Welcome to the CASRA Newsletter

In this issue:

-The Spotlight is on Ruth Gonzales. In the previous Newsletter, her name was inadvertently left off the list of CASRA Coference Committee members who were appreciated for their for their participation in the 2025 CASRA Fall Gathering. Deep apologies for the not including you, Ruth. Thanks for arriving early, working hard, staying late, and your continued active support of CASRA.

-Favoring voluntary mental health care over forced care

-How bad is California's housing shortage? It depends

-Building relationships in psychotherapy reduces depression and anxiety

-The radical act of listening

-Final Thoughts on Love and Outrage from Pat Deegan

Enjoy!

If you have news you would like to share or a colleague you would like to spotlight because of the great work they do or just because they are a great person or both, let us know by contacting joe@casra.org.

We are excited to announce that the CASRA Learning Library is now operational!

The Learning Library and its contents are free to CASRA member organizations and their staff. The Library is located in the Member Portal on the CASRA website here. More detailed instructions on how to access and use the Library can also be found on the CASRA website when logged on the Portal.

Our hope is that the Library's offerings will provide learning opportunities that will serve as part of CASRA agencies' onboarding processes for new staff, as well as be a resource of Recovery oriented values and practices for all staff. 

Access to the Learning Library is currently limited to CASRA member agencies and their staff. We hope to expand availability in the future.

For questions and more information contact Joe Ruiz - joe@casra.org.

Our member agencies are continually looking for new employees or volunteers to join their workforce.

To see current openings and find out additional information about CASRA Member Agencies, please click below.

A benefit of membership in CASRA is receiving four hours of training for your staff. For more information, please contact joe@casra.org

If you are a CASRA member agency and would like to advertise your learning opportunity, training or event for the benefit of other CASRA member agencies, please contact us at events@casra.org.
There are a few guidelines:
-You are a CASRA Member Agency
-Your event is free of charge
and, as a reminder the Newsletter is published on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month

CASRA facilitates a number of support groups for people working at CASRA member agencies. The support groups provide people working in similar roles opportunities to share experiences, information, and challenges. They meet monthly for approximantely one hour. for more information contact the person listed for each group.

Social Rehabilitation Facilities (SRF)
Meets: First Tuesday of the month at 1 PM

Human Resources
Meets: First Thursday of the month at 11 AM

EmploymentVocational Rehabilitation Services
Meets: First Thursday of the month at 3 PM

For information regarding any of the above groups contact:
Chad Costello, chad@casra.org

Wellness Services (Well Talk)
The Wellness Services support group is now online. For more info contact Joe Ruiz, joe@casra.org

CASRA is a statewide organization of private, not-for-profit, public benefit corporations that serve clients of the California public mental health system.

Member agencies provide a variety of services that are designed to enhance the quality of life and community participation of youth, adults and older adults living with challenging mental health issues. Read more

The California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies

Mailing Address:
3350 E. 7th Street, #509
Long Beach, CA 90804

Email: casra@casra.org

Phone: (562) 343-2621

To reach us: use our Contact Form

Americans Favor Voluntary Mental Health Care Amid Federal Push for Forced Treatment

From washu.edu
By Deb Parker, September 17, 2025

Mental health needs are rising nationwide, yet millions of Americans still go without care. Recent data show that only about half of those with a mental health condition — and fewer than one in four people with a substance abuse disorder — receive care.

Policymakers have responded with efforts to expand care access, such as the national 988 crisis hotline, and to increase involuntary interventions like forced medications and hospitalization. A new study from the School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis explores how the public views expansions in behavioral health-care policies, finding strong support for voluntary care over forced hospitalization or medication against a person’s will. The research, “Public Attitudes towards Mental Health Policy,” was published Sept. 17 in JAMA Network Open.

Community-based programs — such as 24/7 crisis hotlines, walk-in centers and peer-led services — aim to keep people close to home and out of hospitals.

“Community-based services, including those led by peers, are proven to improve population health and reduce reliance on costly institutional care,” said Morgan C. Shields, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health and first author of the study. “Our findings show strong bipartisan agreement that these services should be prioritized — a rare point of unity in today’s polarized political climate.” Read More

How Bad Is California’s Housing Shortage? It Depends on Who’s Doing the Counting

From calmatters.org
By Ben Christopher, September 26, 2025

Imagine you’ve finally taken your car to the mechanic to investigate that mysterious warning light that’s been flashing on your dashboard for the past week and a half.

The mechanic informs you that your car’s brake fluid is too low. Dangerously low. Your brake fluid supply, he says, has reached “crisis” levels, which sounds both scary and very expensive.

Naturally, you would prefer that your car have a non-critical amount of brake fluid. “How much more do I need?” you ask.
“A quart,” the mechanic responds. “No, actually, three quarts. Or maybe seven gallons — but only routed to your rear brakes. Actually, let’s settle on half an ounce.”

Such is the situation with California’s housing shortage. Read More

Relational Depth in Psychotherapy Linked to Reductions in Depression and Anxiety

New Research Points to Relational Depth as a Stronger Predictor of Change Than Traditional Alliance Measures

From madinamerica.com
By Kelly McFadden, September 24, 2025

Profound moments of connection between client and therapist may do more than make therapy feel meaningful. A new study suggests they can help drive recovery.

A new UK study, published in Psychotherapy Research, followed more than 1,000 therapy clients in the United Kingdom and found that experiences of “relational depth”—rare but powerful encounters of closeness and mutual presence—predicted later reductions in depression and anxiety.

The study was led by Gina Di Malta of The Open University, along with Joel Vos, Julian Bond, Biljana van Rijn, and Mick Cooper. It is the first large-scale longitudinal analysis to test whether relational depth precedes symptom change. They write:
“Through these moments of deep connection, clients may come to feel that they and their psychotherapists are ‘on the same page’: bonded and working towards similar goals, with shared understandings of the tasks needed to get there.” Read More

The Radical Act of Listening

From npr.org
By Luis Trelles, October 1, 2025

When I'm asked what I do for a living, I sometimes say that I’m a professional listener. Most people assume that means I’m a therapist. One person even thought I was a priest — which was not the vibe I was going for, but okay. Instead, I explain that I’m an editor for NPR’s long-form podcasting unit, and that my job involves a lot of time listening to audio from all over the world.

I got into this work because I love the sense of connection that comes from listening to people with a story to tell. That very feeling is at the core of the Pod Club newsletter. Each week, our team of writers and editors (which includes me) curates the best episodes from our network. We share everything from fun conversations and heartfelt personal stories to thought-provoking journalism that’s timely and relevant. We're all professional listeners, and we’re passionate about sharing what we find with you. 

That simple act of listening can feel … almost radical. And the stakes can be deeply personal. Read/Listen More

If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, there are resources available to provide free and confidential support. Call 988 or the Teen Line at 1-800-TLC-TEEN or The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 for LGBTQ young people.

From Pat Deegan

Peer support is growing in ways I never imagined. However, like many, I get concerned that sometimes there is significant drift when peer specialists begin talking and acting like their clinical colleagues. When drift happens, the unique, unduplicated contribution of peer specialists is lost, and the profession just becomes an underpaid workforce. It’s important to remember that long before it had a job title, people were supporting each other in asylums, on the streets, and in hospitals - no training, no paycheck, just care.

I believe authentic peer support lives at the intersection of love and outrage. Love freely given. Outrage at practices or systems that treat us in undignified ways. Help shouldn’t hurt. Check out this short video in which I dig a bit deeper into this idea.