Category: Health

MICOP — New Trilingual Website Sheds Light on SLO County’s Mexican Indigenous Population

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SAN LUIS OBISPO — A new trilingual website shares survey findings that shed light on the demographics and health needs of San Luis Obispo (SLO) County’s Mexican indigenous population.

The website, written in English and Spanish with audio available in Mixteco (a group of languages native to the Oaxaca and Guerrero regions of Mexico), is an openly accessible resource for local organizations and agencies serving this community. The key findings of this study reinforce that Mexican indigenous community members—estimated to be between about three and eight thousand people living in SLO County—face unique health risks driven by poor housing and economic conditions as well as barriers to health services.

First District Supervisor Das Williams — A Home For Everyone

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

Recently my family and I had the chance to furnish one of the 80 new units at La Posada, the newest temporary shelter project at the former County Juvenile Hall. This project is just the latest in our efforts to help those experiencing homelessness get off the streets and into housing.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting last week, we got good news and bad news. The good news is, through our outreach and housing efforts, we ended homelessness for 1,400 people in our County last year. The bad news is, the overall rate of homelessness increased last year, with the number of people reporting it was their first time experiencing homelessness reaching an all-time high. While we are making good progress at bringing more shelter units online, the heartbreaking fact is that more and more people are newly falling into homelessness each year.

This is why our efforts to create more housing opportunities are so important. In communities with lower housing costs, things like a job loss, a divorce, or a medical episode are terrible things – but only in communities like ours, where housing is so scarce and costs are so high, do these things so often lead to homelessness.

Understanding and Addressing Caregiver Stress

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — May is not just about blooming flowers and warmer weather; it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to shed light on various aspects of mental well-being. One often overlooked aspect is caregiver stress, which affects millions worldwide. Caregivers, whether they’re looking after aging parents, children with special needs, or ill family members, often neglect their own mental health in the process. This May, let’s delve into the nuances of caregiver stress, its impact, and ways to mitigate it.

Friendship Center Spring Campaign

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2024 • Comments Off

Every day, Friendship Center has the privilege of welcoming individuals who hold a multitude of roles in your lives – mothers, fathers, spouses, grandparents, former teachers or coaches, and dear friends– into our charming space. These individuals, our “roses,” grace our day program activities with their presence, enriching our days with their wisdom, humor and hugs. Frank, can you imagine the joy of spending over 120 hours a month in the company of such cherished companions?!

The time spent with our program members, which also serves as a much needed respite break for their caregivers, is not only necessary to their wellbeing but it is also an opportunity for us to nurture the flourishing garden that is Friendship Center. Within our beautiful Eucalyptus Lane courtyard, amidst laughter and shared moments, joy takes root and blossoms. Even in the face of some of life’s greatest challenges, Friendship Center remains a sanctuary where joy continues to thrive.

Bilingual commentary — A Glimpse into Autism

by Community Contributor • April 26, 2024 • Comments Off

Decades ago, I had a student in my college classroom who was mathematically brilliant. His behavior, however, was sometimes a bit “unconventional,” and he seemed to have no desire (or ability) to interact with any of his classmates.

Recently, I decided to try to fathom this segment of our population, about which I knew little. I embarked on an exploratory journey that took me to a new, fictitious series, Astrid, on PBS Passport. This French-language program (with English subtitles) teaches viewers about the strengths and challenges of people who struggle with autism.

Astrid opens our minds to the varied tapestry of human experience. It invites us to explore with empathy and understanding the diverse ways in which individuals perceive and interact with the world around them.

Medi-Cal Transformation Continues on Central Coast with New Community Supports

by Community Contributor • April 25, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Seeking to improve the Medi-Cal program for people with complex health needs and facing challenging life circumstances, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) established Community Supports – cost-effective services focused on providing assistance beyond traditional medical care.

