Career Services in Santa Cruz County by Carol Caruso

Career Services in Santa Cruz County by Carol Caruso

Career Services is a cooperative venture between Community Connection, the State Department of Rehabilitation, and Santa Cruz County Mental Health Services. Working together with employers, we provide employment opportunities to people with mental illness. This effort not only benefits the individual, but the employer and the community as a whole. We have both a Santa Cruz and a Watsonville location of the Career Services employment placement components.

We also have an office located in the Disabled Student Services office at Cabrillo College. The College Connection program aims to assist individuals with a mental illness in achieving their educational or training goals. We support a person's strengths and abilities by providing encouragement, stability coaching, network building, and self-management, as well as information, referrals, and guidance, at the academic or training institution. By working with consumers to increase self-awareness, we are providing a basis for on-going self-responsibility which will help participants not only to complete the training program they currently undertake, but to sustain a level of stability which will allow them to succeed in the world of work as well.

Probably the most important job we do is to open doors for people who may have previously thought there were no doors left to open. We offer direction and ongoing support with both employment and academics, Social Security assistance, and groups that include peer support, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan ), wellness support and employment preparation classes. We also attempt to keep an on-going one to one relationship with all individuals that we are responsible to The only requirement for the program is that one has to be a consumer working with County Mental Health.

It is very important that each individual knows all they have to do is pick up the phone to speak with a Career Services staff person to become a part of our program or to request additional information. Take a chance. As a consumer, I can attest to the benefits of work and/or school. We go at the individuals pace with their goal as our goal.

Career Services telephone numbers and contacts: Santa Cruz - Carol Caruso or Patty Ruymen ( bilingual available ): 425-8132: Watsonville - Angel Rocha or Jennifer Robinson ( both bilingual ) 768-8132; College Connection - Sharon Kuehn or Sarah Peck ( both bilingual ) 479-6512. We look forward to hearing from you!

Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations. We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints.

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