Fair Housing Summit

By Halima Martelli

 

As North County Lifeline’s Clinical Practicum Supervisor, I see firsthand the lives that are changed through our LifeSpring program for foster youth transitioning to independence. As a yoga instructor, I am excited to be teaching a donation yoga class on Saturday, April 16th from 1pm to 3pm to benefit our wonderful LifeSpring residents.

 

Please join me at the event to support our amazing young adults … all proceeds will help LifeSpring clients succeed at work and school!

 

The event is being hosted free of charge by Yoga Branch Studio (www.yogabranch.com). There will be live music by our very talented friend, Julia Shaw. Please RSVP to me if you plan on attending so I can make sure there is enough space and snacks for everyone: hmartelli@nclifeline.org

 

Namaste!

Halima Martelli
Clinical Practicum Supervisor

Fair Housing: Know Your Rights

Sometimes Avoiding Housing Discrimination Issues

is all About Communication 

By Karen Thompson – Dispute Resolution Program and Fair Housing Supervisor,

North County Lifeline

Every day there are conflicts somewhere between tenants and landlords. A lot of these are real issues where the interests of tenants and landlords are in conflict. But there are also many times where the problem is simply in the communication.  

Take this recent example of a discrimination complaint: A local property manager was having trouble with tenants riding bicycles through the property’s courtyard. The rule against bike riding was completely reasonable and legal, especially since riding bicycles on the property created a safety issue. The manager complained to the tenants and posted a sign to make the rules clear. 
 

But that’s where his good intentions went wrong.
 

First he complained to the bike riders by saying, “Hey – yeah, I mean you kids. I’m sick of telling you that you can’t ride your bikes in the courtyard.”  Then he posted a sign on the gate that read: “Children may not ride bicycles in the courtyard.” 

While it’s perfectly okay for the property manager to create rules and post signs enforcing them, it’s the way this manager communicated the rule that caused a problem. He made his rule specific to “kids” and “children”. And, while there is nothing wrong with limiting where tenants can ride their bicycles, it is not legal to make the rule specific to children, or any other group of tenants – the rule must apply equally to everyone.  

This complaint could have been prevented had the property manager simply posted a sign that read: “Bicycle riding is prohibited in the courtyard.” An understanding of tenant and landlord rights under Fair Housing laws helps avoid these kinds of conflicts. Children and other groups are protected from discrimination under Fair Housing rules. 
 

North County Lifeline offers free training to landlords and property managers to promote an understanding of Fair Housing rules and reduce inadvertent cases of discrimination.  

North County Lifeline’s collaborative received over 150 Fair Housing inquiries from October 1 to December 31, 2015

If you need help with a Fair Housing claim, or would like to schedule free training, please contact North County Lifeline’s Fair Housing Program toll-free at 866.954.3354 or email mochoa@nclifeline.org.

 

North County Lifeline’s Fair Housing Program is a free service offered to landlords and tenants in San Diego County and funded by the County of San Diego.

Lifeline is a Safe Space

Through the efforts of Lifeline’s Cultural Competence Committee and in recognition of September as Suicide Prevention Month, all North County Lifeline staff and volunteers attended Safe Space trainings offered by the North County LGBTQ Resource Center.

As an official Safe Space, Lifeline supports youth and their families regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This is critical given that suicide risk is dramatically higher for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

 

Our commitment means: 

• You will see the Safe Space stickers on all Lifeline campuses demonstrating our acceptance.
• While we won’t try and change others’ beliefs or values, it is important that we accept and meet our youth and families where they are. 
• We will use inclusive language in all facets of our work with troubled youth and families.
• We will offer support in an environment that is free from harassment and bullying.
• We are here for all youth and provide support and linkages to the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning).

Thank you to Max Disposti and the North County LGBTQ Resource Center for training more than 81 staff and volunteers! Through our combined efforts, we will assure that that youth and family members can equally access critical counseling and crisis services—support that could save lives.

