Call for Mental Health Services
Seeking to address a critical mental health care need in Sonoma Valley, Hanna Center in Sonoma has launched an innovative program that is designed to provide early intervention and support for young people experiencing the first stage of psychosis.
The program, Hanna Ahead, debuted in October and is located in Hanna’s Mental Health Center.
It is open to Sonoma County residents, ages 12 to 25, who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis as well as those who have attenuated psychosis and who are clinically at high risk for the illness. Psychosis, which includes schizophrenia, is a serious mental illness that is characterized by defective or lost contact with reality and often includes hallucinations or delusions.
“Our mission at Hanna is to support healthy outcomes for everyone in our community,” said Cameron Safarloo, president and CEO of Hanna Center. “When we learned that early psychosis treatment could have such a dramatic effect on long-term outcomes, it only made sense to develop a program to deliver that critical care to families in our county who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access these services, which can truly be lifesaving.
“We are looking forward to serving this subset of our community and continuing to reduce the stigma and misunderstanding that has historically surrounded psychosis care. Importantly, Hanna Ahead is designed not only to support individuals, but to deliver care to the families who are also affected.”
Cindy Herrera, clinical program manager of Hanna Ahead, said that establishing its office in Sonoma Valley ensures more comprehensive support across the region.
“In addition, 86% of Hanna Ahead’s direct care team is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing us to more effectively serve Sonoma County’s diverse community,” she said.
The program, which is being funded by a grant through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative on behalf of the California Department of Health Services, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
It can be reached at [email protected] and 707-933-4482.