Welcome to the CASRA Newsletter

In this issue:

-What if it is the lens we use to describe our work?

- Formerly incarcerated mentors are changing lives in California

- Resiliency is not "bouncing back"

-Coffee and mental health

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.

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

A Photo Gallery now resides on the EVENTS page of the CASRA website and currently consists of albums of the 2024 Spring and the 2025 Fall CASRA Gatherings. We plan on adding more albums in the future.

If you have photos of your agency's events you would like to share with other CASRA members, contact joe@casra.org.

To view the current albums in the Photo Gallery, CLICK HERE.

The  CASRA 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.

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

Employment/Vocational 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

What If the Problem Is the Lens?

From madinamerica.com
By Matt Donovan, April 11, 2026

Let me be upfront. I’m a psychotherapist, which, depending on where you’re reading this, may already be a problem.

For some people that might not mean a great deal, for others, it might carry a certain level of prestige. But for others still, it’s something I should probably be embarrassed about.

There’s no doubt that some people passionately believe psychotherapy helps them. At the same time, reading the comments sections of any number of Mad in America articles, there’s also no doubt that many have been harmed. Many of those people believing that the whole profession should be abandoned, that people like me should have a good look at ourselves and go and do something else.

Add to that what James Davies has argued in his work, Cracked and Sedated: that despite the proliferation of services, the overall picture is far more mixed than often assumed, with little clear evidence of sustained improvement and some indications of worsening outcomes. Read More

Formerly Incarcerated Mentors Are Changing Lives in California

Peer Support Specialists Provide Valuable Mentorship and Emotional Support — Grounded in Hard-Earned Personal Experience

From reasonstobecheerful.world
By Michaela Haas, April 10, 2026

When he walked out of prison after 28 years, the first thing Allen Burnett did was drive to the ocean. “I just stood there for a minute,” he recalls. “I wanted to feel the air.”

For most of his life, Burnett never expected that moment to come.

He entered California’s prison system as a teenager in the early 1990s after participating in a fatal carjacking. Sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, he believed he would die behind bars: “I was told I’m not worthy.”

Instead of planning for freedom, he focused on finding purpose within the prison walls. That choice set him on a path that would reshape not only his life but the lives of countless others.

At California State Prison, Los Angeles County — often simply called Lancaster — Burnett eventually earned a college degree with magna cum laude honors thanks to a pioneering in-prison education program through Cal State, and he found mentorship with other prisoners. Governor Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence and the parole board found him to be no longer a threat to society in 2019. Read More

‘Bouncing Back’ Is a Myth – Resilience Means Integrating Hard Experiences Into Your Life Story, Not Ignoring Them

From theconversation.com
By Keith M. Bellizzi, April 13, 2026

When Maria looked at herself in the mirror for the first time after her mastectomy, she stood very still.

One hand rested on the bathroom counter. The other hovered near the flat space where her breast had been. The scar was raw and angry. The loss was quiet but enormous. Her body felt foreign.

In moments like these, people are often urged to be resilient – which can feel like being told to show no weakness, to push through no matter what. Or they imagine resilience as bouncing back: returning somehow unscathed to be the person you were before.

But standing in that bathroom, Maria knew there was no going back. And toughness wouldn’t change what had happened. The real question was how she could move forward, carrying this experience into her new reality.

Maria’s story, one I came to know personally, is far from unique. Loss, trauma and illness often bring the same wrenching questions of identity and the painful uncertainty of what comes next. Read More

Coffee’s Sweet Spot May Help Mental Health in the Long Run

From medicalxpress.com
By Sanjukta Mondal, April 11, 2026

Your morning cup of coffee may be more than just a pick-me-up. It may also be a simple boost for your mental well-being. In a recent study, researchers from Fudan University, China, wanted to find out whether the amount of coffee a person drinks each day and the type they choose have any bearing on their risk of developing stress and mood disorders over time.

After analyzing coffee habits and the mental health status of over 400,000 men and women, they found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day, which is considered a moderate intake, has been associated with the lowest risk of anxiety and depression.
The protective effect of coffee intake against mood disorders was stronger in men compared to women. The findings are published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Read 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.

Caps Academy Is Currently Accepting Applications for the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Program

The training prepares those who identiy as peers for the State of California Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification exam. it is built on the foundation of one of the oldest Peer Trainings in Califorina. 

In addition to exam prep, CAPS prepares peers for roles in the public mental health system as employees or volunteers able to support individuals on their road to recovery. CAPS Academy provides an immersive learning experience and offers cohorts online via Zoom.

Applications are currently being accepted for the next cohort that runs from May 4th to May 23rd.

For more information:  Click Here

To apply: Click Here

Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN) Provides certified WRAP training

CASRA member agency Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN) is now a licensed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). PRPSN's Training Institute is now a leading provider of WRAP Seminars across the West Coast, helping individuals and organizations build wellness tools that foster hope, personal responsibility, and empowerment.

 For more information or to schedule a WRAP Seminar, please contact PRPSN's Training Coordinator, Gustavo Limas at glimas@prpsn.org.

Learn More

I'm convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they're stones that don't matter. As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good.

Maya Angelou