Jason West, Peer Partner at Pacific Clinics, was recognized with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s 2009 Award of Excellence in Consumer and Family Advocacy for his outstanding ability to advocate on behalf of those overcoming mental health challenges.

Pacific Clinics is a private, non-profit behavioral healthcare agency that began serving children in the Pasadena area in 1926 and now provides services to persons of all ages in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties. The agency has 80 outpatient service centers and more than 1,200 staff. As one of Pacific Clinics’ first consumer employees, Mr. West helped with event coordination and logistics at the Pacific Clinics' Training Institute for more than 1,000 training events annually. Today, as a Peer Partner, he facilitates self-help groups and assists consumers struggling with everyday challenges.

"Jason is an inspiration to all who have met him. Managing both physical and mental health disabilities has been, and continues to be, a tremendous challenge, yet he meets these challenges head-on every day of his life,” said Linda Rosenberg, MSW, president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. "His ability to articulate what it’s like to live with a mental illness and his passionate advocacy for self-help and recovery tools has had a positive impact on hundreds of lives.”

Mr. West has become one of Pacific Clinics’ most successful consumer advocates. He has served as a mentor and role model for consumers and staff alike. After he was hired by Pacific Clinics, he was promoted four times in an 11-year span. As an Event Coordinator for the Institute, Mr. West worked with numerous staff on a variety of public education training events per year. As a Faculty Member, he has designed and teaches two courses. In 2002, he traveled to Japan to present to the Japanese Association of Psychiatric Hospitals.

Mr. West is also an accomplished public speaker, making regular public presentations addressing the stigma of mental illness and the importance of collaboration between consumers, families, and mental health professionals. The most noteworthy impact that he has upon Pacific Clinics and those we serve, is to reach out to consumers, especially young people who may be experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia, and bring them a message of hope and recovery. His tremendous success as a consumer employee has paved the road for Pacific Clinics' hiring more than 50 other consumers.

"When you look at all the obstacles that Jason has overcome in his life it’s absolutely remarkable,” says Susan Mandel, PhD, president and CEO of Pacific Clinics. "Jason is a great inspiration and a teacher for all of us, so much so that we affectionately refer to him as ‘Dr. West.’”

Jason West’s efforts were also recognized by the Association of Community Human Service Agencies, which represents more than 75 nonprofit community agencies in Los Angeles County. The National Council of Community Behavioral Healthcare award was presented April 7, 2009 during the Awards of Excellence Dinner at the 2009 National Council Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The Awards of Excellence recognize leaders in the mental health and addictions treatment field, like Jason West, who have used their own personal experiences with mental illness and/or addictions to educate the public or to help others along their journeys to recovery.

"I try to live my life not to be known for overcoming my illnesses, but hopefully for the contributions I make so that the world a better place,” says Jason. "I try to lead by example by the job I do and by the way I carry myself to try to help the clients who are attempting to recover from a devastating illness. I’m very blessed and am a very spiritual person, and I just feel that Pacific Clinics is the place where I am supposed to be.”

The National Council Award of Excellence will be formally presented to Jason West on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 during the Awards of Excellence Dinner at the 2009 National Council Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Roberto Barcenas Jr.’s demons haunted him, their hallucinogenic forms raging in his head. He couldn’t see his way clear to the independence he craved and, because of his suspicious and uncommunicative nature, he didn’t know how to ask for help. His parents didn’t really know how to help him either; they just knew they didn’t trust him so they kept him on a short leash. He felt trapped.

After a psychotic break at age 19 landed him in the hospital, he was referred to Pacific Clinics’ Full Service Partnership (FSP) program for Transitional Age Youth (TAY) in Santa Fe Springs. At first he missed his appointments, skipped medications, and sometimes didn’t even get out of bed. Motivation was a problem.

Small Steps Needed to Begin Trusting Others…

"Our TAY consumer population is very wary. They feel they are being scrutinized and judged because they are in therapy," says Juan Garcia, MSW, who, along with mental health worker Angie Valenzuela, is guiding Mr. Barcenas to recovery. "The young adults we see are not confident of their capabilities for success; they see failure as the path they will inevitably travel."

Mr. Barcenas agrees. "I had a hard time waking up for sessions or didn’t call when I couldn’t make it. They talked to me about things I should be doing to be active instead of sleeping."

