November 21, 2019
By Cora Jackson-Fossett
Contributing Writer
Mental health illness is on the rise and children are not exempt. Fortunately, Wellnest operates in Central and South L.A. to assist young people and their families with attaining the emotional well-being to ensure a positive outcome in life.
Formerly known as Los Angeles Child Guidance, Wellnest has continuously provided an array of specialized programs for ages 0-to-25-years-old since 1924. Comprehensive mental health services are available at four community-based centers, 34 school-based sites, co-location at a Federally Qualified Health Center, and directly to clients through field-based programming.
Their vision, according to their website, is “that everyone has access to the support services needed to achieve the emotional well-being critical to reaching their full potential.”
As president and CEO, Charlene Dimas-Peinado leads the Wellnest team and works with the board of directors in fulfilling that vision. Her professional staff combines best practices with compassionate care and ongoing follow-up to improve the quality of the lives of children, young adults, their families and communities.
“Mental health support is so important for children and families as their emotional well-being is just as essential as their physical health,” said Dimas-Peinado. “Wellnest offers programs that are holistic and non-traditional focused on building resilience such as coping skills, supportive relationships and engagement. Early engagement is essential to empowering children and young adults to reach their highest potential.
“Together with our board and staff, we are committed to further expanding Wellnest’s services because mental health knows no boundaries and children can be impacted, which can ultimately affect their lives. When we can address this early on, the results are very positive,” she insisted.
As part of their effort to reach very young children, the agency offers several Early Intervention and Community Wellness Programs. The services focus on youth under five-years-old with behavioral and emotional problems such as aggression, temper tantrums, inattention and hyperactivity. To assist, Wellnest provides various relationship-based services including individual and family therapy, case management, rehabilitation, and psychiatry.
Another program under this division, the Family Resource Center, is designed to help distraught parents overcome economic and societal issues in order to provide basic needs for their children. The on-site staff delivers relational support and may reach out to partners at other social service or faith-based agencies to aid primary caregivers.
“We work with the entire family in the context of the child. The key is to give that family all of the support, guidance and resources that they need to be successful in providing a nurturing and loving environment for their children,” explained Dimas-Peinado.
To meet the needs of older-children, Wellnest manages outpatient mental health services through its no appointment, no fee Access and Wellness Center as well as at clinics on the campuses of 34 public and seven charter schools. Students facing academic and delinquency problems, anger management issues or dealing with trauma like witnessing street violence can receive assistance following a referral by school personnel. The services include assessment and evaluation, individual and group therapy, and medication support for children who need psychiatric remedies.
Even teens graduating from high school to college or employment can find help at Wellnest. The organization opened the Avis and Mark Ridley Thomas Life Learning Center earlier this year to aid that demographic.
“The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a very critical stage in a young person’s life. They are planning for their future and may need assistance with navigating life and making good decisions,” noted Dimas-Peinado.
“Many of these youth and young adults will transition into adulthood successfully, but an estimated five-to-10 percent will not due to a number of challenging life experiences. These social issues cause our young people to be vulnerable and at greater risk because they face high levels of social isolation.
“For youth who may have been in foster care or experienced adversity in their young lives, we can provide a plethora of supportive resources to help them to be successful and self-sufficient as they are planning their future.”
Resources at the Life Learning Center cover mental health and healthcare services, financial literacy and life skills classes, housing assistance, job training and a technology lab. Also, Wellnest staff teaches young adults how to manage household expenses and personal finances, how to cook healthy meals and how to shop with a budget.
The results of providing this support and guidance are very rewarding, said Dimas-Peinado, who recalled a recent experience with an 18-year-old client. The young man, a product of the foster care system, graduated high school and wanted to attend college, but lacked family support. Yet, he applied and was accepted to Santa Barbara City College. 
“He is a smart young man with a bright future. We arranged for his housing because one of the most fundamental needs to be successful in college is housing. Our staff also helped him transport his items to his college housing, ensured he was properly enrolled in classes, and had the financial means to sustain his housing and tuition,” she said.
“He has been successful with the transition and his goal is to transfer to UC Santa Barbara...we know he will achieve this goal…we are so proud of him,” shared Dimas-Peinado, who said she has been inspired by the communities and people she serves throughout her career.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with training in psychotherapy, she began working in this field right after graduating from CSU-Long Beach with her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Seeing the uplifting effect of her efforts to assist high-risk youth and their families, along with realizing that she “loved the work,” persuaded Dimas-Peinado to explore avenues to make an even greater difference.
