Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. became a Public Benefit Corporation in 2020. This means that, even though we are a for-profit corporation, we also pursue social and environmental goals.
Our Social Goals include increasing our employment of Dreamcatchers and increasing the participation rate of our employees in annual health screening.
Our Environmental Goals include reducing our use of non-renewable energy, water, and disposables, as well as installing solar at the campuses where it makes sense to do so (e.g., campuses with good year-round sun and sufficient space for a solar installation).
The global pandemic forced us to put many of these efforts on hold in 2020, but we are committed to working towards these goals as soon as it is feasible to do so. In the meantime, we are moving forward with a solar installation at our Bakersfield campus, which will also provide shaded parking. The Bakersfield campus solar project will be followed by Pleasant Hill, Fremont, Stockton, San Jose and Fallbrook campuses. We will continue to evaluate whether to add solar to other campuses as well.
We are excited to pursue these solar projects and look forward to working on our other Public Benefit Corporation goals in the near future. Stay tuned!
Our public benefit purpose is to enhance the quality of life, social integration, empowerment, wellness and recovery of individuals affected by mental health issues, thereby reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. We do so by providing quality and cost-effective programs in a socially responsible manner, in collaboration with families, communities, and public and private entities.
Contributed by Derek Dobbins, President and COO and Laurie Schrum, General Counsel/Chief Compliance Officer
Environmental tips for when you are at home:
Environmental tips for when you are at work:
And wherever you are, avoid and advocate against Styrofoam since it releases toxic chemicals into the food causing a contamination which can be hazardous to your health In addition, when exposed to sunlight, Styrofoam creates harmful air pollutants which contaminate landfills and deplete the ozone layer.
With simple changes like these, we can all make a difference for the planet and the people we serve.
Our Trauma-Informed Environments in our Crestwood campuses are about integrating the principles of trauma-informed care into design, with the goal of creating physical spaces that promote safety, well-being, and healing. Crestwood uses intentional space planning and believes that healing environments leads to empowerment and resists retraumatizing those who have already experienced so much trauma. It is important to understand how the physical environment affects identity, worth and dignity, and how it promotes empowerment in the people we serve. Physical environment has an impact on attitude, mood, and behavior because there is a strong link between our physiological state, our emotional state and the physical environment. Therefore, maintaining a therapeutic and Trauma-Informed Environments helps to support a sense of safety, calmness, and productivity for the people we serve. Take a look around your Crestwood campus and see what aspects of a Trauma-Informed Environment are being used.
Contributed by: Laura Valdivia, Project Manager and Raul Almazar, Trauma-Informed Care Consultant
Crestwood is once again being recognized for one of our innovative recovery initiatives in the latest edition of the Journal of Human Services-Training, Research and Practice in an article Staffs’ Perceptions of Sensory-based Interventions at an Inpatient Hospital: A Case Study. In 2019, Crestwood partnered with Rutgers University to study our initiative of using therapeutic environments as a recovery treatment tool at our Crestwood San Diego campus. The use of sensory-based interventions in our programs, an initiative led by Janet Vlavianos, Crestwood’s Director of Accreditation and Corporate Initiatives, was reviewed by the Rutgers University research team led by Nora Barrett and Aaron Levitt. They determined there was great merit in sharing and publishing our Crestwood therapeutic design effort. The Rutgers team returned to Crestwood San Diego and partnered with Janet to conduct the research for this study.
A huge Thank You to our amazing Crestwood San Diego staff for supporting this research and demonstrating their collaborative team spirit by participating in a multitude of interviews. Thank you to our Rutgers University partners for supporting the research and publication, especially Aaron Levitt. Thank you to Janet Vlavianos for the brilliant foresight and understanding that our campus environments truly make a difference in the lives of the people we serve and our staff. This study not only provides a meaningful contribution to the body of mental health recovery knowledge, but it will hopefully lead to more evaluation and publication on our therapeutic environments, as well as other Crestwood Foundational Tools and initiatives.
Contributed by: Patty Blum, Executive Vice President