“Initially, these women are typically closed off emotionally and have low self-esteem,” said Prate.  “The fact they have come here says a lot about the circumstances they’ve come from, and the lack of support in their lives.”

But, when these same women leave Richstone one to two years later, Prate says she sees smiles and hope. She sees women securing employment and on their way to completing a college degree.

“I love to build them up, love to help them see things within themselves that they never thought would be possible,” said Prate. “When you look at the women we help a year with transitional living, the numbers are small, but the impact is huge.”

Richstone Family Center, a nonprofit social services agency based in Hawthorne, is best known for its after-school programs and counseling services dedicated to treating and preventing child abuse. But for more than a decade, the center has also committed itself to supporting young women coming out of the foster care system with housing, counseling and resources to help them establish a stable and productive life with its Transitional Living Program.

“These emancipated foster kids are at risk of living on the streets,” said Prate. “Unfortunately, when their foster home families stop receiving funds, these women must fend for themselves – and that is really hard to do as young adults just starting out in the world.”

Richstone’s program offers free housing for seven women, aged between 18 and 24 years. Individuals interested in the program must apply and interview for a spot in one of two Hawthorne-based homes. Prate and team work to assess the candidate’s circumstances, goals and compatibility with the other housemates.

In exchange for the free housing, the young women must enroll in school and/or secure employment. Half of the wages they earn are set aside in a personal savings account, so women leave the program with a small nest egg.

Generally, Richstone staff members receive in excess of 50 applications each year, but can only accommodate seven individuals given the space constraints and funding. Budget for the Transitional Living Program has diminished over the years, and the nonprofit has turned to private donations to keep it alive.

“Similar to all of our Richstone programs, our Transitional Living Program is designed to break a cycle,” said Roger Van Remmen, president and CEO of Richstone. “This is life-altering work and can change an individual’s path. It can make the difference between a young woman struggling to survive on the streets and instead place her on the path to success and making good choices.”

Beyond the Transitional Living Program, Richstone staff members work closely with the Hawthorne School District, offer multiple education, counseling and outreach programs throughout Los Angeles County, and offer a traveling van to meet parents and kids at convenient on-site locations to discuss violence prevention and offer insights into forming a happy, healthy family life.

“We continue to see an increased demand for our services in Hawthorne and the surrounding cities,” said Van Remmen. “We need to be there for our community, and thankfully our agency has a big heart and people committed to making a difference.”

To learn more about the Richstone Family Center or how you can support one of its many programs, visit www.richstonefamily.org.

What do Bruce Corwin, chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Theatres Corporation, Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State, and Gene Siskel, former film critic of the popular duo Siskel and Ebert have in common?

While each notable individual went on to enjoy successful careers in their respective fields, all were graduates of Los Angeles’ elite Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs.

Coro, a national nonprofit with an office in Los Angeles, was built on a unique curriculum of core leadership skill-building paired with real-world experiences that rely on the “city as the classroom.”

“In many ways, Coro may seem like a secret society,” said Tu-Han Phan, director of outreach for Coro’s Southern California program. “But we are very connected, and we work closely with the mayor, local businesses, and leaders throughout the LA community to solve problems and innovate.”

Coro originated in San Francisco in 1942 to train young veterans in the leadership skills necessary to assure the democratic system of government could more effectively meet the needs of its citizens. Since then, Coro has grown to include centers in six cities, including Los Angeles, which formed in 1957.

Coro program participants learn about the “real world in the real world” – by actively questioning, interacting with diverse constituents, challenging assumptions, and coming up with innovative solutions to the problems faced by their communities.

At least 10,000 program alumni are currently serving as leaders in local, regional and national/global businesses, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies and elected public office. A healthy base of those alumni spent their fellowship year serving and learning within Los Angeles County.

“This year, fellows have looked at various topics like transportation and water conservation,” said Phan. “The key with Coro, however, is that we try to bring together a very diverse group of individuals to talk about the issues to see if we can come up with holistic solutions that have never been considered.”

In the case of the drought, Coro has helped orchestrate a water conference for the past six years, convening people from different spaces to talk about water.

“We’ve brought opposing views together on the Peripheral Canal, on whether or not to take water from the Delta, and most recently we’ve been working to congregate people who are not even directly related to water to come talk about water,” said Phan. “We had people from local corporations like Boeing and Anheuser-Busch share how they are handling water conservation within their own respective environments to see if we can glean any insights.”

Coro’s role is to help facilitate those discussions and interactions.

“We’re like a third-party connector to different silos, bringing a wide array of voices and perspectives to an issue,” said Phan.

