Our 18 month goal was to serve 25 foster youth, but within 12 months we served over 50.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Contra Costa County recruits, trains and supports volunteers, including licensed mental health professionals, to provide support and services to youth in foster care. The CASA Therapy Project recruits licensed therapists to provide one hour a week of free therapy to foster youth for as long as the young person wants therapy. This program began because we discovered that many foster youth were ineligible for Medi-Cal funded mental health services. It was not considered a “medical necessity” even though, by definition, every foster child has experienced severe trauma caused by abuse and/ or neglect. Impact100 was the only organization that understood the impact this program could have for foster youth and the community as a whole. They provided the seed money to get the program off the ground, and the program has been more successful than we ever imagined. Our 18 month goal was to serve 25 foster youth, but within 12 months we served over 50. The program has been so successful that other funders have now stepped forward and we expect to roll out the program statewide. Impact100 was wonderful throughout the grant process. At the site visit, it was clear they read the material we sent to them, including the financials, and understood our mission. They asked intelligent questions and engaged in in-depth conversation about the issues impacting foster youth. The involvement of the large Impact100 community made us feel like we had the community behind our work. I have worked as a non-profit Executive Director for 35 years and this was far and away the best funding experience of my career.