From Shelter to Snuggle: Volunteers Design Custom Beds for Dogs in Local Rescue Boarding

by Community Contributor • April 25, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA PAULA — Volunteers from All For Love Animal Rescue (AFLAR), a local animal rescue organization, spearheaded a project to make 50 brand new, custom-made beds for rescue dogs who are in boarding, waiting to be adopted. The issue arose when rescue volunteers discovered that the nighttime hutches, essential for the dogs’ shelter and protection from wind and rain, were not big enough to accommodate the bigger size dog beds. That left bigger dogs, like AFLAR dog Chevi, without a proper bed inside.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, AFLAR volunteers embarked on a mission to address this pressing concern. Volunteers Mandy Rodriguez and Kirstin Rizk identified the challenge presented by Chevi’s need for a suitable bed. Realizing that the problem extended far beyond Chevi’s individual needs, Lupe Flores, an AFLAR volunteer known for her passion and problem-solving prowess, spearheaded efforts to design and construct custom-made beds that would fit the unique dimensions of every single hutch at CARL, a local rescue and boarding facility which houses many rescue dogs.

CLU Center for Economics of Social Issues — Watch and Explore ‘Children of Undocumented Immigrants — Separating Myths From Realities’ video

by Amigos805.com • April 19, 2024 • Comments Off

Watch the Highlights of the Conference “Separating Myths From Realities” and Discover the Challenges Undocumented Immigrants Face in California We’re delighted to present the first of our series of short videos bringing attention to the pivotal themes of the recent…

UCSB — The Current — ‘Computer scientist William Wang receives prestigious early career technical achievement award’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 18, 2024 • Comments Off

Wang’s considerable work to develop scalable algorithms that are both swift and accurate couldn’t be more necessary. His efforts are being recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Signal Processing Society.

Farm Bureau of Ventura County — Upcoming Events to Network, Connect, and Learn

by Community Contributor • April 16, 2024 • Comments Off

32nd Annual Water Symposium to be held on Thursday, April 18.

Bilingual commentary — The Blessings and Ravages of Time

by Community Contributor • April 12, 2024 • Comments Off

The 18th-century French writer Nicolas Chamfort had an arguably perceptive view of the effects of time on our human lives. He wrote, “In order not to find life unbearable, you must accept two things: the ravages of time and the injustice of man.”

We who are older are only too aware of the first “thing” that we are expected to accept: the ravages of time. We’ll save the controversial “acceptance of the injustice of man” part of the statement for another article.

County of Santa Barbara April Newsletter

by Amigos805.com • April 11, 2024 • Comments Off

View this email online Hope Village Ribbon Cutting in Santa Maria The County of Santa Barbara hosted the grand opening of Hope Village, an interim, supportive housing community in Santa Maria, CA. This project provides safe housing for unhoused individuals,…

UCSB — The Current — ‘Whale-saving cargo ship speed tracking program heads east’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 11, 2024 • Comments Off

Aiming to reduce ship strikes on the North Atlantic right whale, the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory deploys its Whale Safe vessel-monitoring tool to track, in near real-time, cargo ships moving up and down the East Coast.

Undiagnosed Autism in Teens and Adults Can Lead to Mental Health Issues

by Community Contributor • April 10, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Teens and adults who have undiagnosed autism (autism spectrum disorder/ASD) and are unaware they have the disorder can struggle with symptoms that may lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, according to the UCSB Koegel Autism Center at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.

Community Environmental Council Welcomes New Staff

by Community Contributor • April 9, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA —The Community Environmental Council (CEC) recently welcomed new staff members as it expands its bold climate action across California’s Central Coast region.

The Community Environmental Council welcomed two new staff members and transitioned three staff members to new titles in recent months. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and local experience, building CEC’s capacity to go all in on halting the climate crisis — rapidly and equitably.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Why do kids outperform their parents in this rural California town? A sociologist looks for answers’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 9, 2024 • Comments Off

Trevor Auldridge-Reveles spent 13 months in Dixon to investigate the remarkable levels of upward social mobility among teenagers from the small agricultural town between San Francisco and Sacramento.

