The idea for the YAYA! began back in 2019 when the Intensive Services Supervisors at the time were looking for a way to acknowledge the work the people of Intensive Services were doing daily. I spoke with each of our staff to see the type of acknowledgement they like to receive, what they think the award should look like (trophy, certificate, etc.), and what should be included in the award. The staff at the time voted overwhelmingly for a trophy and mentioned they would like some small monetary prize or gift card when they get awarded the trophy. With further input from one of our Child and Family Specialists, they voted for her suggestion for the name of the award: the YAYA! The YAYA technically stands for the You Are YOUnique Award, and it was aptly named to be able to recognize the strengths of its recipient that make them a unique and valuable member of our Intensive Services Teams. The IS Supervisors then decided it should be an award that is passed on from peer to peer. We felt that sometimes recognition from peers that are in similar positions can be more rewarding than having supervisors decide who will receive the award monthly.
Today, the YAYA! is still going strong with a few changes. Initially, we would include a $10 Starbucks gift card with the award but now the IS Coaches make sure to save three Bucketlist points each to the recipient of the YAYA! You’ll see me start the YAYA Bucketlist notification and other coaches add points to it so that the recipient can choose the gift card they want to spend their points on or save up for another Bucketlist reward. We also have one rule with the YAYA: when you choose the next person to receive the YAYA, they cannot be selected from your team. We noticed that once someone got the YAYA, it would cycle through the rest of their team before moving on to the next team. Now, our staff are challenged to look outside their immediate team, listen to their coworkers and the work they’re doing, and recognize someone from another team for the amazing work they’re doing with their clients. The YAYA! has since become a tradition of Intensive Service- North Hills and inspired a few other awards to pop up in different departments and we hope to continue to update it as needed for the people within Intensive Services. Thank you!
The YAYA for October 2024 goes to Brisa! She was awarded the YAYA! for her commitment to working with her clients despite some very challenging situations. Brisa volunteered to continue supporting the client while honoring her boundaries and safety needs.
Thank you, Brisa, for your commitment to your clients and the persistence to help them meet their goals!
-Ernesto Campos, Penny Lane Centers
I wanted to share a little bit about Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is a housing program for the unhoused. We have 49 units in total. Metamorphosis provides a variety of services, mental health, Substance Abuse Counseling (SUD)and a lot more. One of the highlights of Metamorphosis is our food donation every Tuesday. The clients look forward to meeting at the community room at 11:30 to chat and collect donated food items from our 7 Eleven donors.
Food donation Tuesday couldn’t happen without Renu Singh and her 7 Eleven team. Renu donates every Tuesday, boxes of sandwiches, sweets, salads, fruits, milk, chips, bread, and burritos. The clients are so grateful and thankful. Renu was able to visit Metamorphosis on Tuesday 10/15/24, so she could meet our clients in person. Another thankful day at Metamorphosis. Look at our happy clients! Thank you so much Renu!!
-Kymberly James-Luna, Penny Lane Centers
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On June 10th, UMCR Night Team A was contacted by a 988 operator at 3 am for a wellness check in a parking lot in the city of Northridge. A young male 21 years old experiencing suicidal ideation; had a plan, intention and means if he would have gone home that morning. UMCR engaged the recipient by exploring the origin of his name, not knowing and being caught off guard, the recipient requested to be told more about his name. UMCR therapist provided background history to the recipient’s name which appeared to assist the client appear calm, open and grounded to the present moment. The recipient’s anxious energy decreased the more he shared his saturated childhood story and major life events. UMCR validated, understood and acknowledged the recipient’s narrative genuinely encouraging him to share as much as he needed because we were not leaving, we believed in him, and we had time.
After providing comfort and a safe environment to lament, UMCR informed the recipient we would be calling him back to check up on him. The recipient appeared to have trouble believing we would follow through with our call. When we called the recipient, he was happy to inform UMCR that he had scheduled his appointment to obtain mental health services but needed a ride to the links and resources UMCR had provided. UMCR informed the recipient that we would inform the day shift to provide a ride and a bus pass for him to complete his intake, which he did. UMCR called the recipient on the third week and learned he wanted to share his story, make phone calls or travel to Penny Lane to do so, he became adamant and focused on sharing his story.
10/28/24 almost five months later, the recipient has maintained therapeutic services, is employed again, has recovered his vehicle, his mother is receiving lifesaving medical treatment, his older sibling is also receiving in home support services, and has a romantic partner who appears to be providing emotional support. Above all, it appears that his protective factors have been both increasing and improving and is in a better position to thrive. The recipient was able to travel to Penny Lane’s North Hills location and share his story in full detail, emphasizing how UMCR Night Team A, saved his life and is eternally grateful for the services he received the morning of June 10th. After the recipient shared his story, outside in the facility’s parking structure, his partner thanked UMCR Team A expressing that if we did not show up, she would have never met him.
-Bryan Do, Penny Lane Centers
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The Prevention and AfterCare (P&A) team had their annual Trunk or Treat in the parking lot of the AV family center. Multiple departments collaborated to decorate their cars, stations, and even make their own costumes. The P&A team was no exception, with their theme of Inside Out, the movie.
The turnout was good we had at least 150 kids that benefited from the event that took place Friday October 25th. Kids were able to receive candy, chocolate, chips, cookies, glow sticks and even coloring books from the multiple stations at the event. We normally push for a healthy lifestyle however for this event we think kids should be able to have a sweet treat in a safe and family friendly environment.
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We just wanted to share the ofrenda we made for our Imagine Village II housing community. As a community we felt that it was important to educate the tenants on the importance of paying homage to your lost loved ones. It was a wonderful day spent with all the tenants- they spent the day learning about Dia de Los Muertos and made special notes for their lost loved ones.
We concluded the festivities with the movie Coco that accompanied a delicious dinner the staff from Imagine Village II cooked. Overall it was a great day at Penny Lane and they can't wait to do it again next year!
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The Galpin car show was fantastic. This was a free community event put on by Galpin Ford located down the street from our North Hills offices.
At this community event, there were cars from George Barris collection which included the Batmobile, the Monstermobile, the Bathtub Buggy and more. Many were in attendance including the LAPD, California Highway Patrol and the Sheriff’s department who brought some of their vehicles. Penny Lane supports the clients and families we serve in their communities. We met many great people who live in our community, including some of our clients. It was a fun time and nice event.
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