Crestwood Behavioral Health

02/13/2026

A Message from Patty Blum, Crestwood Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President

Compassion and Love - What the World Needs Now

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” A familiar song especially as we enter the month of love. The lyrics written in 1965 by Hal David are so needed today. We look at our families, our communities, our country and our world and we see the need for compassion. Compassion includes empathy, gratitude, kindness, and forgiveness, all growing out of love. Love is core to our Crestwood Value of Compassion, and both are essential to providing services and care to the people we serve.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines compassion as the "sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Compassion is also defined as suffering together or with another. Compassion goes beyond sympathy linking the feeling with an action to support or relieve suffering. In 2016, a research team Clara Straus et al, looked for ways to measure compassion from belief to action (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735816300216). In their research paper titled, “What is compassion and how can we measure it? A review of measures and definition” they found a vast diversity in definitions exist. They are proposing a new definition of compassion that is cognitive, affective/emotional and behavioral. It consists of 5 elements that refer to compassion to self and others:

1. Recognize suffering
2. Understanding the universality of suffering
3. Feel empathy connected with the distress
4. Tolerate the experience of distress and pain
5. Act to relieve and alleviate the suffering.

The remainder of the 12 pages of research reviews a variety of measures for compassion, but one significant take away is that compassion results in action to support another, to alleviate pain and suffering. This is core to Crestwood’s Value of Compassion. Compassion for Crestwood is a call to action. It is holding hope when the people we serve cannot hold it for themselves. It is helping someone with a shower or to dress when they are no longer able to accomplish these simple tasks, providing dignity and respect. It is teaching self-regulation skills. It is doing all of this with love and the intention to support the action to alleviate pain which is central to love for ourselves and others. Having compassion and love becomes the way we can move forward as an organization, a community and may help to heal some of the pain and division in our world today.

01/21/2026

Check out this article by Lori Ashcraft and Patty Blum featured in Behavioral Health News!

Discover how podcasts provide flexible, expert-led training for behavioral health staff, offering CE credits, trauma-informed care, and recovery insights.

01/10/2026

Crestwood's Peer Support Workforce

"A New Lease on Light - My Best Side Story"
by Chris Martin, Crestwood Sr. Director of Learning and Performance

Moving day has come and our lease for 2025 is up. The good news is that we can rewrite the terms for our occupancy at 2026. It can be a residence with a beautiful recovery viewing point, overlooking a landscape of resilience and wellness. Since this new dwelling is a one-story residence, then it might be a good time to rewrite it so we can have the best life possible. So I’ve drafted the following terms on what I’m calling my new lease on light.

The old story I used to tell
Kept me stuck, held me down.
It broke my heart and hid the light,
Left me lost in a shadowed town.
But I learned I could break it open,
Let the light shine through the cracks.
Now I’m rewriting every chapter,
No more looking back.

The story we tell ourselves
Can lift us or hold us down.
It’s a choice to see the stars,
Or just the cracks in the ground.
Rewrite the lines, reclaim the art,
Shape the masterpiece of our hearts.
It’s not the end—it’s where we start,
The story we tell ourselves.

I’ll take out the comma in my trauma,
Release the burden at my core.
I’ll free my spirit so I can soar,
I’m done with the gloom and doom.
I’m the writer to make things brighter,
I’ll put the glory in my story—
My best side story will bloom.

The past doesn’t have to chain us,
It can teach us how to rise.
It’s the process of rewriting
That sets the spirit free to fly.
We’re more than struggles, more than scars,
Our stories make us who we are.

The story we tell ourselves
Can turn the dark into light.
It’s a journey, not perfection,
But it still feels so right.
Rewrite the lines, reclaim the art,
Shape the masterpiece of our hearts.
It’s not the end—it’s where we start,
The story we tell ourselves.

01/01/2026

Welcome 2026!!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year filled with hope, joy, and wellness!

12/24/2025

12/23/2025

PRA 50th Anniversary Celebration!

The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA) held their 50th Anniversary Celebration and conference at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, November 10 – 11, 2025. It was a very exciting reunion of pioneers and leaders in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation who had not been together like this since the last in-person conference in 2018.

Over the two days, there were three informative panels (research, public policy, and peer support) and 16 amazing workshops. Overall, three main themes were woven through the two-day event that represented the current practices and most urgent needs in the psychosocial rehabilitation field:
* Peer Support
* Transition Age Youth
* Policy and Advocacy

Crestwood was a Gold Sponsor of the event. Speaking was by invitation only, so we were honored to be asked to deliver both a workshop and to participate in a panel discussion. Crestwood’s two presentations fell under the first area listed above – peer support.

Alyssa Torres, Peer Support Specialist at Crestwood Fallbrook Healing Center, participated in a panel focusing on “The Centered Peer: Avoiding the Drift, Embracing the Mission.” While this was the focus of the panel, questions also included other challenging issues currently being experienced in peer employment. Alyssa did a great job of representing West Coast concerns, which were somewhat different from the situations in other states. It was interesting to see the variations in how peer support is implemented in different types of facilities in different geographic areas.

Patty Blum, Alyssa Torres, and Lori Ashcraft from Crestwood presented a separate workshop on the advantages of Peer Support Specialists (PSS) working in crisis settings titled, “The Magic of Peers Working in Crisis Settings.” The workshop was well received, and the team provided several handouts to enable attendees to go deeper into understanding the innovative practices that have been developed with peers in a recovery-oriented crisis setting.

The theme of Transition-Aged Youth began with a panel of researchers followed by many informative workshops. On the second day, the theme of Policy and Advocacy was set in motion by a panel of experts discussing “Federal Policy Shifts and the Future of Recovery.” This panel provided time and space for the audience to ask questions and talk with experts about current issues.

Finally, to round out the theme of Advocacy, Mark Salzer, a long-time friend and colleague of Crestwood presented, “A Just and Necessary Mission: Centering Community Inclusion in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Advocacy.”

Of particular interest was a workshop entitled “INSET: Psych Rehab for People Who Don’t Want It,” presented by Melissa Wettengel, MPH. Rita Cronise, a colleague and researcher from New York State, who came along to support the Crestwood team, introduced us to Melissa, who is operating a program in Long Island (New York) that is very much like the new program Crestwood is offering in San Francisco for people who are uncomfortable in traditional treatment settings. Melissa will be doing a podcast with us, and there may be more opportunities to collaborate with Melissa and this innovative program, so stay tuned.

A special thank you to Pam Norris who accompanied the team, cheered us on, and helped support us throughout the event. And of course, thanks to Crestwood for supporting this event and making it possible for us to attend, present, and participate.

To see photos of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, please visit PRA’s website: https://www.psychrehabassociation.org/50th-anniversary-photos

12/21/2025

A Message from Patty Blum, Crestwood Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President

Gratitude 2025

As we close 2025 and prepare our hearts and minds for the holidays and a new year, we should also take a look back at our past year with gratitude. This year has been challenging for so many of us. It brought new national leadership and changes in legislation impacting the work we do. It brought immigration enforcement challenges to most of us in California and across the US. It also brought gifts with new services and expanded levels of care to California with SB43, SB1238 and Prop 1. Gratitude allows us to focus on the gifts as we face challenges.

The practice of gratitude is very common. A stranger may say, “Bless you,” if you sneeze as you walk past them and your immediate response is “Thank you.” This exchange elicits a heartfelt brief connection between two strangers. This is the product of the practice of gratitude.

Author and researcher, Brené Brown, links the practice of gratitude with experiencing joy. She states that gratitude amplifies our joy. It is the simplest practice and there is no need to learn a script or position or use more than a few seconds of time. The practice can be as simple as waking each day expressing and experiencing gratefulness for a new day and closing your day with a brief thank you for living another day.

Psychology Today points out that practicing gratitude has 7 invaluable impacts on our mental health and wellbeing:

1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
2. Gratitude improves physical health.
3. Gratitude improves psychological health.
4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
5. Grateful people sleep better.
6. Gratitude improves self-esteem.
7. Gratitude increases mental strength.

