Combating social ills...

Lisa’s story, unfortunately, is a familiar one. After months of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, she ended up in a Sacramento hospital, four months pregnant and fearing for her life. She knew she had to get out, away from where her abuser could find her. A crisis hotline put Lisa in touch with the Women’s Center of San Joaquin, which invited her and her sixyear-old daughter to stay at the Center’s Tree House shelter for victims of domestic violence. It was life changing.

“I began one-on-one counseling, domestic violence group sessions, and life skills groups,” Lisa said. “They helped me realize the person I wish to become.” Lisa is now in school and working to become a counselor to help others who are in abusive situations as she once was.

Domestic violence, along with substance abuse, has a direct link to a person’s mental health. By addressing core mental health issues, tragic situations like Lisa’s often can be avoided. To that end, Kaiser Permanente also supports programs that increase access to mental health services for uninsured and underinsured members of our communities.

One such agency, the Hughson Family Resource Center in rural Stanislaus County, provides outreach to isolated and non-English speaking residents. Through case management and referral services, they can connect those suffering from depression, substance abuse and other related conditions with the counseling and health care they need.

They are improving access to education, prevention services, and early intervention programs for uninsured and underinsured vulnerable populations for substance abuse, mental health services, and violence prevention in the community.

For more information about our Community Benefit program here in the Central Valley please contact: 

Marie Sanchez
Community Benefit Manager
Phone: (209) 735-5337
Email: marie.sanchez@kp.org

Additional Community Benefit resources are available online at the KP Community Benefit website.