45 Years of Growth and the Trauma-Informed Advantage

             Since 1975, Amanecer Community Counseling Service has been a prominent mental health services provider to children, adults, and families in the Downtown Los Angeles Area. What started out as small operation to provide resources to a neglected but significant population has since blossomed into a reputable, beloved, and accessible institution in the mental health community. Our journey to help clients realize a more resilient, self-sufficient, and fulfilling life has always been rooted in comprehensive, culturally competent evidence-based practices, but our Trauma-Informed Approach is what continues to set us apart and guide our clients to success time and time again.

              Over the years, we’ve added new programs and practices to acclimate to the ever-changing landscape of mental health; shifts in need, developments in accessibility, and the gradual de-stigmatization of mental health in our society have cultivated our approach to be more efficient and refined. The implementation of Trauma-Informed Practices, however, has proven to be one of the most effective tools throughout our agency, maximizing treatment effectiveness and minimizing overall treatment time to around one year, on average. But what does it mean to be a Trauma-Informed agency?

              Most humans have experienced trauma on some level. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma “has lasting adverse effects on [an] individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” and has “no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.” Whether a client’s trauma is mild, moderate, or severe, our trauma-informed clinicians are specially trained to seek solutions based in resolving past traumas rather than focusing solely on the side effects of those traumas. Rather than asking “what is wrong with you” we ask, “what happened to you?” By infusing compassionate care with culturally competent evidence-based treatments, each of our clinics improves individual and family outcomes in an efficient timeline.

              It has been Amanecer’s greatest privilege to serve our community for so long. We are fortunate to have grants, government contracts, and donations from our generous constituents to help sustain us in our never-ending quest to provide new beginnings for our clients. Advances in technology, shifts in culture, and further research into mental health practices will slowly and inevitably transform our agency, but we welcome the growth of our industry and hope to serve for several more decades to come.

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Spotlight: How Valuable Staff Make Our Clinics Wonderful

Last week, Amanecer recognized a staff member who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that every client who walks through the doors of Amanecer is treated with respect and given every tool to help them succeed in their journey towards mental health. The Domestic Violence Clinic, along with Senior Leadership at Amanecer, is incredibly proud to further acknowledge Support Staffer Araceli Gonzalez as one of our Exemplary Staff Members.

At Amanecer, we believe there are five main attributes that an extraordinary employee upholds: providing excellent customer service, maintaining the principles of trauma-informed care in everyday tasks, displaying excellent leadership skills, being a team player, and staying true to Amanecer’s missions and values. Although a majority of our staff demonstrate these characteristics, only a few continue to do so with the same enthusiasm and passion for over 8 years.

In addition to the standard tasks a clinic receptionist is responsible for, Araceli takes time to become familiar with every client that seeks assistance and “inspires trust” in first-time clients. Over the years, we have heard clients praise her genuine desire to provide amazing customer service and “can do” attitude.  Her peers in the domestic violence clinic have described her as “a great strategic thinker,” “flexible and reliable”, and “a leader in collaboration.” The entire DV team is so grateful to have such a wonderful human and co-worker on their team.

We cannot thank Araceli enough for her hard work ethic, attention to detail, organization, and positive energy; staff members like her make our agency proud to continue assisting our clients achieve more fulfilling, resilient, and self-sufficient lives. Congratulations once more, Araceli—and thank you for choosing Amanecer every day!

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