Bee Courtois During a 2016 family vacation, Briseida “Bee” Courtois, Program Director for Substance Use Treatment Services, and her 12-year-old daughter, shared food from across the table with a man they had never met, listening as he told tales of his time in Texas, and how he ended up there — in... Read More about Bee Courtois
Zaida Yzaguirre How do you console a grieving family whose expect-ations of a “normal,” healthy baby has just been derailed by a medical diagnosis of spina bifida, cerebral palsy or down syndrome? Will my child walk, talk, and be able to do things for himself when he’s older? What happens to her... Read More about Zaida Yzaguirre
Zachary Bullard On a cold winter night in 2009, Zachary Bullard found himself in a familiar place — the back seat of a police car — hearing some very unfamiliar words. The officers told Zachary that SAPD, the Sherriff’s office and The Center for Health Care Services had started a new program... Read More about Zachary Bullard
Bernadette Herrera Bernadette Herrera’s lifelong career began as a young college student when she found herself working with a very special population — people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). 32 years later, Bernadette’s job title and day-to-day responsibilities may have changed, but her passion for serving people “who have so much... Read More about Bernadette Herrera
Quentin Thomas On a Tuesday morning late December, Quentin Thomas, Director of Justice Programs for CHCS, was approached by a man on the street who appeared disheveled and in desperate need of something. Anyone else might be quick to pass judgement, but not Quentin. As he would learn, the man simply needed... Read More about Quentin Thomas
Cindy Gomez Dandridge When a person wakes up addicted, the plan for the day is always the same: get money, buy drugs. They don’t hope for an alternative— substances seem to be the only alternative. They feel stuck in the lifestyle. Cindy Gomez Dandridge was born into the lifestyle. Her mother kept a... Read More about Cindy Gomez Dandridge