Only 12 Southern California fellows are selected to go through the program each year, and they typically spend 80 hours per week learning and working in the community through workshops, focus groups and meetings.

The Coro Fellowship program in Los Angeles selects from a nationwide pool, with regional applications from individuals in Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. A bachelor’s degree is really the only pre-requisite, but the competition for a spot is intense, and the review panel aims to create a fellow team comprised of diverse individuals from all backgrounds.

Each class of fellows goes out seeking to assist in the community, engaging in civic projects. Occasionally, local government and businesses call upon the organization when they are looking for some guidance to solve a problem.

“Los Angeles County and in particular, my office, has had a strong relationship with Coro for many years,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “We’ve been proud to hire Coro fellows to work on local policy issues that really impact residents living in the community.”

“Our region faces serious challenges. To meet these challenges head on, Coro training builds bridges across sectors by working with differing points of view in the spirit of problem solving,” said Wesley Farrow, Executive Director of Coro Southern California and alumnus of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. “Our inquiry-based experiential training is demanding and even life changing.”

Fellows for the 2015-16 program will be announced soon. Application deadlines for each year are typically in January.

To learn more about Coro, visit www.coroLA.org.

Last week in the midst of California’s worst drought in recorded history, Governor Jerry Brown took executive action to enact the first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions. He directed the State Water Resources Control Board to impose restrictions to achieve a statewide 25 percent reduction in urban water usage through next February. Although locally we’ve made progress in reducing our water usage, County residents should prepare to implement additional water conservation measures.

Regionally, the County continues to play a leading role in implementing water saving efforts such as low impact development and green streets, drought-tolerant landscaping, water wasting ordinances, as well as supporting key legislation and policy. We’ve made big strides to conserve water, but there is still more work to be done. Despite rain in the forecast for tomorrow, there is little drought relief from mother nature in sight.

That is why at tomorrow’s Board of Supervisors meeting, I’ll put forth a motion that instructs the Chief Executive Officer to work together with the Department of Public Works to review Governor Brown’s new water restrictions and report back in 30 days on its impacts to the Waterworks Districts and County unincorporated areas. They will also report back with recommendations on how to best implement the new restrictions.

In this time of crisis we all need to do our part to save this precious natural resource. As the largest county in the state of California, we must set an example of conservation for others to follow.

Tomorrow morning, the Board of Supervisors will discuss asking the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to analyze and prepare a report on the fiscal and economic impact of raising the minimum wage in the County. Raising the minimum wage is a hotly debated issue and as the largest county in the country, Los Angeles County should join the national conversation and take a fair and balanced approach to studying it.

At the same time though, I will be introducing a motion to instruct our Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, along with the Small Business Commission and LAEDC, to conduct hearings in unincorporated areas of the County, to give business owners the opportunity to comment on a potential minimum wage ordinance.

If we are to consider requiring businesses to pay their employees more, we need to understand all of the economic benefits, as well as the impacts on businesses of all sizes. I want to ensure that the mom and pop stores–the dry cleaners, the car washes, the nail salons–around Los Angeles County have an opportunity to let their voices be heard during this process. I believe that they should be engaged directly and be offered the chance to voice their thoughts and ideas about a minimum wage increase

I do not share my problems with strangers.

I can’t bring shame to my family.

How will talking about my fears and pains help me feel better?

These are common statements the clinical staff of Pacific Asian Counseling Services (PACS) hear as they work with clients in Los Angeles County.

“There is a stigma attached to mental illness in America,” said Mariko Kahn, Executive Director of PACS. “But that stigma is often exponentially greater in Asian communities, so we are trying to identify better ways to help this population.”

PACS, which serves people of all ethnicities, provides an array of mental health services designed to be culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate to respond to the diversity of their clients. Through the years, they’ve been recognized for their expertise with refugee and immigrant Asian Pacific Islander populations, and as a result, received funds from the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to explore innovative therapies specifically aimed for the Cambodian community.

PACS selected this Southeast Asian group because of their tremendous need and disparity in accessing care. The Long Beach community is actually home to the largest population of Cambodians outside their home country. Many suffer from the tragedy that unfolded in Cambodia in 1975 when Khmer Rouge took control of the country. Today, the Cambodian community in the U.S. often feels linguistically isolated, and many continue to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To assist, PACS launched its Integrated Network for Cambodians (INC) three years ago in Long Beach, and just received renewal for an additional three years of funding given its successful outcomes.

