Davis Street Community Center Provides Psychotherapy Services

 
Rose Padilla Johnson has spent decades working with low-income families in Alameda County in San Leandro, California. A nonprofit and social service innovator, Rose Padilla Johnson offers her services to over 15,000 individuals each year through her work as CEO of the Davis Street Community Center Incorporated in San Leandro.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the Davis Street Community Center provides health care services to individuals regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. The organization, which was founded in 1970, focuses its services on patient-centered care. Currently, the center provides a complete range of medical services that range from dental care and women’s health to nutrition classes and behavioral health care.

Behavioral health care at Davis Street includes psychotherapy treatment, a form of talk therapy that helps individuals overcome problems in daily life and improve their overall well being. Trained therapists conduct psychotherapy sessions, which range from short or long term sessions and can be held one on one or in group formats. Research shows that this form of therapy helps most individuals function better in their daily lives, however, the success of the treatment depends on the patient's involvement and trust in the therapist.

Psychotherapy also includes an array of more specific therapy treatments that include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychoanalyze, and supportive therapy among others.

Davis Street Community Center Offers Behavioral Health Services

 
Serving as the CEO of the Davis Street Community Center (DSCC) in San Leandro, California, Rose Padilla Johnson has led the community service organization for over 25 years. Dedicated to serving the needs of low-income families, Rose Padilla Johnson oversees a wide array of DSCC programs, including child care services and a health clinic that offers medical and behavioral health services.

A sanctuary facility, the Davis Street clinic welcomes all patients regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. In addition to meeting basic medical needs, the clinic offers affordable counseling to help people improve their relationships and make more positive and productive choices. Treating a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and stress, Davis Street’s mental health clinicians see people of all ages from preschool-age children to adults.

Adopting an integrated approach to behavioral health care that includes collaboration with the patient’s primary care provider, mental health providers at the Davis Street clinic offer a full range of services, including psychological assessments, individual and family counseling, crisis intervention counseling, and substance abuse services referrals. In addition, the Davis Street behavioral health team provides several San Leandro Unified School District schools with mental health services. If you’d like to make an appointment with a counselor, please call 510-347-4620, extension 140.

Nutrition Classes Help Families with Low Incomes Prepare Healthy Meals

Since 1991, Rose Padilla Johnson has leveraged her experience in developing innovative social services to grow the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, California, into a central destination for local low-income residents and immigrant families. Among the many services the San Leandro-based organization provides under Rose Padilla Johnson’s direction, one is a series of Nutritional Cooking Classes that teach principles of healthy eating and food preparation.

Studies conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and other authorities have highlighted an important point: when recipients of supplemental food access receive classes in nutrition, they tend to make healthier grocery purchasing choices. Thanks to the Davis Street Community Center program, class attendees have learned techniques of selecting and preparing budget-friendly, appetizing, and healthy meals.

The program takes place in Davis Street’s own Demonstration Kitchen, facilitated by a credentialed nutritionist. It draws on supplies donated by the center’s own food pantry, and participants learn how to stretch their dollars, and to select the most nutritious offerings from local food distribution centers. They also learn how to change their families’ lifestyles in order to support healthy practices and avoid or address malnutrition and obesity.

The classes have produced numerous success stories. One such case is a man with type-2 diabetes who lost 10 pounds after his spouse brought home new information from the classes. The man’s blood sugar levels also began to correct themselves as a result of his improved diet.

Healthy Diet for Chronic Disease Management

Human Heart Model

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Rose Padilla Johnson has led the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro for nearly three decades. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s guidance, the community center organizes and hosts nutritional cooking classes to raise awareness among San Leandro residents of the links between a healthy diet and long-term health.

While everyone can benefit from eating a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, people managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, need a healthy diet. The average American diet contains higher than recommended levels of sodium, sugar, and fat. This diet can exacerbate hypertension and weight gain and increase the likelihood of developing medical complications.

Nutritionists recommend a fiber-rich diet of fresh vegetables and whole grains and the elimination of high-fat sources of empty calories, which include sugary beverages, ice cream, whole milk products, and fruit drinks. Further, individuals can greatly decrease the amount of salt and fat in their diets by reducing their intake of processed foods and salty condiments.

How Community Health Fairs Improve Outcomes

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For nearly three decades, Rose Padilla Johnson has led and organized services for the Davis Street Community Center, a nonprofit that services San Leandro and Alameda County. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s direction, the Center has become a one-stop shop for support and health services for the San Leandro community. Recently, the Center hosted its 5th Annual Community Health Fair.

Health fairs often improve the public’s awareness and knowledge of widespread health issues within the community. The event usually combines the expertise and reach of health care providers, nonprofit organizations, and community programs to attract and educate attendees. Furthermore, health care providers may use the opportunity to provide free screenings and flu vaccinations.

A study of a health fair held at Yale University found that attendees come from diverse backgrounds, education levels, and ages. For this reason, health fairs tend to target health issues that impact many members of the population, including high blood pressure, sexually transmitted and infectious disease prevention, asthma, and accident prevention. Many fairs also offer information in different languages to make health knowledge more accessible to non-English speakers.

Davis Street Hosts 5th Annual Community Health Fair

Stethoscope 

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Rose Padilla Johnson has spent nearly three decades with Davis Street Community Center, Inc., in San Leandro, California. As chief executive officer, Rose Padilla Johnson is charged with the oversight of multiple programs catering to under-served communities in and around San Leandro. Services range from annual events and fundraisers, including the Community Health Fair, to assistance navigating the state’s affordable housing resources.

Davis Street Community Center hosted the 5th Annual Community Health Fair on August 10, 2019. Supported by 25 additional community service providers, the fair addressed a myriad of health needs through free dental screenings and blood pressure checks, among other services. The more than 1,000 attendees were also treated to several fun activities, such as children’s games and live music. Lunch was provided by the Local 55 Firefighters Union of Alameda County.

A true community event, the fair was also supported by the San Leandro Police Department, Abbot Diabetes Care Division, the Migrant Education Program, and Castro Valley Yoga, to name a few community partners. The event was highlighted by a back-to-school giveaway that provided new shoes and backpacks full of supplies to 586 school children.

Nike, Davis Street Partner for Back 2 School Giveaway

Nike store front

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Rose Padilla Johnson of San Leandro, California, has spent nearly three decades at Davis Street Community Center, Inc., and serves as its chief executive officer. In this position, Rose Padilla Johnson has helped Davis Street establish important relationships with businesses throughout the San Leandro region and beyond, including an annual back to school giveaway with Nike.

Davis Street once again held its annual Back 2 School Giveaway ahead of the 2019-2020 school year. Through a partnership with Nike Shoes, this year’s event provided 150 local children from low income families with new shoes. Held in the spirit of the longtime Nike catchphrase of “Just Do It,” the Back 2 School Giveaway functioned as more than just a distribution of new clothes. Rather, the event brought together numerous members of the community, all of whom worked to inspire and motivate children prior to the start of school.

New clothing not only provides children with confidence, but minimizes the chances of a child from a low income background being targeted and bullied, which can have a negative impact both emotionally and academically. More information about the event, as well as similar initiatives, can be found at the Davis Street website, www.davisstreet.org.