for infection before receiving mental health care.

We recognize this is an unsettling time for many community members. We urge you to look after your own mental health and the mental health of your loved ones as we navigate this unfamiliar territory. We regularly share tips to reduce stress and anxiety through Facebook and Twitter.

Should you need additional mental health support, please reach out to a crisis hotline in your area.

2-1-1 Bay Area

Butte County Crisis Hotline
1-800-334-6622

San Francisco County Crisis Hotline
1-415-781-0500 or 1-800-273-8255

San Mateo County Crisis Hotline
1-650-579-0350

Santa Clara County Crisis Hotline
1-855-278-4204

Solano County Crisis Hotline
1-707-428-1131

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line
Text “HOME” to 741741

Please be well, stay healthy, and do let us know if you have any questions. Our team can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.

Most sincerely,

Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer

Celebrating Love for All

February 13, 2020 Wendy Garrish

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Join us as we celebrate love for all!

Love for those coping with mental illness.
Love for those suffering from addiction.
Love for our homeless or jobless neighbors.
Love for those discovering their gender identity.
Love for those embracing their sexuality.
Love for ourselves.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and funders,
Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley and Project Ninety divisions
make love possible for everyone.

Through prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, we help people
overcome barriers and develop skills to develop more loving relationships
and empower and support them to move toward resilience, wellness, and independence.

Puppy love. Gay love. Straight love. Trans love.
Love in sickness.
Love in health.
Love is love.
Love for all.

Will you share the love with a donation to Caminar today?

Because of you, over 20,000 lives are changed. Thank you!

January 7, 2020 Wendy Garrish

As we start 2020, we look back on our impact in 2019. Because of the generosity of our donors and funders, we were able to change lives last year.

You - our donors and funders - bring care and support to youth and adults who are struggling with depression, anxiety, serious mental illness, and drug and alcohol addiction. You help people improve their health, secure and maintain housing, reenter the workforce, and rebuild their lives. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Your support made the following possible last year:

20,000+ children, teens, and adults served with compassion through science-driven programs across San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, San Francisco, and Butte counties.
10,086 people learned from our LGBTQ programs to create environments that embody the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
3,516 individuals received residential or outpatient mental health, case management, and wellness services.
3,348 adults received treatment and support to move forward in recovery from addiction.
1,118 individuals accessed life-changing housing assistance and homelessness prevention services.
945 young adults and adults received specialized coaching and assistance to build networks of support, resume their educations, or reenter the workforce.
802 young adults and adults gained skills to break cycles of family violence and prevention.

And, in the words of one of our clients:

“The counselors at Caminar believed in me, made me feel human. And encouraged me. I’m in a better place now and having coping skills and communication. I love this place.”

We cannot do this work without you and we are so grateful for you. Thank you for making possible life-changing care and support for the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community.

You're a lifeguard. And a lifesaver. Gratitude to our donors and partners.

December 11, 2019 Wendy Garrish

With thanks to you, Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley and Project Ninety divisions combined to transform the lives of 20,000 youth and adults this year with prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Your support serves as a lifeguard for people who feel like they are drowning in stress, adversity, addiction, and mental health conditions. Your support helps people like Shrtonay, a courageous young woman who shares her story heartbreak, resilience, and recovery with you in this brief video.

How many people in our lives, like Shrtonay, are hiding great pain behind smiles, unsure of how to get help?

We are facing a mental health and substance use crisis among youth and young adults. You may know this through the pain your own family has been through, struggles a coworker has endured, or what you observe as leaders in your communities. But, know there is cause for hope.

We have so much potential to make a difference — to be a lifeguard — by intervening to stop the onset of preventable mental health conditions, and by ensuring people of all ages living with mental health and/or substance use needs have access to compassionate, science-based care and support to recover and heal.

With your help, Caminar is honored to be a trusted lifeguard every day for vulnerable members of our communities. And, each year, Caminar touches the lives of more than 20,000 of youth and adults with treatment for mental health conditions, drug and alcohol addiction, housing, and job support. And, we simply cannot do this work without you.

From all of us at Caminar, and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley and Project Ninety divisions, THANK YOU!

Project Ninety Division Celebrates the Retirement of Founder and Former Executive Director Jim Stansberry

July 9, 2019 Wendy Garrish

Project Ninety Executive Director Jim Buckner, Caminar CEO Mark Cloutier, Jim Stansberry, and Senator Jerry Hill

Jim Stansberry, a founder and former Executive Director of Project Ninety, recently celebrated his retirement. Surrounded by friends, clients, colleagues, and family, he was recognized for his long-standing and deep commitment to Project Ninety and the community.

Senator Jerry Hill awarded Mr. Stansberry a State of California Senate Certificate of Recognition for his 30 years of outstanding work in the organization. He explained that Mr. Stansberry’s soul made Project Ninety a success, and he applauded his commitment, service, and love for the organization.