“What we love about this program is that it uses the beliefs and traditions of an ethnic group, combined with western therapeutic practices to help them heal – it’s very innovative,” said Kahn. “This program functions like an actual living laboratory, and we’re learning so much from the unique programs we are testing to help the Cambodian community.”

To date, INC has introduced various religious and spiritual elements to their mental health services work, including acupuncture, a quarterly traditional Buddhist blessing ceremony, monthly cooking classes held in the sacred space of the temple, and meditation. Acknowledging and including spirituality in the healing process is key for Cambodians because it influences and permeates all aspects of daily life.

“We’ve listened to our clients as we’ve developed these services,” said Eria Myers, program coordinator for INC. “They’ve provided the inspiration, and as a result, we are seeing great success and openness to heal.”

In the case of the blessing ceremonies, INC staff arrange for clients visit a local temple to honor their ancestors who passed away as a means to receive a blessing to relieve bad karma from previous lives.

“They believe their current suffering could be linked to bad things they’ve done in previous lives,” said Myers. “So after the blessing ceremony, they leave feeling happier and calmer.”

Research revealed many Cambodian clients felt that the trauma inflicted upon them by the Khmer Rouge is a result of past karma. Being in a blessing ceremony is significant in the healing process because it is a way to balance the disharmony in their lives.

With the cooking classes, clients join together as one of the clients leads a session to teach the others how to make a traditional Cambodian dish. The sessions have been shown to build self-esteem, and transfer wisdom to younger generations. Also the tradition of feeding the monks with the dishes prepared by them bestows blessings on the clients and their families.

While INC directly serves 50-60 clients annually with mental health services, their community partners provide outreach, engagement and education to hundreds of community residents about emotional distress, access to medical services and substance abuse treatment.

To be enrolled as a client of INC, an individual must meet the medical necessity criteria for specialty mental health services and have a chronic medical condition and/or a substance abuse issue. Counseling services and substance abuse treatment is offered at no cost to the client. For medical treatment, clients are seen at low cost to no cost depending on which program they are eligible for at PACS’ partner, The Children’s Clinic.

As INC enters its three-year extension, Myers said one of the goals is to find more effective and creative ways to outreach to Cambodian children and adolescents so they can also benefit from receiving integrated mental health and physical health care services.

“We’re on the right track,” said Myers. “Our results show these innovative approaches are making a difference, and we’re looking forward to supporting more who could benefit from our services.”

To learn more about Pacific Asian Counseling Services, visit http://pacsla.org/

Tomorrow, the Board of Supervisors is expected to receive an update on the status of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communication System project, better known as LA-RICS.

The LA-RICS Authority, who is overseeing the project, was established in 2009 and is comprised of 73 member agencies, including the County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles and a number of independent and contract cities. The Authority’s purpose is to create a public safety communications network that would connect all government services and agencies and allow them to communicate in the event of a disaster. It will allow public safety personnel to enhance emergency coordination and help keep residents and businesses safer and more secure.

For this system to work, we need to fix “dead zones” throughout the region that cause lapses in emergency communication. Under the LA-RICS plans, towers would be installed in these areas that would carry a wireless LTE system to give first-responders access to a dedicated broadband network that will transmit data so that communication will continue in the event of a disaster.

Public safety and health is our number one concern in Los Angeles County and as this project moves forward, we will continue to address issues that are voiced by residents of our cities and communities.

Yesterday the Senate rejected, by a 55-43 vote, Senate Bill 178 – the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which would establish a fund to help victims of trafficking by using fees charged to those convicted of buying and selling them.  The bill was stalled because of the addition of the Hyde amendment, a rider that restricts federal funding for abortion and other health care services.

Washington strikes again, this time demonstrating its dysfunction at the expense of the young victims of child sex trafficking.

Legislation to punish the buyers and sellers of children, and provide services to the victims of this heinous crime, should not be further wronged by the inability of Congress to work together.  These children are often victimized first at home and then by the profiteering of pimps.  Now, those who should be doing everything possible to protect them, instead use them as a pawn in their partisan games.  Democrats and Republicans both play politics, blaming and finger-pointing, instead of giving these young victims a voice, services and the path to a better life.

Take a stroll through Pediatric Therapy Network’s (PTN) colorful Torrance-based facility and it’s hard to imagine it launched in 1996 with no funding.

There are swings, brightly-colored balls, bikes, riding toys, puzzles, games, and most importantly, a dedicated group of therapists and volunteers devoted to helping children reach their full capabilities.

