Breaking Barriers: Inside The Wellness Center

In this episode of On the Road, we welcome Tyler Nash, Program Manager of The Wellness Center in Oxnard, California. Tyler introduces us to the center’s mission of providing accessible mental health services to individuals in Ventura County, particularly those who might otherwise be underserved. He explains how people find their way to The Wellness Center, emphasizing that neither insurance nor money is required to receive support. The center refers to its clients as “Members,” who have the autonomy to choose how they spend their time within the clubhouse environment. The staff, known as “Peer Support Specialists,” play a crucial role in supporting Members, bringing the benefit of lived experience to their interactions.

Tyler shares that while some individuals stay for a short time, others may engage with the center’s services for years. Collaborations with other entities are key to helping Members reintegrate into society effectively. He delves into the origins and uniqueness of The Wellness Center concept and its connection to the peer movement at Turning Point. The center prides itself on being a judgment-free zone, which stands in contrast to the outside world.

Additionally, Tyler highlights the center’s mobile services, the dynamic interaction between Members and staff, and the rigorous training involved to become a Peer Support Specialist, including WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) classes. He discusses the uniqueness of The Wellness Center as a walk-in facility in Ventura County, sustained by funding from Ventura County Behavioral Health, ensuring all services remain free for Members. Through this engaging conversation, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the vital role The Wellness Center plays in the community.

Watch the full episode HERE

What you’ll learn in this episode:
0:00 Welcome to On the Road and introduction of our guest, Tyler Nash, Program Manager of The Wellness Center
0:32 The mission of The Oxnard Wellness Center is to create a space for people to receive mental health services who may not be reached in Ventura County
1:19 Find out how individuals end up at The Wellness Center
1:59 We learn that you do not need insurance or even money to receive services
2:41 “Members,” as The Wellness Center refers to individuals receiving services, get to choose how they spend their time in the clubhouse setting
3:28 Tyler tells us that the staff is called, “Peer Support Specialists,” and tells us the benefits of having them support those currently being serviced.
5:15 Some people only stay for a short period of time, others receive services for years at The Wellness Center
5:43 How collaborations with other entities happen to ensure Members can get on track to functioning in society
7:55 The idea of The Wellness Center: Is it a new concept and how did it come together in the beginning?
9:36 Tyler tells us more about the unique value that the peer movement at Turning Point and The Wellness Center
10:59 There is no judging at The Wellness Center, which is no always the case in the outside world
11:38 A mobile version of The Wellness Center
12:43 The interaction between the members and the people that work at The Wellness Center and the training and certification involved to become a Peer Support Specialist including the WRAP classes
17:36 Is The Wellness Center and a walk-in facility something unique to Ventura County
18:08 Funding from Ventura County Behavioral Health and how it keeps it free for members and the type of individuals that come to the center
19:49 A special thank you to our sponsor, Opus escrow

Related Episodes:
Growth Beyond Challenges: Cultivating Wellness at Growing Works
Unveiling Humanity Through Compassion, Hope & a Costume
A Recovery Oasis at Nate’s Place

The Wellness Center:
turningpointfoundation.org
Next To Public Health – Center Point Mall
2697 Saviers Rd.
Oxnard, CA 93033
805-653-5045

The Turning Point Foundation:
1736 S Lewis Rd, Camarillo, Ca 93012
(805) 586-9900

Contact Paul Ward:
805-479-5004
paul@homeandranchteam.com

Have ideas for future episodes? We’d love to answer your questions – leave a comment! For any home buying or home selling needs in the Ventura County area of California, please reach out to Paul@HomeAndRanchTeam.com or visit www.HomeAndRanchTeam.com

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A special THANK YOU to our sponsor, OPUS ESCROW! Farm Talk with Paul Ward would not be possible without the support of our sponsor Opus Escrow. Supporting our sponsor ensures Farm Talk can provide listeners with the best possible episodes.

Speaker 1 (00:02):

<Silence>

Paul Ward (00:06):

Hi friends, it’s Paul Ward and welcome to On the Road. I’m excited. Today we are in Oxnard, California at The Wellness Center, and I’m sure you’ve heard in the news lately and on the internet a lot about mental health. This was a topic that was kind of swept under the rug for many, many years, but now it’s more out in the open. And who better to talk to us about that than our current guest? Tyler Nash, with The Wellness Center. Welcome to On the Road.

Tyler Nash (00:30):

Thank you for having me.

Paul Ward (00:32):

Absolutely. And of course, we wanna thank our sponsor, Opus Escrow. So, what is the mission of The Oxnard Wellness Center?

Tyler Nash (00:40):

The Wellness Center, if I could kind of put it in one phrase; we are trying to create a space for people to receive services who are maybe otherwise (are) not being reached in our county. And it’s usually due to the fact that they either don’t have the resources to seek treatment or maybe they have some type of personal barrier, as you mentioned. It’s something that for so long has been swept under the rug. And we’re really trying to de-stigmatize mental health and turn it into something where people can come in, hear about it, talk about it, and it’s a safe space to do so.

Paul Ward (01:19):

Would they hear about it from peers? Would their family member kind of drop them off? Would the police bring them by? <Laugh>, I mean that just how do folks end up here?

Tyler Nash (01:30):

Could be a variety of ways for certain you know, I always try to do plenty of outreach out to the community and let people know about who we are and what we provide. We do get plenty of referrals from other caregivers, whether it’s a medical professional or a behavioral health professional. Yeah, and word of mouth through peers. You know people start to learn, “Hey, there’s this place down here in South Oxnard you can go to. It’s a great place. You should check it out.”

Paul Ward (01:59):

And I hear that they could just walk in. They don’t need insurance. They don’t need to have any money.

Tyler Nash (02:04):

Correct. Yeah. All of our services are entirely free. You do not need a referral. You do not need insurance. You do not need a payment. You don’t even need an ID.

Paul Ward (02:12):

Wow.

Tyler Nash (02:12):

All you need to do is just show up. Sign up as what we like to call all of our people here. “Members.”

Paul Ward (02:17):

Right.

Tyler Nash (02:18):

We’re not trying to think of them as clients or patients or any of those kinds of words. They’re members. Right. They’re members of. a clubhouse.

Paul Ward (02:25):

Nice.

Tyler Nash (02:25):

And they sign up and they show up and five minutes later you can be sitting here receiving services.

Paul Ward (02:30):

Wow. And so, the members come during the week and then they have different activities, but also kind of getting assistance with their mental health challenges.

Tyler Nash (02:41):

Yeah. Yeah. You know, so we’re open Monday through Friday during the day, and we offer groups. We offer one-on-one counseling services with our staff, but all of it is voluntary. And, because it’s a clubhouse, we can kind of provide a space where maybe one person’s attending a group and someone else is just hanging out. We’ve got couches, we’ve got games, we’ve got pool tables, art. We have food. Some people are just kind of coming in to hang out and it’s a safe space and they know that they can be here. And, you know, we’re still gonna try to make an effort to reach those people and see if there’s any way that we can help them. But maybe somebody just wants a space to be for the day. And that’s okay too.

Paul Ward (03:23):

So, if somebody was getting, I don’t know if the right term is “diagnosed,” how would that work?

Tyler Nash (03:28):

So, they come in, they register, and then one of the staff members starts to sit down with them and kind of works, discover what their challenges are. So, we definitely don’t diagnose anybody in here. They may have received a diagnosis from another provider or something like that. And if they do have insight into the fact that they have a diagnosis they might be able to talk about that here. All of my staff are what are known as, “Peer Support Specialists.” And what a “Peer” is, is it’s an individual with lived experience in the behavioral health system, meaning that they are somebody who has received mental health and or substance abuse services in the past.

Tyler Nash (04:07):

And they are able to share openly and honestly about their experiences in a way that help other people develop hope. Again, that word de-stigmatized that I bring up a lot. You know, to kind of say, “Hey, here’s a person who is sharing and saying, yeah, I have a diagnosis and I received help for that, and maybe I took medication, or maybe I saw a therapist, or maybe another peer just like me, helped me get well.” And, for a lot of people who come in here, this is the first time that they’re ever hearing somebody else openly admit that.

Paul Ward (04:43):

Interesting.

Tyler Nash (04:44):

And feel okay about it, and no shame.

Paul Ward (04:46):

Ok to talk about it. And this is how I got through that challenge. And you can get through it too.

Tyler Nash (04:52):

Exactly. Yeah. But we wanna be really firm about the fact that just because our staff have their lived experiences, that doesn’t mean that that’s what the other person has to do. Right. Everybody here is the expert on their own story, and they know deep down, perhaps what they need to do to get well. We’re just here to share about what we did and what we’re doing currently in our recovery journeys.

Paul Ward (05:15):

And I would imagine that some people come and stay for a little while, maybe a week a month. And other people you’ve, seen them for a year or two years.

Tyler Nash (05:25):

Yeah. Years. Multiple years, absolutely. Yeah. No there is no end date to your time at the wellness center. If you wanna be here for the rest of our time that we’re here, then you are more than welcome to do so. Yeah. We’ve had people who have been enrolled for a very long time.

Paul Ward (05:43):

So how does the collaboration work with other entities then? So, this is kind of a safe place for folks to come Monday through Friday. But they also have their, maybe some are living in some type of shelter environment, maybe some are living with their parents. How does that, how does that work in terms of collaboration with other to, to get these folks kind of on the road and kind of functioning in society?

Tyler Nash (06:08):

Sure. Well, if they are enrolled in any other kind of service, we would absolutely collaborate if the member would want that, they can sign like say, a release of information, that would allow us to communicate with their provider. We’ve had people who would come here, you know, maybe they receive services at a place once a week where they get their medication and things like that. And, and they’ll come to us, and they’ll say, “Boy, you know, I’m having like a mental health crisis right now.” Whatever that might look like for them. And we’ll say, “Okay, should we maybe get in touch with that other medical provider of yours and, and we can try to work on it together.” And, you know, like we’ve, we’ve taken people to the hospital. We’ve taken people to go meet with their provider and have a crisis assessment done on them. So we really try to be a place where, and that’s the way that I kind of pitch our place to other healthcare providers, is we can kind of be an eyes and ears on some of the people who you’re referring over here. If you do refer over here, again, not required, but you know, like we can be that extra set of eyes and ears on our people and get a chance to interact that way. When it comes to like any other kind of, if it’s like a housing program or you know, like you’d mentioned, like family or something like that, again, it’s really on, on the member to decide how much, you know connection they want between us and them.

Tyler Nash (07:34):

Some people, they don’t want that. Right? It’s like, “No, no, no, no. I’m coming here and this is my safe space. I don’t need other people involved.” And other peoples are like, yeah, “I would like you to communicate with my mom. I’m learning so much about myself and my mental health, and I don’t think my mom understands these things. Would you guys be able to talk to them about that?” And yeah. We could definitely provide that kind of a connection.

Paul Ward (07:55):

Interesting. And is this idea of the, of The Wellness Center, is it new? I mean, I’ve never heard of an entity where folks just walk in, and they don’t have to pay.

Tyler Nash (08:05):

Yeah.

Paul Ward (08:05):

I mean, that’s pretty amazing.

Tyler Nash (08:07):

Yeah. It is very amazing. And we’re very fortunate to get the kind of funders that we have to keep this place open. We are not new. We’ve been around for about 10 years. And, and yeah, no, it’s it’s very unique and you’re not gonna find you know, you’re, you might find some places where you can come in for free. You might sign some other places where they offer the scope of services that we offer, but it’s gonna be very rare to find that connection between the two things where it’s free and you’ve got these scope of services that you can receive from our peer support specialists.

Paul Ward (08:39):

Right. How did the the concept come together of The Wellness Center?

Tyler Nash (08:43):

So, the Wellness Center, you know, I’m not a historian on the full concept of The Wellness Center, you know, but there were a lot of people who, first of all wanted a place like this where people could come in and receive services where they wouldn’t have to pay. You know, it’s a way to, again, try to reach people who aren’t being reached otherwise. Right. Maybe this is their first foot in the door. And so, you know, they, they wanted a place like this. ’cause It could be a place that’s more accessible. Sometimes the biggest barrier that people have towards seeking mental health is that it can be a process. Right? You know, you go through an intake and you gotta have this appointment and do this and that.

Paul Ward (09:20):

And you might not even know that you have a problem in the beginning.

Tyler Nash (09:23):

Exactly. It’s like, “Why am I thinking the way I’m thinking?” Right. Yeah. It’s like, yeah, that’s, even assuming that they realize that they’re something that needs to be done. Right. Maybe they realize that something’s not quite the way that they want it to be, but they can’t really put their finger on it.

Tyler Nash (09:36):

And so again, hearing it, the peer movement has been something that Turning Point has been a part of for a long time, even before the Wellness Center ever became one of our programs. We have always believed at Turning Point Foundation that peers are uniquely qualified in some ways to help people, like you said, who maybe are kind of in that early stage. They don’t always have the insight. They don’t always have the ability to just say like, I know what I need and, and here’s what I’m gonna do, and I’m gonna get up tomorrow and go seek help. Right, right. Peers are really uniquely qualified to help people that way because number one, they’ve been there too. They know exactly what it was like, you know, and I tell my staff, “Remember what it was like for you before you were ready to get help. How could somebody have still reached you at that moment?” You know? And number two is, I think peers come across as a little bit less intimidating. You know, they don’t have the white coats, they don’t have all the fancy letters after their name. There’s no like, diagnosis. You know, we don’t talk about diagnoses here. We don’t talk about medications here, or at least we might talk about how people take medication to help them, but we certainly wouldn’t say, “Well, you should be taking this medication or that medication.” All of that is out of this place. Yeah. There’s no judging.

Paul Ward (10:52):

No judging.

Tyler Nash (10:53):

Yeah. No judging. And it’s a place where it’s open dialogue, but there’s certainly no labels being put up.

Paul Ward (10:59):

I would imagine people in their outside world are judging all the time. You know, this is somebody that’s got a mental illness. And there’s still the stigma. Right? There’s still the stigma and you come here and it’s the opposite.

Tyler Nash (11:09):

Yeah. Yeah. No, there are, there are tons of reasons why there’s that judgment. Some of it is just historical. Right. Some of it is cultural. You know, we’re here in South Oxnard where there’s large populations of Spanish speakers and, you know migrant families coming in. And a lot of them tell us, “You know, in my family we don’t talk about this kind of stuff.” You know? And so it’s, it’s eye-opening for them to even hear these words coming up. You know? Right.

Paul Ward (11:38):

And I hear you have a mobile version now too. Yeah. Actually, going to them, they’re not coming to you.

Tyler Nash (11:43):

Yeah. So basically, a couple of my staff we have agreements with different kind of programs out there. They’re all housing programs, so it might be a board and care, it might be a homeless shelter, it might be a transitional living center. And we go there and we do groups at the centers because these are people who are probably in some of these situations because of behavioral health challenges that they’ve had. And although the housing is amazing for them, they’re not necessarily getting any other kind of mental health support while they’re there.

Paul Ward (12:18):

Interesting. So, they’ve got the nice, the roof over their head and the warm bed and three meals a day, but whatever’s going on in their head is not being helped. Interesting. So, you go to them and help them with their other (issues).

Tyler Nash (12:32):

Try to help them keep that housing. Yeah. Because that’s half the battle, right. For a lot of these people don’t end up on the street or don’t end up right back where they started. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Paul Ward (12:43):

So, the folks that work here, the, the peers and then the professional folks that, you know, have some letters behind their name, which mentioned earlier, how does that work in terms of their interaction and then with the, with the members?

Tyler Nash (12:57):

Yeah. Well, as the Program Manager, I have a master’s degree in social work. I am the only person on the staff who has a master’s degree. And again, it’s because we’re trying to keep this place kind of purely peer where, you know, that it is only Peer Support Specialists working here. But I do wanna be clear that a Peer Support Specialist still has some training and some education and everything like that. They’re not just wrapped from off the streets. Right. <laugh>, you know, so yeah, there is a certification process for peers.

Tyler Nash (13:28):

They go through a very rigorous training process, and then they take a state certification exam.. So in order to work here, they have to go through that process. We also do a ton of on-hand training with them to learn some basic kind of counseling skills. And, we also have them trained in evidence-based practices and evidence-based practice being something where there is actual research showing that if you do these practices with the clients, this kind of intervention with the people receiving services from you, they will get better. And the main one that we do is called Wellness Recovery Action Plan or WRAP. It is a evidence-based practice that was intended to be led by peers. And I could get all into WRAP if you want, but to kind of keep it focused on the question that you asked.

Tyler Nash (14:24):

They are trained and certified to lead those groups as well. The cool thing about a lot of my staff is that they came to, some of them started as somebody receiving services here. Right. And they came to our center at whatever place they were at, and they started to take our WRAP classes. And really what WRAP does, there’s five like kind of key concepts that you learn with WRAP that kind of helps develop the whole plan that you put in for yourself. It’s hope, again, having hope that you can get better. Yeah. Right. Personal responsibility. Nobody is going to make you get better except for you. Right. Yeah. And you are the person who needs to take it on. If you wanna get better, that starts with you. Right. Education, i.e Need to learn what is out there to help myself. Right, right.

Tyler Nash (15:21):

I need to do the research as they say, right? And figure out like what’s out there and what fits for me. And then when I say, “So what fits for me?” It’s because it’s with the next principle, which is self-accountability.

Paul Ward (15:33):

Yeah.

Tyler Nash (15:34):

Right. Again, like. “O Know what I need to do and now I am going out and taking care of it.” And then the last thing, and then this is where this place comes from, support. Nobody can do this alone. Right. And those five key concepts are what make up WRAP.

Paul Ward (15:52):

Interesting.

Tyler Nash (15:52):

And everybody puts together their own personal action plan. And, by the end of it, they get themselves into wellness. So, we have staff members here who were in very low places when they first came in here, and because of WRAP, they were able to really get themselves to a place where not only did they feel like, but you also know, stabilized or whatever word you want to use to describe somebody in wellness. But they really have insight into themselves and what they need to do.

Paul Ward (16:23):

Interesting. So, the process is the same for everyone in terms of the five steps of WRAP. But then the plan is individualized for that specific person.

Tyler Nash (16:33):

Exactly. Everybody’s WRAP plan is gonna look different. There’s no cookie cutter WRAP plan. And the way that we facilitate WRAP is very much valuing the dignity and worth of the people who come in here. So, they might come in and say, “Hey, you know, for me something that works is, and it’s gonna sound totally outta left field.” Right. Then we’re gonna say, “Hey, that sounds great. If that’s what’s working for you, that’s great.”

Tyler Nash (16:54):

You know, because there are no two people that are totally alike.

Paul Ward (16:58):

And then you see those changes over time.

Tyler Nash (17:01):

You do, yeah. You do. WRAP is an evidence-based practice, like I said, people do get better if they follow it the way that we lay it out.

Paul Ward (17:08):

Wonderful.

Tyler Nash (17:09):

Yeah. And our staff are testimonies of that. They, they sit there when they facilitate wrap, they say, okay, “Now we’re gonna get into this next section. Here’s what I, here’s what’s in my WRAP plan.” Right. And they lived it.

Paul Ward (17:22):

Yeah.

Tyler Nash (17:23):

Right.

Paul Ward (17:23):

And so, they’re helping others.

Tyler Nash (17:24):

Exactly. It is really one of the only evidence-based practices that you’ll ever see where you are telling your story and like, and highlighting how you do the things in this plan is part of the evidence.

Paul Ward (17:36):

Interesting. Is this something unique to our county? I mean, I don’t think that there’s a lot of walk-in places in other areas.

Tyler Nash (17:43):

I don’t know. I don’t there are probably, there are other walk-in places in our county. But I don’t believe that there are other walk-in places that then in turn can provide the full depth of mental health services that we can provide. Right.

Paul Ward (17:56):

And then you’ve got the mobile version.

Tyler Nash (17:58):

And then we have the mobile version. Right. Where we can go out for free, again, and provide groups to people living in these places just by showing up. ‘.

Paul Ward (18:08):

Yeah. That’s amazing. So, the big curiosity is how is this program free?

Tyler Nash (18:14):

Yeah. Our funding comes from Ventura County Behavioral Health with MHSA, funding Mental Health Services Act, which you may have heard of, which is kind of colloquially referred to as “The Millionaires Tax.” Right. You know we get our money through taxes that are used specifically to fund mental health services. So, they’re able to keep this place open every year through that. You know, the thing that I just tell people if they wanna know like, is The Wellness Center right for me or, you know, am I at the right place? There’s no such thing as the wrong person to come to The Wellness Center. Right. You know, I highlight the fact that we can help people who aren’t quite yet there in their mental health journey, but maybe there’s no such thing as the wrong person to walk in through our doors. Maybe somebody’s just looking for a friendly face to come in, have a chat, and have a warm meal, and we’re there for that. You know, you can wanna attend every single group that we do throughout the day, or you can want to attend none of them.

Tyler Nash (19:18):

And guess what? You’re still gonna get a lunch, you’re still gonna have a place to sit down. You’re still gonna have something to do. And, so there is no wrong referral. There is no wrong person for our program. Yeah.

Paul Ward (19:31):

And no, and again, no stigma, no judging. Just come in here and safe place to hang out.

Tyler Nash (19:38):

If that’s all you want. Yeah.

Paul Ward (19:40):

Wonderful. Yeah. Well, Tyler Nash, thank you so much for being our guest on this episode of On the Road.

Tyler Nash (19:45):

My pleasure.

Paul Ward (19:46):

Love learning from you and having you.

Tyler Nash (19:48):

Thank you for having me.

Paul Ward (19:49):

Absolutely. And of course, we want to thank our sponsor, Opus Escrow. And be sure to tune in next time for On the Road.