And with steady work, the light began to shine. The twice-weekly home visits from the therapist and case manager tapered off to once a week. As the FSP team began working with his family to help them assign him some responsibilities that he could fulfill, his parents gradually started letting go.

…and Believing in Yourself

The breakthrough came when the FSP team tapped into what it was he wanted for himself. "During our many discussions with him about his future, Roberto became curious and then motivated. He came out of his shell," says Mr. Garcia. "To his credit, his desire to get on with his life, his patience and cooperation have moved him forward to follow his treatment and enroll in school."

The young man says: "They really helped me get motivated about going to school and kept me going."

Now attending Los Angeles Trade Tech part-time, his solid work as a volunteer at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History has turned into a paid position. He complies with individual therapy and medications, and continues making excellent progress. "I really know where I’m going now," says Mr. Barcenas, who plans on obtaining a college degree and hopes to become an airline pilot or co-pilot. "I thank God the FSP team helped me. I’m so glad I met them."

David Lopez was at war with his family – and more.

The 11-year-old was also risking school expulsion for failing grades, disruptive classroom behavior and bullying. Because his drug-addicted mother had long since departed and his father was constantly away, his grandparents had legal guardianship – and they couldn’t control the boy. David physically abused his sister, used foul language and disregarded his grandparents’ household rules. The family could only scream in frustration, which they did.

Getting Help for David

Moving the lad from weekly outpatient visits to Pacific Clinics’ new Full Service Partnership children’s program at its El Camino site in Santa Fe Springs has made all the difference. The Mental Health Service Act-funded services begun this past year made it possible for social worker Georgina Molina, MSW, to visit David and his grandparents twice a week – and caseworker Efren Duran to drop by about three times weekly. "We were there," Mr. Duran says, "to more accurately assess the environment and, in family sessions, to redirect the anger to more positive communications – to show them another way." Mr. Duran also visited David’s school regularly to monitor his progress. The intensive home visits gradually tapered off to once a week as David and his family made progress. Group outings as part of the program – to Magic Mountain, movies, the Orange County Fair and soccer games – showed David he could successfully socialize with other children.

A Few Steps Backward Before New Progress

Then David’s father was diagnosed with a serious illness and returned home to live. David regressed, his grades dropped and the school conflicts mounted. So Pacific Clinics stepped in again. The therapist inspired the young man to try harder at school and at home.

Now his father is feeling better, and David has gone on to earn top grades at a new math and science magnet school where he was one of the first to be admitted. He has earned awards for math and attendance, as student of the month, and for his artwork. He also pitches in part-time at his grandmother’s restaurant. "I realize now how much my grandmother suffered because of my mistakes," David says. "Efren gave me good advice and examples of how others make mistakes, but can change."

Grandmother Martha Lopez is grateful for the remarkable transformation of her grandson. "Compared to the other programs, the FSP made the most difference in David," she says. "I really enjoyed the home visits and was glad about the school visits. The attention he got and the outings he went on made a huge change in how he feels about himself now. He apologizes a lot for his past behavior to us. He goes to church and has become very religious. He quotes the Bible. We’re blessed by this program and very thankful."

While David has completed his goals and left the FSP program, he still sees Efren Duran at school. "I was really sad when I had to leave the program," he says, "but I look forward to seeing Mr. Duran around school and staying in touch."

The 60-year-old Norwalk resident was receiving some services from Pacific Clinics through its outpatient program. "She needed more intensive outreach and field services," says Janet Fiebiger, PT, who provides case management and medication services to the MHSA-funded Older Adult Field Capable Clinical Services (FCCS) program in Santa Fe Springs. "Once she qualified for FCCS, she made remarkable progress."

With help from a friend at church, Ms. Byerly was able to move into a board and care facility and removed herself from the crippling co-dependent relationship with her son. Then, continuing to regain her independence, she moved into a house with a roommate and diligently pursued online courses toward reaching her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree.

During this time, her son got off the streets, left his girlfriend and became sober. He met a new woman through an Alcoholics Anonymous chat room. Ms. Byerly got her son back and gained a friend in her son’s new girlfriend. Then the skies suddenly darkened again when the son’s girlfriend died unexpectedly. The FCCS program was ready to step in and provide grief support.

The clouds cleared once again for Janet Byerly, freeing her to continue her studies for her master’s degree. This May, she received her MBA with a focus on healthcare. She says, "It is unbelievable that I was able to complete my master’s when, six years ago, I was homeless. Pacific Clinics’ and FCCS’ support made that possible."