“Back then, we just had this dream,” said PTN CEO Terri Nishimura, also a licensed occupational therapist with a specialty in sensory integration. “Several therapists, parents and teachers got together, we pulled together some used equipment and materials that were either donated or purchased at yard sales, and we set out to build an innovative therapy center for kids that supported research and therapist training. I am so pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

Today, the organization provides over 130,000 hours of therapeutic intervention to 2,500 children a year in LA County. The facility, supported by 150 staff members, runs therapy programs, Monday through Friday, and additionally offers an Early Head Start program for low-income families.

During the summer, PTN offers an innovative two-week summer day camp for children ages five to 14 with special needs. Camp Escapades, armed with hundreds of high school and college volunteer helpers, rolls out activities geared and adapted so every camper can have fun regardless of their age or ability.

“We’ve learned so much through the years about the value of early intervention,” said Nishimura. “The early years are absolutely critical in terms of setting a child up for a positive trajectory for development, learning and forming healthy social skills.”

LA County has done wonders in terms of educating parents and caregivers about the importance of focusing attention on health, education, reading and beyond in those first five years of life. PTN staff members have furthered that dialogue by serving on the LA County Policy Roundtable for Child Care and Development

Additionally, PTN continues to work closely with parents and doctors about getting young children assistance if they are in need of physical, occupational, and/or speech-language therapies. As a result, more children are being diagnosed at younger ages, and organizations like PTN are able to launch a plan of attack to rehabilitate or habilitate the child sooner.

Parent James Reid was introduced to PTN shortly after his son’s first birthday when he and his wife started noticing developmental delays in their young child. Jay R. was born with an excess of spinal fluid on his brain, and as a result endured some early days in the Intensive Care Unit. Months later, the family knew Jay R. would need help with speech and occupational therapy, so they linked up with PTN.

“I can’t imagine where we would be today if it had not been for PTN,” said Reid. “Jay R. is still delayed in some areas, but he is now a thriving, energetic three-year-old. As soon as we started going to PTN, we felt we had some direction and tools to help him. The entire facility is built around kids, so you just see the children enjoy the environment and staff. Everyone from the receptionist to the therapists to the administrators is warm and welcoming.”

Nishimura adds that changes in the affordable healthcare act will allow more children with developmental and medical issues to benefit from PTN services. The affordable healthcare act mandates that small and individual health insurance plans now cover medically necessary behavioral health treatments for individuals will developmental disorders like autism, Rett syndrome, Aspergers, and other childhood disintegrative disorders.

“Many healthcare providers have yet to realize this news, so we want to spread the word that families can get help, and should feel comfortable seeking resources early,” said Nishimura.

To learn more about PTN, visit www.pediatrictherapynetwork.org.

Juan Torres still recalls the instruction he received back in 1989 as a fourth-grade student attending Wilmington Park Elementary in Wilmington, Ca. It was a time when the gang influence was heating up all around Los Angeles, especially in the Harbor area, so his school elected to bring in the Gang Alternatives Program (GAP) for a special 12-week session.

“It would have been easy for me to join a gang,” said Torres. “But GAP gave me the fundamental tools to stay away from gang life. It opened my eyes to the reality of what my future would be like if I took that path – a future of crime, going to jail, and being locked up with no visitors.”

Today, Torres sports multiple degrees from Long Beach State, including a M.A. in Public Administration, and he serves as Deputy Director for GAP. He’s worked for the nonprofit for 12 years, holding various roles throughout the organization that has grown from a mere seven employees to almost 90, and he’s been identified as the future leader to take the helm when Executive Director Doug Semark retires in 2016.

“Gangs continue to be a big problem in LA and across the country,” said Torres. “But we are connecting with kids and making a difference, empowering more communities to show an alternative life that is positive and leads to bright futures.”

GAP was created in 1986 and initially focused on two key areas: a strong classroom curriculum directed to fourth- and sixth-grade students advising them of the pitfalls of gang life and how to avoid it, and also a graffiti clean-up service. In 2000, the program expanded, looking at broader gang prevention corpus programs and research. Now, GAP delivers training to leaders around the country with its annual Gangfree Life Academy, transferring research and tools to other communities. The third Academy was held in January 2015.

“It brings people from a lot of different walks of life and different parts of the country, all wanting to create constructive and positive change in their respective communities,” said Semark. “Whenever you empower people to do that, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Semark, who previously led the high-profile American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) before transitioning to GAP, said training is the key to success for any nonprofit.

“It’s far better for local people to provide the impetus for change in their neighborhoods, so we invest in training to sustain,” said Semark. “We bring in a small group of people and spend three days with them, teaching everything we know about gang prevention. We provide our intellectual property and certify individuals to plant gang-free enclaves all around the country.”

