Community Human Services
Community Human Services is a small but crucial section of the San Joaquin Valley Hospital System. Community Human Services (CHS) serves the entire San Joaquin Valley from the beginning of their surgical facility in Fresno, to the present-day offering of senior inpatient, outpatient, and specialty care in nine counties in Northern California. The mission of this organization is to enhance the lives of those in their communities. The methods used include prevention through comprehensive public education and prevention through specialized education for vulnerable populations, especially children, women, and families with children at risk. Substance abuse is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and in rural and far-flung communities the rates are highest in any state. Substance abuse can result in increased health care costs, lost productivity, family disruption, social disorder, and a drastic rise in local crime rates.
Community Human Services Programs offers a variety of integrated care delivery models, including case management, intervention services, referral services, health education and substance abuse rehabilitation programs, employment and training programs, treatment research and counseling, home and community development, and integrated case management and referral programs. In addition, they implement coordinated statewide strategies to address important concerns, such as the prevention of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and family violence. Most CHS programs are majorly funded through Medicaid and the Medicare programs, with funds also provided through the Department of Health and Human Services, the State of California Office of Alcohol and Drug Programs, the City of San Joaquin, and the State of California State Programs for Mental Health and Developmental Services. In addition, the CHS also receives federal funds for a variety of programs, many of which are designed to address specific needs.
The majority of CHS program caseworkers are therapists who specialize in substance abuse, mental health, and social services. Counseling is provided by both in-house and specialty counselors, as well as by private psychiatrists and psychologists. Specific substance use disorder treatments include individual, group, family, and group therapy and counseling, as well as detoxification and recovery facilities. Substance abuse treatment programs are funded in part by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Initiative (SAHTI), and the Federal Action Agenda for Mental Health. In addition to addiction treatment, community-based programs may also include social services, life skills programs, employment and training programs, and medical programs.