Bilingual commentary — Why We Need to Take Our Medications

by Community Contributor • April 4, 2024 • Comments Off

The reason many Americans are not benefitting from our health system is because they do not take seriously the advice given to them by their doctors.

To understand this unfortunate situation, let’s consider for a moment the scenario in which a couple of mischievous teenagers are left “home alone” while their parents go out for a weekend vacation. The teenagers decide, naturally, to throw a party. After all, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” The teens are the proverbial “mice” while the parents are the storied “cats.”

Ship speed reduction lowered coastal air pollution

by Community Contributor • April 4, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Results from the 2023 Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction (VSR) program show it reduced coastal California air pollution, risk to whales and ocean noise.

Participating companies reduced ship speeds off California, transiting at 10 knots or less in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay region and the Southern California region, including Ventura County. The voluntary incentive-based program ran from May 1 through December 15 with 33 global shipping companies participating.

UCSB — The Current — ‘The Ottoman origins of refugee resettlement in Middle East’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 4, 2024 • Comments Off

Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky’s first book captures ‘an important moment in global history’ in the little-known story of how roughly 1 million Muslims from Russia sought refuge in the Middle East.

Cottage Health Earns 2024 Great Place To Work Certification

by Community Contributor • April 3, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA – Cottage Health, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving the California Central Coast, is proud to be CertifiedTM by Great Place To Work® for a sixth time. The certification is based on what current employees shared in confidential surveys about their experience working at Cottage Health. This year, Cottage Health’s employee survey scores were 24 points higher than the average U.S. company.

Bilingual report — Ventura County Fire & Simi Valley Police Department collaborate on safety vehicle

by Community Contributor • March 28, 2024 • Comments Off

Donating the Fire District’s surplus heavy-duty utility truck to the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD) will provide them with the ability to carry needed equipment to the scene of an emergency safely and expeditiously and is an effective use of County and Simi Valley Police Department resources.

Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams — Special Meeting on Jail Healthcare on April 3

by Community Contributor • March 28, 2024 • Comments Off

Our community’s collective heart breaks every time we hear of yet another death of an inmate in custody. Moreover, delays in medical care have caused costly delays in booking inmates, taxing our law enforcement resources. The Board of Supervisors has recently voted to establish the Jail Health Monitoring Unit under the Public Health Department to ensure County health experts are a part of the medical policy-making and quality assurance.

Undiagnosed Autism in Teens and Adults Can Lead to Mental Health Issues

by Community Contributor • March 28, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Teens and adults who have undiagnosed autism (autism spectrum disorder / ASD) can struggle with symptoms that may lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, according to the UCSB Koegel Autism Center at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.

They often feel misunderstood and dismissed because they have not received appropriate support and this can aggravate their mental health, explained Anna Krasno, Ph.D., who leads the Koegel Autism Center.

“An accurate diagnosis with regard to autism is absolutely crucial, so that people can get the support that best fits their needs,” said Dr. Krasno. “This can be life-saving, affirming, and validating for people with autism.”

Lumina Alliance announces Shining Light Award Winners

by Community Contributor • March 28, 2024 • Comments Off

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Lumina Alliance is proud to announce this year’s Shining Light Award winners ahead of our Lumina Nights event on April 12th and 13th at Thousand Hills Ranch in Pismo Beach. This year’s recipients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but have one thing in common: they have chosen to stand in support of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and their actions have made SLO County a brighter place to live.

Ventura Port District Receives $200,000 Grant From National Fish And Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

by Community Contributor • March 27, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The Ventura Port District (District) Board of Port Commissioners (Board) are pleased to announce that a funding agreement has been signed with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to receive a grant of $200,000 for the improvements of restrooms and shower facilities at Harbor Cove Beach, Surfers Knoll Beach, and the District’s public launch ramp.

This grant is the second awarded to the District by NFWF under the “Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program” (Program), the first of which was a grant of $93,301 provided in 2022. Those funds were fully expended to improve beach accessibility, install three new light poles for Harbor Cove Beach parking lot, and the purchase of public safety communications equipment.