Deciding to strengthen her administrative skills, she earned an Executive Master of Leadership (EML) degree from USC. She joined Wellnest as president and CEO three years ago and her duties at the $25 million nonprofit include serving as fiduciary officer, managing day-to-day operations, providing best-in-class behavioral health and other services to clients, and assuring that the organization evolves to address the changing needs of communities served.
“Every child and family has a story and their stories have meaning and like a ripple of water, they affect our community,” said Dimas-Peinado, who also serves on the boards of the Natural History Museum of L.A. County, Rotary LA5, City Club L.A. and co-chairs the Empowerment Congress’ Mental Health Committee.
“Our objective is to make a positive impact on those we serve — one that improves a life, one that improves our community.”
November 07, 2019
LAWT News Service
Excitement is growing for the Museum of African American Art (MAAA) Essential Senegal Cultural Trip to Dakar, Senegal, May 16-25, 2020! This trip will provide a unique cultural experience and support MAAA. A highlight of the trip is a visit to the newly opened Museum of Black Civilization in Dakar.
Dedicated December 2018, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal's first President, envisioned a museum that would represent the histories and contemporary cultures of black people everywhere.
Essential Senegal, an 8-day 7-night travel opportunity, is conveniently priced at $3700 per person for double occupancy. This all-inclusive pricing provides roundtrip air and transportation, meals, comfortable, moderately priced accommodations, 24-hour tour guides, all activities and entrance fees and a bonus of expedited passport service for new applicants and renewals.
Essential Senegal combines the best of Senegal’s tourism offerings and is perfect for first-time Senegal visitors who want to have a taste of everything the Country has to offer.
Travelers will stand at the “door of no return” in Goree Island’s House of Slaves, take a boat on the Sine Saloum Delta visiting the shell islands, experience the wonder of African animals on a guided jeep safari at Bandia Animal Reserve plus many more exciting and memorable cultural experiences.
Visit the Museum’s websites, https://www.maaala.org for full-details on deposits and payment schedule. Join the MAAA and reserve your space for this once in a lifetime cultural experience and support the Museum.
The Museum of African American Art was Founded in 1976 by noted artist and Art Historian Dr. Samella Lewis and a group of academic, artistic, business and community leaders whose goal was to increase public awareness of African American art.
The Museum operates based on individual and corporate donations, gift shop proceeds, event rentals, an enthusiastic community of members and the generous support of Macy’s/ Baldwin Hills Crenshaw which donates space on the 3rd floor located at 4005 Crenshaw Boulevard.
The MAAA is a 501©(3) Nonprofit organization open Thursday through Sunday from 12noon to 5:00pm.
October 31, 2019
By Elizabeth Marcellino
City News Service
Pointing to “sobering'' statistics showing that the number of homeless people dying in Los Angeles County nearly doubled from 2013-18, the Board of Supervisors voted today to deploy health care workers to encampments and shelters to assess health needs among the homeless.
Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Hilda Solis co-authored the motion calling for short-term strategies to help reverse the trend.
“This report is tragic, and reflects a true state of emergency on the streets of our community,'' Ridley-Thomas said. “It is unconscionable and inhumane for society to continue to turn a blind eye to this plight.''
Solis said the data -- released Tuesday by the Department of Public Health -- should spur others, including private sector players, to get involved.
“This isn't just the county's responsibility. It's a human responsibility,'' Solis said.
The county's analysis of death certificates and coroner's records found that 1,047 people identified as homeless died in 2018, up from 536 in 2013. To make clear that the dramatic increase wasn't just due to a growing number of people experiencing homeless, DPH Director Barbara Ferrer told the board that the rate of mortality -- the percentage of homeless individuals dying -- had also spiked by more than one-third over the period.
“Homeless (people) are in fact dying at a higher rate because they're homeless,'' Ferrer said.
The average age of death was 51, compared with 73 years old for the general population.
Alcohol or drug abuse was the leading cause of deaths, which accounts for 27% of the total when longer-term effects, such as cirrhosis of the liver, are considered along with overdoses. The number of overdoses increased by 50% over the five-year period.
