Sofia is a four year old girl who has lived in East Oakland since birth.  She currently lives with her father, who makes barely enough money to support his family, but brings home just a hair too much to qualify for Alameda County Medi-Cal.  Sofia was born with a organ defect, and requires ongoing monitoring by physicians and specialists.  Dad is up to his ears in debt for his daughter’s outstanding medical bills and for the loans he took out so that he could attend vocational school.  

Sofia’s parents have had quite a tumultuous relationship, and she has witnessed physical, verbal, and emotional violence between the two of them.  As a result, Sofia has learned to compartmentalize her emotions and to often deny that she has any feelings at all.  She becomes overwhelmed easily and shuts down when anything in her environment reminds her of any of the terror that she has felt inside.  Because she lives in a neighborhood where she hears sirens and shouting constantly, this means that Sofia lives in a constant state of fear. 

Because of the Measure Y grant for residents of the city of Oakland, Sofia has been able to work with a Family Paths’ therapist who helps her navigate rocky emotional terrain and supports both of her parents in understanding how to respond to her with consistency, attentiveness, understanding, and curiosity.  As Sofia’s parents have learned new skills for relating to her, she has found ways of taking down some of the walls that had previously barricaded her strong emotions and kept her isolated and afraid.  She has become able to play and to talk about the scary and difficult things that she has seen and heard, and to ask her dad and mom for support as she integrates the troubling events in her life.  Her parents have helped her find ways to feel safe, even when the environment outside her window is often anything but.

Without this funding source, it would not have been possible for this family to afford mental health services for Sofia.  The Measure Y grant makes hope and healing possible for children and families who might otherwise be denied access to ongoing mental health services due to financial limitations.  Measure Y is a safety net for clients who without it would not otherwise receive much needed services.  When young children are encouraged to address their feelings, thoughts, and worries, they are gaining the tools to grow into capable and confident adolescents and adults, thereby reducing the need for more costly interventions down the road.  We hope this opportunity continues to exist for our most vulnerable community members.