Updates from C&FC

July 2023

Child & Family Center

Board Installation & Recognition Event

On June 27th, the Child & Family Center held their Board Installation event at Sand Canyon Country Club. The Center recognized outgoing Chairman, Dr. Marc Winger and incoming Chairman, William “Bill” Cooper. In-person Installations have been put on hold due to the pandemic, which made this event even more important and special.

We said a very special thank you and goodbye to our longtime Board Members Mike Berger (2006-2023) and Gloria Mercado-Fortine (2013-2023). Their dedication and commitment to the agency and our mission will be missed! We were also very excited to Install our newest member, Dennis Sugasawara to the Board.

A special thank you to the representatives from Congressman Mike Garcia, Senator Scott Wilk, Assembly member Pilar Schiavo and LA County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, for their special recognition of Mike and Gloria as well. And thank you to Stephanie English, Senior Field Deputy from Supervisor Barger’s office for being the evenings Officiant.

We would like to welcome William “Bill” Cooper as our new Board Chairman (pictured on the left) and Dennis Sugasawara (pictured on the right), as our newest Child & Family Center Board Member.

Click here to see a full list of our Board Officers and Members

Congratulations!

We want to congratulate our Board members, Dr. Marc Winger and Jean LaCorte for their nominations for SCV Man & Woman of the Year for Nonprofit Organizations. Thank you both for your dedication and commitment to Child & Family Center and for all you do!

SCVTV's Community Corner featuring C&FC

Child & Family Center CEO, Nikki Buckstead, sat down with SCVTC Community Corner hosts Carrie Lujan and Dave Caldwell to discuss Mental Health Awareness Month.

Nikki Buckstead addressed common challenges affecting children, teens, and their families, plus resources available to them.

Proclamation from the

City Council of Santa Clarita

For the first time this past May, the City Council of Santa Clarita officially recognized May as Mental Health Awareness Month. C&FC was honored to receive this proclamation for the incredible work we do in improving Mental Health in the Santa Clarita community. Thank you, City of Santa Clarita and Mayor Jason Gibbs!

988: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Learn more

Did you know the U.S. launched a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2022? If you didn't, you're not alone; only about one-fifth of U.S. adults have heard of 988.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24/7.

Anyone can use this service by calling or texting 988 or through the chat feature on their website (988lifeline.org). This service is available in English and Spanish as well as more than 240 languages are supported through a Tele-Interpreters service.

Celebrating our amazing staff!

Meet our new

Vice President of Programs and Services:

Jaime Piscinoe

Jaime, tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Southern California and have lived here most of my life, aside from a quick few years in the Bay Area. I received my BA degree from UCLA (Go Bruins!) and my MA from Antioch University. I am married and we have one son named Oliver and two dogs named Lola and Andy. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have worked in the community mental health field for the past 22 years and really enjoy working with nonprofit organizations. For eight years I also worked as an accreditor for CARF (Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities) International, traveling throughout the country to work with other organizations to help them meet national standards for service delivery in community mental health.

Why did you want to join the Child & Family Center team?

As far back as I can remember, I have known of Child & Family Center as an exceptional organization with a fantastic reputation in the community and world of Department of Mental Health for high quality services and exceptional staff. I’ve had the opportunity to meet other individuals from the agency at various meetings and trainings over the years and have always been impressed by the caliber of people and programs. When the opportunity for the VP of Programs and Services positions opened up, I knew it was an organization I could see myself working with for a long time.

What do you for your own self-care and mental wellbeing?

I think work-life balance is key for staying happy, healthy and motivated in this field. For me, making time daily to do something I enjoy is a form a self-care and helps me feel balanced and whole. Some days that might look like trying out a new recipe that caught my eye (admittingly not all are winners), taking the dogs on a walk, working in the garden, getting together with friends, or spending time with my family. I also find that making time to travel, whether it be a weekend road trip or a grander destination, is very restorative and important to do regularly.

Join us on October 14^th for our annual Purple Palooza 5k Walk to End Domestic Violence! You can be a sponsor of the event, a walker or pull together a team of walkers! Funds raised are critical to support Child & Family Center’s Domestic Violence Program. We provide domestic violence services for individuals who are in abusive relationships and their children. Our services are free and include safety, shelter and support for survivors. Child & Family Center is the only Domestic Violence Shelter in the Santa Clarita Valley.