Ferrer said roughly 25% of the people receiving substance abuse treatment from the county are homeless, but that many people on the streets still need help.
The next most common cause was coronary heart disease, with some of the increase related to an aging homeless population, Ferrer said. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among Los Angeles County residents in general.
Other causes include traffic deaths at 9%, homicides at 6% and suicides at 5%.
While the ultimate solution is housing, Ferrer said other strategies are needed now. In addition to sending workers out to gather more information, the DPH report also recommended beefing up traffic control measures around homeless encampments, as well as analyzing the causes of death among formerly homeless people placed in permanent supportive housing to better inform the delivery of services.
Solis said she wanted more information.
“The question for me is where, where is this happening?'' Solis said.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked that death reviews consider root causes, noting that mental illness often plays a role, even if it is not identifiable in an autopsy. Barger has pushed for changes in state law that would redefine ``grave disability,'' allowing county workers to intervene to get medical help for individuals in severe need but resisting treatment.
Supervisor Janice Hahn said she wanted to cross-reference the deaths with any contacts made by county outreach workers to assess whether the strategies being employed to combat homelessness are actually helping.
“This sort of has a shock value ... that people are dying on our streets,'' Hahn said.
Pulling together even initial preliminary data was difficult, Ferrer told the board.
“There's nothing on a death certificate that says that you're homeless,'' the director said.
Hahn separately proposed extending a state of crisis related to emergency shelter and directing Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai to designate more county public facilities as homeless shelters.
“It's just a snail's pace for us to build shelter,'' Hahn said, adding that no one has come up with a strategy to deal with NIMBY neighborhood groups.
Barger said the problem wasn't money but a lack of cooperation from cities in building out shelters.
Homeless Initiative Director Phil Ansell told the board that more than 3,000 beds had been added over the last 22 months and more capacity was coming on line.
“We are spending more Measure H funding on interim housing ... than any other single category and that amount of interim housing will continue to grow,'' Ansell told the board.
Hahn continued to push back, interrupting Ansell and telling him things weren't happening fast enough.
Hamai said new initiatives to deal with the homeless crisis include a “safe landings'' program to offer tent space and parking for recreational vehicles alongside indoor shelter space. Hamai also pointed to a “sprung shelter'' concept under discussion with a contractor who provides pop-up shelters for victims of disasters like fires and earthquakes.
County Medical Examiner-Coroner Jonathan Lucas said he hoped the data would ultimately help prevent future deaths.
“We are seeing two or three (homeless) people every single day,'' Lucas told the board.
The DPH report ended on a grim note.
“Put simply, being homeless in L.A. County is becoming increasingly deadly,'' it concluded.
October 24, 2019
By Cora Jackson-Fossett
Contributing Writer
Massive crowds filled Crenshaw Blvd. on Oct. 19, to enjoy the food, music and opportunities at the 14th Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival.
The enormous gathering recorded its largest attendance ever since launching the inaugural event in 2005. An estimated 385,000 people came from throughout Southern California as well as others who traveled from Nevada and Arizona to celebrate on the “Shaw.”
Describing Taste of Soul as the “biggest and baddest block party in all of Los Angeles,” Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., TOS creator/founder, was clearly overwhelmed by the abundance of support from community members, corporate executives and small business owners in uniting to present a variety of activities that were not only entertaining, but also generated dollars to the local economy.
Also, South L.A. elected officials – Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Council President Herb Wesson, and Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Curren Price, Jr. - provided a range of valuable resources that contributed to the success of TOS.
“After 14 years, I didn’t think Taste of Soul could have gotten any better. But, I was wrong! The positive energy, the fun and enthusiasm of this year’s Taste of Soul was the absolute BEST we’ve ever had,” said Bakewell, who is also chairman of Bakewell Media and Mothers in Action.
“The businesses at Taste of Soul did better than ever before, our sponsors had the opportunity to engage with the community like never before and the level of entertainment at each and every stage was top of the charts!”
Producing such an incredible festival takes a team of dedicated and knowledgeable people, noted Bakewell, who recognized some of the key staff that make the event so successful.