The group’s signature youth program, which is shared at the Academy, prides itself on speaking to all students, not just at-risk youth, making them socially accountable to one another. The entire class hears the same stories, sings the same songs and participates in the same discussions.

“Those little conversations between kids change lives,” said Semark. “Most people fear peer pressure, but we create positive peer networks where kids are empowered to offer powerful solutions.”

Torres recalls how some of his own friends turned to gangs, but said GAP provided him with tools to resist, and he was able to challenge some of his peers to get them to also turn away from gang life.

“Our toolkit to resist gangs has gotten better through the years,” said Torres. “I am so glad I am now in a position to give back to the community I grew up in – and our goal for GAP is to continue to expand to surrounding communities and be countrywide in the future.”

Semark says he is confident in the team he’s built, and the model for sharing info and training.

“There are good people in every neighborhood,” said Semark. “If you go into neighborhoods with gang-free programs and find the good people, you can create change.”

To learn more about GAP, or to donate to their cause, visit gangfree.org or email contact@gangfree.org.

Erik Miller was skeptical. As a young eighth grade student in 1998, his junior high guidance counselor suggested taking advantage of a mentorship program called Operation Jump Start (OJS) to guide him through the critical high school years.

Miller agreed and was matched.

“At our first meeting, I was thinking this wasn’t going to work out,” he said. “I was this young African-American kid, and they linked me up with a retired Caucasian dentist.”

Fast forward to 2015, however, and Miller continues to stay in touch with Richard Van Gemert, the man who mentored him through his graduation from Millikan High School, and into his days at Woodbury University.

“He’s like a member of our family now,” said Miller, the first in his own family to graduate from college. “He’ll be at my wedding later this spring, and will really always be a part of my life.”

Miller’s story is not a unique one for the OJS community. Since the Long Beach-based nonprofit was founded in 1994, the mission was always to provide long-term mentorship support, thus creating meaningful, rich relationships designed to last for years.

Ideally, a student is paired with a stable, supportive mentor figure for five years, helping kids navigate the challenges of completing high school and applying to college. To date, 137 students have graduated from the organization’s signature College Access Mentoring Program (CAMP) having received at least 360 hours of personal mentoring, 150 hours of enrichment programming, 15 hours of educational case management and 70 hours of SAT preparation classes.

Students and mentors attend monthly events, including college tours, volunteer activities and fun, recreational outings.

As a result of this one-on-one coaching and support, 98 percent of CAMP mentees have continued onto college, and 87 percent have earned a degree or are currently enrolled in college.

Miller, who noted that Van Gemert assisted him with signing up for the SATs, applying for college and providing counsel on school decisions, said he actually benefited most from observing how his mentor behaved in social situations.

“He helped me learn how to act in a crowd, in professional settings and relate to family members,” said Miller, who now serves as OJS’ Director of Community Relations while also maintaining his own architecture firm.

Jasmin Hakes, OJS’ Director of Development, said the students entering the mentorship program must have and maintain good grades. The kids generally come from supportive families, but their parents may not be familiar with the education system, or understand what is involved in applying for colleges, or they might struggle with English.

“These are good kids, and they just need some positive role models to believe in them,” said Hakes. “Our success rate illustrates this long-term mentorship model works.”

Interested mentors go through a thoughtful and comprehensive interview with an OJS case manager, who in turn matches male students with male mentors and female students with female mentors, always considering the students’ specific challenges and goals.

“It’s a huge commitment, but we attract amazing, successful mentors who feel compelled to give back to the community,” said Hakes. “Our mentors consistently tell us they get so much out of the relationship and enjoy seeing these young students grow and succeed.”

Al Regnier, a retired business executive from Rossmoor, became a mentor two years ago to a Long Beach Poly junior.

“I’ve been so impressed with the quality of mentors in this program, as well as the families and kids we support,” said Regnier, who helped his mentee graduate last spring and get into UC Merced. “Being a part of this program has really restored my faith in humanity, and I’m so proud of my own mentee, who has worked so hard to get to where he is today.”

As OJS enters its 21^st year, Hakes says the goal is to secure additional funding so they can bring on more mentors, and sustain the mentoring relationships in existence today. To learn more about Operation Jump Start, or to make an online donation, visit www.operationjumpstart.org.

“It’s wonderful to see an organization like OJS commit to these kids and match the great talent we have in our County with the next generation of leaders and thinkers,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “It really shows what a difference positive roles models can have on our youth, and what can happen when someone believes in you.”