FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2020
Caminar Awarded $150,000 Kaiser Permanente Grant to Address Homelessness
Administered Through a Donor Advised Fund at East Bay Community Foundation,
the Kaiser Grant will Strengthen Caminar’s Operation of Resource Connect Solano
San Mateo, CA - Caminar has received a $150,000 one-year Kaiser Permanente grant administered through a donor advised fund at East Bay Community Foundation. The grant will strengthen Caminar’s operation of Resource Connect Solano, which is primarily funded through a contract with Solano County Department of Behavioral Health, and is the coordinated entry system connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to housing throughout Solano County. Specifically, the grant will support building capacity among homeless providers, bridging the gap to housing through one-time subsidies and easing the transition from life on the streets. Individuals and families facing the life-threatening experience of the loss of stable housing will benefit from housing assistance, personalized peer education and mental health support.
Caminar’s Resource Connect Solano was launched in 2017 to serve individuals and families living throughout Solano County who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. As the founding operator of the county’s coordinated entry system, Caminar coordinates providers’ efforts, manages a real-time list of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and works to quickly connect them with appropriate housing resources.
Resource Connect Solano helps individuals like T.J.*, who suffers from a chronic mental health condition and experienced housing instability for 10 years. With Resource Connect Solano and Caminar case management, T.J. was placed in permanent supported housing, received medical care for an underlying health condition, and began medication to manage his mental health condition.
“Access to safe and affordable housing is a social determinant of health and key to reducing structural inequities, which are even more apparent in this time of COVID-19,” says Mark Cloutier, CEO of Caminar. “Kaiser Permanente’s long-time support of local health and housing programs is a testament to its deep commitment to the health and well-being of all individuals in our communities.”
“Investing in affordable housing and addressing homelessness is an important part of our strategy to improve conditions for health and equity in the communities we serve,” says Yvette Radford, vice president, Kaiser Permanente Northern California External and Community Affairs. “We know that stable housing changes lives for the better, and we’re proud to support Caminar’s work to connect people experiencing homelessness to housing and supportive services.”
Caminar and its divisions have been the beneficiary of nearly $1.3 million in Kaiser Permanente grants since 2013.
About Caminar: Caminar is a leading behavioral health organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. Last year, Caminar and our divisions transformed the lives of more than 20,000 youth and adults through behavioral health care and support. Driven by compassion, science and our understanding of root causes, we deliver high-quality prevention, treatment and recovery services to those with complex mental health, substance use and co-occurring needs. More information at www.caminar.org.
*client name changed to protect privacy
MEDIA CONTACT: Wendy Garrish | wgarrish@caminar.org | 650-513-8667
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