Jim Buckner, the current Executive Director of Project Ninety, shared that the special, family feel of the organization came straight from Mr. Stansberry himself. He further explained that Mr. Stansberry's support of his staff is unparalleled and a huge contributor to the success of the team.

Many clients and staff members also shared reflections and appreciation of Mr. Stansberry. The evening was exactly as the team intended; a backyard barbecue with friends and family where everyone enjoyed good food, had some fun, and told great stories.

Thank you, Mr. Stansberry, for your service and compassion. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement!

Sharing Our Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Report

March 7, 2019 Wendy Garrish

Because of you—our donors, community partners, government funders, volunteers, and friends—individuals and families receive the care they need to be empowered and supported as they move toward resilience, wellness, and independence. Thank you.

We are pleased to share with you our 2018 Annual Report, which details the life-changing work you make possible.

As you may know, the Caminar family has grown by welcoming Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, Project Ninety, and Healthy Partnerships. These mergers have expanded our reach and strengthened our capacity to help our most vulnerable neighbors toward an improved quality of life.

This Annual Report reflects the combined organization and the combined impact: Last year, with your support, we reached more than 20,000 people of all ages with education, treatment, and support that prevent and promote recovery from complex conditions, including mental health, substance use, and family violence.

Thank you for your compassion and generosity. Because of you, our most vulnerable neighbors have comprehensive support on the path to wellness.

Caminar Welcomes Mark Cloutier as CEO

February 7, 2019 Jonathan Rocha

After an extensive search, the Board of Directors is excited to announce that Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH, has joined Caminar as CEO as of January 31, 2019.

Mark brings a unique set of skills and experience to his role at Caminar. With Master’s degrees in public policy and public health, he has extensive experience in leadership roles in esteemed nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the Bay Area, including Horizons Services, San Francisco Foundation, the Center for Youth Wellness, Kaiser Family Foundation, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Mark has dedicated his career to increasing access to quality health and supportive services and improving communities’ overall health and well-being.

Mark says, “Improving the health of communities begins with understanding the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinants of health in predisposing individuals, families and communities to poor mental health and physical health outcomes. Caminar is in a unique position to address the comprehensive needs of individuals, families and communities though our trauma informed, evidence based clinical services and our collaborations with government, nonprofit and community institutions to focus on and remedy root causes.”

Read today’s press release announcing Mark’s appointment here.

Happy New Year!

January 15, 2019 Jonathan Rocha

Happy New Year! We hope your 2019 is off to a wonderful start.

Your support makes so much possible for our clients, including the opportunity to express and heal themselves through the arts. This beautiful photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken by a client in our Expressive Arts program, which offers group workshops with Teaching Artists, including world-renowned photographer Michael Collopy.

Bridges are rich in symbolism, emblematic of connections, progress, and transitions. This photo represents the photographer's personal journey of wellness and recovery, made with the help of Caminar, while also invoking the journeys of clients and their families across our organization, and even our own.

2018 was a year of great connections and progress for Caminar, including the acquisition of Healthy Partnerships in May and the merger with Project Ninety in June. Combined with the merger with Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley in 2017, we have greatly strengthened our capacity agency-wide to support and empower the complex needs of the most marginalized local individuals and families as they move toward resilience, wellness, and independence.

Last year, thanks to the generosity and compassion of our donors, we served more than 20,000 individuals on their journeys toward progress and positive transitions.

Throughout the year, we look forward to sharing with you more stories about the life-changing services you help to make possible. Our 2018 Annual Report will be ready next month. And, we have great transitions on the horizon, including introducing and welcoming a new CEO to Caminar soon. Stay tuned!

Please mark your calendar for our 16th Annual Circle of Support Luncheon on April 26, 2019, in Menlo Park. The event will feature David Sheff, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction.

A Look Back at 2018

December 26, 2018 Wendy Garrish

With 2019 fast approaching, we look back on Caminar's impact in 2018.

Because of the generosity of our donors and funders, more than 20,000 people last year made progress in overcoming major life challenges and moved toward greater resilience, wellness, and independence.

From all of us at Caminar and our Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, Healthy Partnerships, and Project Ninety divisions, thank you!

Jason Finds Recovery and Wellness Through Our Project Ninety Division

December 18, 2018 Wendy Garrish

Jason grew up in a state of turmoil. His parents divorced when he was a baby and he never knew his father. His life spiraled downward when his mom married an abusive alcoholic. He experienced abandonment and depression, never did well in school, and felt like he didn't fit in.

To escape an abusive home life, Jason ran away and turned to drugs and alcohol.

Jason connected with mental health and recovery services after time in juvenile hall. His life seemed to be heading in a better direction. But, drugs and alcohol lurked back into his life.