Alternatives to Detention

 

Lifeline’s newest youth program, Alternatives to Detention, is designed to work 1:1 with families when kids are arrested, to keep kids out of juvenile hall and get them back on the path to success. Lifeline provides intensive case management for kids and their families during this incredibly difficult time, when extra support makes a huge difference. Sometimes, kids and their parents need to ‘cool off’ … a few days to a couple weeks out of the home can help the families mend and become a family unit again.

This is where Cool Beds come in to play.

Cool Bed foster parents receive comprehensive assistance, training, and stipends to support the youth during this critical period.

Many times, the ‘cooling off’ period is incarceration. Kids are locked up. Lifeline offers a critical alternative by providing a safe, temporary, foster home for 1 to 14 days. This option keeps kids out of lock up. Research shows that detaining juveniles has lasting, negative consequences for youth and society as a whole. Kids who have been detained are less likely to complete high-school and are more likely to be arrested.

Yet, when youth need this ‘cooling off’ period, that is exactly what happens, they become incarcerated.

Recognizing the importance of providing alternatives to detaining youth, Lifeline has partnered with multiple San Diego County organizations and with Juvenile Probation to provide the Alternatives to Detention program.

Now, we need your help.

Lifeline is recruiting Foster Families who are willing to foster a youth for a period of 1 day to 2 weeks until they can be returned to their families. During this time, Lifeline provides individual guidance and support for Foster Families. Lifeline’s Case Managers and Therapists are providing wraparound services for the youth and families including transportation to and from school, vocational training, parenting workshops, therapy and crisis management.

These incredible kids need host parents to provide a safe, caring cool bed as an alternative to being placed in Juvenile Hall detention.

Right now, the closest cool bed is in the City of San Diego. Can you help?

Our partner organization, San Diego Youth Services, provides Foster Care Training and Certification for families who are interested in providing this much needed service to the youth of our North County communities. For information and to ask the many questions you will likely have, please contact Debbie Shriver at Lifeline: (760) 842-6203 or

 

dshriver@nclifeline.org.

 

June’s Volunteer Spotlight

North County Lifeline has not been the same since Suzi Bradshaw began volunteering six months ago…

we are *much* better for it!

Suzi is a volunteer tutor at La Casita, the Club Crown Heights after school program site for elementary-age students. Her passion for reading and interest in teaching comprehension led her to volunteer with Lifeline. Once on board, Suzi reorganized a reading room and has introduced the kids to new age-appropriate books. 

Suzi first became aware of Lifeline through a volunteer tutoring announcement she saw at North Coast Church. So far, Suzi’s favorite volunteer memories have been:

(not necessarily in this order)

•  Hugs
•  Receiving drawings as presents from the kids
•  Seeing the kids get SO excited about reading

Suzi enjoys facilitating her reading groups at La Casita but helps Club Crown Heights with whatever they need… even peeling bags of oranges. As a volunteer, Suzi encourages other tutoring volunteers to get to know the kids and to motivate them while tutoring.

Suzi Bradshaw invites others to volunteer with North County Lifeline because it is rewarding to see kids learn and how positively they respond to encouragement.

Suzi, thank you for all you do! You are an inspiration for us to be more creative and more dedicated. YOU are truly changing lives. Thank you.

Shelly's World

Shelly Harris, MFT, Trainee

Shelly Harris is a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee who is currently working on her Practicum hours with North County Lifeline’s Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) department. 

In her work with families, Shelly provides parent counseling and support, community resources and advocacy. Shelly works with the ERHMS Clinicians to identify interventions they have used with the client and facilitate in home success of those learned skills.
 
In her role as a Student Support Specialist, Shelly also runs adolescent group session focusing on building social skills. In those groups Shelly incorporates Motivational Interviewing, self-esteem building, and social skills development in a fun and inviting environment. Shelly has brought her passion and expertise to the position of a Student Support Specialist, providing prevention, psycho-education and intervention support services to students and their families in Special Education. 

Shelly has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from U.C. Berkeley and is completing her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at National University in 2015. As a Trainee with Lifeline, Shelly is sharpening her skills in providing evidence-based practices. Shelly incorporates several techniques when working with families to support the success of their students in special education. Shelly comes from a background in Human Resources where she provided employee relations support for large corporations. That experience has proved valuable in her current role. 

Thank you, Shelly, for your service to kids and families!