É«ÖÐÉ«'s Gladman Mental Health Rehabilitation Center and Heritage Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) Staff welcomed President and CEO Anne Bakar and our new SVP & Chief Development Officer, Dawn Utecht. Anne and Dawan checked in with the program's leaders and staff. The pair toured the facilities and connected with both programs' staff members.

Anne and Dawan shared their gratitude to the hard-working staff and program leaders, calling out their extraordinary contributions and continued commitment to members' safety and recovery. Navigating a pandemic is a challenging experience for everyone. So many programs stepped up as resilient champions of safety in this trying time. From managing outbreaks, ensuring staff vaccination, and continuing to prioritize recovery, É«ÖÐÉ«'s programs are inspiring.

É«ÖÐÉ«'s first program, Gladman Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, opened its doors in 1965. It is a longer-term inpatient recovery program located in Oakland. Over the years, Gladman MHRC reconfigured its program to serve its members better. A home-like environment approach is in place to create a safe, welcoming environment. For example, in 2014, the program committed to serving meals with poultry without antibiotics. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf recognized the program's frontline dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout all the changes over the years, Gladman keeps the well-being of persons served at the forefront.

Heritage Psychiatric Health Facility, an acute program located in Fruitvale, California, opened in 2005. The program uses a recovery- and person-centered approach. Their multi-disciplinary team focuses on helping individuals reach their goals and stabilization. The dedicated staff offers a wide variety of activities for individuals to take part in. Another fantastic and unique feature of Heritage is that meals are made in-house. This is in collaboration with the dietary department. The program continues to adapt its programming to focus on its member's recovery.

Anne and Dawan, as well as the rest of the Executive Team, look forward to visiting more programs in the near future!