After 15 years of substance abuse, Jason committed to change his life.

On his 30th birthday, Jason knew he had to change his life for good. He sought treatment at Project Ninety. After completing our 90-day program, Jason continued on his path to wellness by becoming a Project Ninety volunteer and taking part in the 12-step recovery program.

Recovery is possible with the right support.

Today, with over three years of sobriety, Jason is thriving, enjoying life, and reconnecting with friends and family. He is employed in work where he is making a difference in our community and is continuing his college education.

Jason credits Caminar’s Project Ninety division with helping him to turn his life around.

Without the generous support of our donors and funders, Jason may not be here today.

Caminar and our Project Ninety and Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley divisions combined to help more than 20,000 people last year overcome life challenges and move toward resilience, wellness, and independence. We couldn’t have done it without our circle of support.

Crossing Point

July 9, 2018 Wendy Garrish

Our Project Ninety division is thrilled to share the summer edition of Crossing Point, a quarterly newsletter.

Please enjoying reading it and getting to know the newest member of the Caminar family here.

San Mateo Daily Journal Features Caminar and Project Ninety Merger

June 28, 2018 Wendy Garrish

The San Mateo Daily Journal featured news of the Caminar and Project Ninety merger last week.

As the article states, "A merger between two longtime San Mateo nonprofits with decades of experience providing behavioral health services and substance use treatment is set to bolster the resources available to those managing mental health conditions."

Nonprofits Caminar and Project Ninety Announce Merger

June 5, 2018 Wendy Garrish

Nonprofits Caminar and Project Ninety Announce Merger
Partnership Will Expand Capacity for Integrated Behavioral Health Care on the Peninsula

San Mateo, CA – Two nonprofit behavioral health organizations with decades of service to individuals and families on the Peninsula have joined forces. As of June 1, 2018, Caminar and Project Ninety, both headquartered in San Mateo, have merged, making Project Ninety the newest division of Caminar. By bringing together mental health and substance use treatment programs, Caminar and Project Ninety will strengthen support in San Mateo County for individuals in recovery, especially adults with co-occurring disorders.

Caminar and Project Ninety have collaborated for many years to serve local residents with complex behavioral health needs. The new organization has an operating budget of $37 million and more than 450 employees. Caminar, which serves more than 14,000 individuals annually, also has operations in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano and Butte counties. As a division of Caminar, Project Ninety will help to advance the organization’s mission: to empower and support individuals and families to move toward resilience, wellness and independence.

Caminar has been expanding over the last 18 months through partnerships with established, pioneering behavioral health organizations. In January 2017, Family & Children Services of Silicon Valley, which has been serving children, youth and adults in Santa Clara County since 1948, became a division of Caminar. In May 2018, Caminar acquired Healthy Partnerships, which offers mental health, substance use treatment and DUI programs in Solano County. The addition of Project Ninety continues the organization’s strategy of extending its continuums of care to meet the complex needs of individuals and families.

Jim Stansberry (left) of Project Ninety division, with Caminar COO Karen Gianuario and CEO Charles “Chip” Huggins

“By bringing together Caminar’s and Project Ninety’s expertise and programs, we will enhance care for San Mateo County adults who are living with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders,” said Charles “Chip” Huggins, CEO of Caminar. “Our organizations share a strong belief in recovery and in the importance of empowering people with essential skills and support to advance wellness and recovery.”

“San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services has enjoyed a partnership with both Caminar and Project Ninety for many years to provide behavioral health services to our consumers and families. We are pleased to learn that they will be joining forces to enhance their services and strengthen their work with persons with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders,” said David A. Young, PhD, MPH, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, San Mateo County Health System. “We look forward to our continued relationship with the merged organization in our mutual commitment to serving communities in San Mateo County.”

Through the merger, two members of Project Ninety’s Board of Directors have joined the Board of Directors of Caminar: John M. Bentley Jr. and Ken Koskella. Project Ninety Executive Director Jim Stansberry, who joined the organization in 1989, will assist with the merger transition in a consulting role.

“Project Ninety is looking forward to the joint continuation of services to the community and those in San Mateo and the Bay Area,” said Jim Stansberry.

Project Ninety’s San Mateo County programs are continuing.

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About Caminar

Founded in San Mateo, California, in 1964, Caminar serves more than 14,000 individuals annually in San Mateo, Solano, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Butte counties. The nonprofit organization’s portfolio of behavioral health and supportive services empowers and supports individuals and families to move toward resilience, wellness, and independence.

About Project Ninety

For more than four decades, Project Ninety has served individuals, families and the Bay Area community through its residential alcohol and substance abuse recovery services. The organization operates licensed residential substance abuse treatment programs in San Mateo County. More information at www.projectninety.org.