More than 100 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony on May 9, 2011 for MHA's newest supportive housing development in San Mateo County, the 15-unit Cedar Street Apartments. The Cedar Street Apartments, located at 104 Cedar Street in Redwood City, are scheduled to be completed in eleven months.
"We're very pleased to be able to move forward with this effort," said the Mental Health Association's Board President, Elise Clowes. “The project is possible because of the work, dedication, and commitment on the part of many people and groups.” The development of the Cedar Street Apartments is the result of a collaborative effort of MHA with six federal, state, county and city agencies, and private funders as well as local foundations.
Elise Clowes and Tom Harshman, President of the Cedar Street Board of Directors, emceed the groundbreaking ceremony. Dignitaries lauded MHA for championing this project. They included,
- Marc Manual, Chair of the Redwood City Housing and Human Concerns Committee, which oversaw the process and funding from initial dollar commitments to final funding package.
- Alicia Aguirre, Vice-Mayor of the City of Redwood City, representing the City Council whose support allowed commitment of funds, design approval, and zoning change.
- Duane Bay, Director of the County Department of Housing, which supported the project by providing matching dollars to allow for the purchase of the site and who has lent staff support to the entire process.
- Laurence (Larry) Fergison, Development Director for Section 202/811 Programs for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, representing the HUD team that provided invaluable technical assistance and, of course, funding toward construction as well as the ongoing rental assistance that will allow Cedar Street residents to always afford decent housing.
- Chris Coppola, Deputy Director, San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and Judy Davila, Housing and Community Development Manager of the County of San Mateo Human Services Agency, who endorsed the MHSA funding commitment and worked with MHA staff to delineate the program and also made programmatic and support commitments.
- Marie Young, Director, Bernard A. Newcomb Foundation, which has supported MHA's Belmont Apartments, our Lifestyle Enrichment Program and now, Cedar Street Apartments.
- Wayne Dowling, Cedar Street Board member, consumer, housing advocate, and Community Friend.
When completed, the Cedar Street Apartments will offer fourteen studio apartments to adults living with mental illness (and one unit for the on-site manager). The federal subsidy provided through the HUD 811 program will make the units permanently affordable for people with mental illness whose incomes are well below the poverty line. On-site supportive services will focus on educational and vocational opportunities and activities.
The Sequoia Healthcare District awarded MHA $30,000 to continue providing wellness services to the 24 residents of the Belmont Apartments. MHA’s two Public Health Nurse, Susan Miller and Shannon Zambricki, focus on three areas: wellness activities, medical case management, and client advocacy. This grant will also support an added service, oral/dental care.
MHA recognized years ago the importance of providing medical support to our clients. Individuals with mental illness die many years younger than the general population. Since 2005 Susan has been providing health care to MHA clients. At the Belmont Apartments, Susan and Shannon offer an array of health services. They provide one on one support, including medication management, foot care, blood pressure, and weight monitoring. They will also encourage healthy life style choices by offering nutrition and cooking classes, meditation, and walking groups. As the need arises, they evaluate acute medical conditions and make appropriate referrals or provide treatment to keep the residents from unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
As their medical case managers, they accompany residents to doctors’ appointments. Since they know each resident’s medical background in detail, they communicate the resident’s health status and help establish an effective treatment plan.
This year funding from Sequoia will support good oral health for the residents. Working with the organization Miles of Smiles, Inc., residents will receive oral cancer/soft tissue screening; assessments of plaque, tartar, and gum disease; and teeth cleaning.
Mills-Peninsula Health Services granted MHA $10,000 to continue its wellness program at the St. Matthew Hotel in downtown San Mateo. MHA has been providing case management services at St. Matthew since 1997. Since 2006 MHA has supported a public health nurse to improve all aspects of the residents' physical and mental health. The public health nurse:
- instructs residents how to follow their healthcare regimens, including use of medications. The nurse also educates residents about hygiene, diet, and exercise.
- organizes health fairs to connect residents to health resources.
- evaluates acute medical conditions, then makes referrals or provides treatment, keeping residents from unnecessary trips to the emergency room.
- provides medical case management for residents when they see their doctor or go to the hospital to make sure they get the best care possible.
We thank Mills-Peninsula Health Services for supporting MHA's work to improve the physical and mental health of the residents of St. Matthew Hotel.
MHA received a Cy Pres award in In re Apple iPod Nano Cases. As a result of the settlement of the Apple iPod Nano case, MHA has received funds totaling over $100,000. We wish to thank the Law Offices of Pearson, Simon, Warshaw & Penny, LLP and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP for recommending us for the award. The funds will support technology upgrades, public health nursing expansion, supportive housing service staff, and expanded occupational therapy.
- Technology upgrade — We will upgrade our IT system to meet current needs and establish sufficient capacity for the foreseeable future.
- Public Health Nursing program expansion — A nurse now provides assessment, evaluation, medical case management, and minor treatment at St. Matthew Residential Hotel in San Mateo and at the Belmont Apartments. This settlement will allow us to expand the services to the Spring Street Shelter.
- Occupational Therapy — We will expand our occupational therapy services to provide more of our clients individualized evaluation and customized intervention to improve their ability to perform daily activities and reach their goals.
 Silicon Valley Community Foundation awarded $20,000 to the Mental Health Association of San Mateo County for fiscal year 2010-11 to support the Spring Street Shelter, the only emergency shelter in San Mateo County specifically designed to serve homeless adults with mental illness. The grant will be used to provide case management services to homeless individuals with mental illness to help them transition into permanent housing more quickly and successfully.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation increased funding to their Safety Net grants in December 2008 when the economic situation began to have a significant impact on some of the most vulnerable individuals in society and the nonprofit organizations that serve them. This is the third Safety Net grant MHA has received from Silicon Valley Community Foundation since 2008 to support the Spring Street Shelter.
The funding from Silicon Valley Community Foundation has allowed MHA to provide increased case management services to residents, which has resulted in shorter stays and more positive, long-term outcomes for residents. In addition, previous funding enabled MHA to provide meals for individuals with mental illness in the community who were struggling to get by because of the decrease in benefits. This has made a significant difference in the lives of those we serve. We extend our thanks and appreciation to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and County of San Mateo for their unique and critical collaboration during these difficult economic times.
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