December 16, 2022 Hello Friends, and Happy Holidays!
We have a lot of exciting news to share. First, some good financial news. Our Mindfulness and Movement Pavilion has been designated as the beneficiary of the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka’s annual Yahtzee tournament on January 7th, 2023. We have also just been awarded a grant from the California Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) that will help fund the rest of the farm and building project.
Our architectural plans are taking shape (thank you, Julian Berg!), and we are very happy to report that the City of Eureka Planning Commission has approved our remodel and new build design for our healing center (thank you NorthPoint Consulting and the Commissioners!). Here is Julian’s drawing of our plans for the front of our facility:
We have had some delays in our construction timeline, the most significant of which is the discovery of a nesting pair of Bald Eagles on the property. In order to preserve a quiet environment for their nesting season, we may have to limit our construction to August of next year through February 2024. We will put out a request for bids in the Spring to find a contractor for our remodel/build, so please spread the word so we can find our builders. In the meantime we have more good news to share- we are about ready to start our hiring for our Mobile Response Treatment Team. We will be hiring a full time clinician and a full time Social Worker/Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist in the coming months to staff our youth crisis mobile response vehicle. If you’re interested in joining the team please be on the lookout for our postings on our website, social media, and we will also send links through this mailing list. In addition,we are looking to hire a Head of Service to provide clinical supervision for our mobile team. This clinician will have supervisory experience, and will be able to provide about 6 hours per week of scheduled and on-call time. This position will have the potential to transition to a full time position once the center is open. Finally, we’re at the point in our organization’s expansion at which we’d like to ask for more help from the community in the form of advisory council members with personal and/or professional experience and an enthusiasm to contribute in the following areas:
The Clinical/Medical Services Committee will support the development of our unique clinical and therapeutic model.
The Administrative/Fundraising Committee will help our organization develop sustainable business, fiscal and fundraising practices.
The Daily Living Committee will develop our service delivery model- how activities will be planned, what a day will look like, and how the house will be managed.
The Educational Committee will ensure we are meeting Residents’ educational needs.
The Nourishment Committee will develop the philosophy and practical management of our farm and therapeutic animals, our healing community’s relationship to the land, the natural environment, and food at the Center.
For this to be the community driven center we imagine for our most vulnerable kids, we need your help in developing our healing Center. We know how busy life can be and will honor your time if you volunteer to help. If you’re interested in volunteering for one of these committees or helping in another way please complete this form and attach anything else that reflects your experience. This information will be routed to Beth Anderson and reviewed by the Board of Directors in January. If you are unable to connect to the google form, please download the below attachment and email directly to Beth at bethanderson@sorrelleaf.org.
We are so excited to enter this next phase and cannot wait to engage with our community more in our development. Outside of the advisory council work groups, we are also seeking legal support around contracting, MOU development, and real estate document needs. If you have this expertise, please email Beth Anderson at bethanderson@sorrelleaf.org. If you have any questions about the center, please reach out to us at info@sorrelleaf.org. Thank you for the outpouring of support and we will continue to be in touch!