Gratitude lightens your load yet keeps you in a place of abundance. It has no negative side effects yet seems to be infectious. At Crestwood, we practice gratitude as often as possible and with as many people as possible. Today and every day we are truly grateful for each of you being a part of our Crestwood Family. You spread joy in all you do for the people we serve. Thank you!

12/19/2025

Selma Wellness Center Open House!

On October 27, 2025, Crestwood hosted an Open House for our newest campus – the Selma Wellness Center! Located at 3800 McCall Avenue in Selma, the modest exterior gives way to a beautifully appointed and Trauma-Informed environment just inside the doors.

The Selma Wellness Center is a justice-informed Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC), where up to 40 individuals at a time can receive services in a welcoming, home-like environment. Crestwood will provide psychosocial rehabilitation to individuals referred and screened by the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH). These are individuals who are struggling with mental health challenges and who need competency restoration services, as found by a judge. The Selma Wellness Center will be a place to find hope and healing. Upon discharge, individuals will be transferred to DSH for their next level of care.

At the Open House and Ribbon Cutting, several people spoke about the critical need for this program. Special guest, Congressman Jim Costa, addressed the need for mental health services in the Central Valley, noting that too often, fear stands in the way of people talking about mental health issues. He said that the MHRC will be a safe place where people can openly talk about their fears and challenges. Costa presented the Selma Wellness Center with a Special Congressional Recognition from the United States House of Representatives.

The Selma District Chamber of Commerce also presented the Selma Wellness Center with a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting event. Selma Mayor Scott Robertson addressed the need for services in Fresno County, warmly welcoming the partnership with Crestwood and saying that, “Places like Crestwood make all the difference.”

Crestwood Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Patty Blum, spoke at the Open House celebration, thanking everyone for their efforts and partnership to make this vision a reality. “This is a building and a space that’s going to allow healing and wellness every single day,” she said.

More than 100 people attended the Open House and toured the campus. Our Crestwood Executive Leadership Team was present, (including George Lytal, CEO; Derek Dobbins, President; Maria Stefanou, CFO/EVP; and Patty Blum, COO/EVP), along with members from our Start-Up and Home Office Teams.

The Selma Wellness Center will be officially opening to persons served soon!

12/17/2025

Sacramento Out of the Darkness Community Walk!

On Saturday, October 25, Hope and Greg from the Sacramento Home Office participated in the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention’s Sacramento Out of the Darkness Community Walk. Crestwood was once again a proud sponsor of this annual walk for su***de prevention and awareness.

The event was spectacular! Even the rain didn’t stop us and around 1,500 walkers who proudly showed their support to raise awareness and share the message that you are not alone.

With a plethora of powerful speakers and educational booths, this was an extremely powerful event. Everyone is encouraged to participate at some point, as we have all been affected one way or another. It is okay to not be okay. Know that there is a community of support and resources. So, let’s be part of the solution. Get connected!

12/15/2025

Dia de los Mu***os at Crestwood Chula Vista!

Crestwood Chula Vista created an ofrenda to celebrate Dia de los Mu***os, observed November 1st and 2nd, a beautiful tradition that honors the lives of loved ones who have passed. The staff contributed photos, flowers, candles, and small mementos to build the altar, including pictures from coworkers who have unfortunately passed, but whose memory remains. This collaborative effort to create a beautiful ofrenda full of color and traditional symbols allowed for connections, joy, and overall support for one another as everyone shared stories and memories of loved ones.

12/14/2025

Halloween Extravaganza at Idylwood Care Center!

Idylwood Care Center celebrated our Annual Halloween Extravaganza on October 31! We had an all units decorating contest, residents and staff costume contest, pumpkin decorating contest, and our Halloween parade! It was a great success!!

12/13/2025

Halloween Festivities at Crestwood Wellness & Recovery Center in Redding!

Crestwood Wellness & Recovery Center in Redding had a spooky food potluck and costume contest for staff! Persons served picked the best staff costume winner, who was dressed up as "Porcelain Doll." Our persons served also had a Halloween themed carnival complete with games, pumpkin painting, and tons of candy!