“I cannot express my appreciation to the Sentinel staff, who worked overtime to ensure that Taste of Soul was OUTSTANDING,” he said. “So many people play a vital role in making Taste of Soul happen for the hundreds of thousands of people who attend each and every year, but I would be remised if I didn’t acknowledge by name the hard work of Nicole Williams, Lauren Brazile, Allen Moret, Jr., Cedric Carlin, Tom Dorsey, Tracy Mitchell and Carroll Howard from Mothers in Action, Tamela Mitchell, Shameka Smith, Tamarra Williams, Ryan Jackson, David Z, Ivan Tircuit, Sabra Waddy and the entire Sentinel team who worked so diligently for the months leading up to Taste of Soul and the hours before and after the event to ensure that we transformed Crenshaw into the party place that it was and returned it back to the city, all within 24 hours,” he declared.
During Taste of Soul, hundreds of vendors lined Crenshaw, from Stocker to Obama Blvd., offering a multitude of products and services, from food to clothing to housing assistance and educational information. Several banks had representatives on hand and various healthcare agencies provided on-site screenings.
Many houses of worship hosted booths along with television stations, construction firms, social justice groups and municipal departments. Crowds also flocked to the new TOS exhibit, Bakewell Media’s Art Experience, which highlighted original creative designs by local artists; Children’s World, which included games, activities and entertainment for kids; and the Budweiser Beer Garden, operated by Mothers In Action.
As usual, the main stages drew thousands of music lovers. The Hyundai Sound Stage, sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company, featured top talent by Experience Unlimited, Dru Hill, Keri Hilson, Johnny Gill, Doug E Fresh and DJ Mal-Ski and Friends.
The 94.7 The Wave Stage was equally powerful with DJ Shell, Chosen Recovery, Cultural Soul, Tay Walker, Tony Grant, Klymaxx, SOS Band and Evelyn Champagne King. Pat Prescott, 94.7 broadcaster, and Pat Harvey, CBS2 news anchor, served as emcees.
Another blockbuster lineup headed the KJLH’s Radio Free Music Stage presented by Planet Fitness. The performers were the KJLH Choir featuring Fred Hammond, Tye Tribbett, Anthony Brown and Charles Jenkins. Also, J. Brown, Snoh Aalegra, Sevyn Streeter, 702, Jon B., DJ Kool, Rahsaan Patterson, and legendary hit-maker Stevie Wonder entertained the audience.
The ever-popular Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage, sponsored by LIVEFREE and the Black Leadership Aids Coalition, held church on Crenshaw through an array of regional and national artists. Gospel mega-stars Warryn and Erica Campbell had the crowd praising and shouting to music by the My Block Family of JoiStaRR, The Walls Group, Lena Byrd Miles and Jason McGee and The Choir. The local artists, assembled by Sauls Enterprises and Mowatt Entertainment, consisted of Zion Messengers, Shari Demby, Pastor Desmond Pringle, Jubilant Voices, Angela Polk and the L.A. Inner City Mass Choir.
Despite all of the activity and people at TOS, the festival continued its enduring record of being a safe environment for the entire family. The peace-loving crowds were made even more secure by the visible presence of LAPD officers, L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputies and Nation of Islam soldiers.
Extremely pleased with the outcome of the 2019 Taste of Soul, Bakewell expressed his gratitude to comedian/TV host Sheryl Underwood and gospel stars Warryn and Erica Campbell, who served as the celebrity chairs.
He also extended thanks to the TOS major partners, which included L.A. City, L.A. County, 94.7 The WAVE, 102.3 KJLH, CBS2/KCAL9, Brotherhood Crusade and Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt, Purcell & Diggs Law Firm, and the sponsors, which were AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AT&T, Bank of America, BET, Brotherhood Crusade. California Resources Corporation, Californians For Energy Independence, Cedars-Sinai, Charles R. Drew University, Chase Bank, City National Bank, City of Hope, Comerica Bank, DaVita, Destination Crenshaw, Good Samaritan Hospital, Hyundai, Kaiser Permanente, L.A. City College, L.A. City Workforce Investment Board, LADWP, L.A. World Airports, Learn4Life, Metro, Metro by T-Mobile, Metropolitan Water District, Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital, One West Bank, PBF Energy, PCL Construction, SEIU Local 2015, Slate-Z, South Coast AQMD, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, US Bank, Walsh Shea, Watt Companies, Watts Health, Wells Fargo and West Basin Municipal Water District.