Marian Wright Edelman wrote in Stand for Children, “…no one in America should harm children and that everyone can do more to ensure that you grow up safe, healthy, and educated, in nurturing families and in caring communities.” LifeWorks of Sonoma County strives every day to do more. For the past eight years I have been privileged to serve on the Board of Directors. These years have been challenging but very rewarding.

We are celebrating our 15th year serving Sonoma County. Since I joined the board, we have grown from four to seven programs, reaching out even further to children and families, dealing with life’s circumstances. El Puente and Transitions are excellent examples of our growth. El Puente (The Bridge) was created to reach out to youth and their parents, often working directly in their homes. This was in response to increasing awareness of at-risk and gang affiliated youth in Sonoma County. Transitions developed out of a need to provide support and counseling to young adults, who have Asperger Syndrome or Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Parents expressed concern that this age group was not being served and LifeWorks responded.

Directing, nurturing and sustaining seven distinct and collaborative programs is not easy. Our wonderful Executive Director, Jill Royce, and our Clinical Director, Program Directors, Clinicians, Program Facilitators and Support Staff all work with dedication and commitment to effectively implement our programs.

Our Board of Directors has become stronger and more vital as we have grown. The individuals who volunteer their time to serve on the board contribute unique and valuable talents. I am honored to work with
every individual associated with LifeWorks.

There is always more to do, but those who support LifeWorks can be assured that all donations are in fact enabling children and families to become more emotionally healthy and stable. Your donation is truly a gift, through LifeWorks, to your community. On behalf of the board, I extend my deep appreciation for your continued support of LifeWorks.

Cathy Wieschendorff
Board President

LifeWorks Board of Directors

• Cathy Wieschendorff, School Psychologist (Board President)
• Ellen Mundell, School Counselor (Vice President)
• Robert Berg, Attorney (Treasurer)
• Beverly O’Donnell, Educator/Administrator (Member)
• Arnold Rosenfield, Retired (Member)
• Beth Ryan Banking/ Management (Member)
• Sheila Craig, Attorney (Past President)

Lifeworks Welcomes Our New Board Members

Bev O’Donnell

Bev O'Donnell, Member

Bev O’Donnell served as an elementary school teacher in the Cotati Rohnert Park School District for 32 years until her retirement in 2009. She received her bachelor’s degree and multiple subject teaching credential from UC Berkeley.

She has been involved with LifeWorks for the past three years, dedicating herself to our fundraising events. She has officially joined the board and when asked about what motivates her work here, she says, “I feel very strongly about the need to serve the kids who fall between the cracks.” I believe the variety of programs LifeWorks has to offer can help those kids and their families who, with a little extra support, guidance and intervention, can become productive members of our community.”

She was born and raised in San Francisco and moved to Sonoma County with her husband Dan in 1976. Bev and Dan have three adult children.

Beth Ryan

Beth Ryan, Member

Beth Ryan, our newest board member, is a Vice President for Retail Banking at Exchange Bank in Santa Rosa. She has been an Exchange Bank employee since 1988 and is responsible for day-to-day operations at the bank’s 19 branches.

Beth was born in San Francisco and raised in Sonoma County. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Dominican University in San Rafael and she brings with her a background well suited to our organization.

Beth was drawn to LifeWorks because of our focus on fostering emotional development and mental health within the community.

Beth resides in Santa Rosa with her husband, 16 month old son, two cats, and a Basset Hound named Bailey

Arnold Rosenfield

Arnold Rosenfield, Member

Arnold Rosenfield is a recently retired Sonoma County Superior Court Judge who spent 27 years on the bench. Prior to this position, he had a private law practice for three years and was Deputy District Attorney for almost four years. His career has been noteworthy for his commitment to children and families and foresight in establishing supportive and thriving programs to serve them. The majority of Judge Rosenfield’s cases took place in the juvenile court setting and he was a steadfast and strong advocate for at risk and vulnerable children.

Judge Rosenfield joined the LifeWorks Board of Directors because, he says, “it continues my path of working both as a judge and in non-profit work to help find ways to assist at-risk children and families in avoiding getting entrenched in the system.”

He and his wife Phyllis have been residents of Santa Rosa for 34 years and they have two adult children. Rounding out the family is their eight month old Portuguese Water Dog name Doce.

Celebrating 15 Years in the Community

15 Years in the Community

In 1996, LifeWorks of Sonoma County began under the name of CIL/PSI Special Services. We began as one program, our School-Based Counseling Program, to provide in-school comprehensive mental health services to youth identified as severely emotionally disturbed under a federal Systems of Care (SOC) model. We collaborated, and still do today, with Sonoma County Mental Health and the Sonoma County Office of Education to serve kids and provide effective, intensive services.

Following six years of success as a one-program organization, LifeWorks expanded its services and created LifeWorks Behavioral Services (LBS) in 2002. LBS was established to serve families in the home with a child or adolescent experiencing severe behavior problems that are impeding normal functioning.

LifeWorks recognized the importance of collaboration within the community of non-profit and social service organizations and expanded services to the community. We began to partner and merge with already established programs in Sonoma County such as Choices for Change in 2002 and the Family Education Center (FEC) in 2003. Choices for Change has provided a successful secondary prevention program for Sonoma County’s children and families who are at risk for substance abuse since 1991 and is Sonoma County’s only family education program that works with the entire family. FEC was incorporated in 1977 in Petaluma by a group of parents familiar with enhancing family relationships toward the good of all.

LifeWorks also began to broaden the continuum of programs offered to the community and created three new programs: Transitions at LifeWorks in 2006, serving young adults with Asperger Syndrome or Nonverbal Learning Disorder, El Puente (the Bridge) in 2007, assisting at-risk and gang affiliated youth, and the LifeWorks Counseling Center in 2008, providing counseling services to the community.

After 15 years, LifeWorks has served over 3,500 members of our community: 84% are children with emotional and mental challenges, 38% are Spanish speaking, 77% are from low income families, and 22% from moderate income families.

Today, LifeWorks offers seven programs representing the range of family oriented therapeutic and educational services. We continue to be responsive to the needs of the community, adapting as necessary to the ever-changing social environment. We believe in prevention and early intervention, and we appreciate your support as we continue to provide the community with education, counseling, and the skills necessary to succeed.

Presented by LifeWorks of Sonoma County

A non-profit organization
…for children, families, and community

The Interrupters

Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival, 2011
Special Jury Award, Full Frame Film Festival, 2011
Special Jury Award, Sheffield Doc/Fest, 2011
Audience Award for Best Documentary, Philadelphia Cinefest, 2011
Best Documentary Award, Miami International Film Festival, 2011
Best Documentary Award, Minneapolis Film Festival, 2011
True Life Fund Winner, True/False Film Festival, 2011
Official Selection, South by Southwest Film Festival, 2011

The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. From acclaimed director Steve James and bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, this film is an unusually intimate journey into the stubborn persistence of violence in our cities.

October 20, 2011
6:00-9:00 pm
Summerfield Cinemas
551 Summerfield Road
Santa Rosa
Tickets $40.00 per person

Purchase tickets

1 ticket $40.00 2 tickets $80.00 4 tickets $160.00

LifeWorks of Sonoma County is proud to be celebrating its 15th year of serving the mental health needs of children and families in our community.

For more information, call 568-2300

Sponsored by ZRC Financial Services

Sponsored by First Community Bank

Sponsored by Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller, and Moskowitz LLP

Sponsored by the Sonoma County Office of Education

15 Years Rooted in the Community

We are looking for your support as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary

Thank you to our donors to date: