Stockton Program a Lifeline for Those Seeking Return to Work

Diane Feneck, Wellness WORKs! coordinator

Welfare recipients looking to get back to work often find the process to be a surprising challenge. Without experience and exposure to the working world, many are unprepared for what faces them.

At the CSU Stanislaus Stockton Center, those people have a valuable resource in the Wellness WORKs! program. A partnership between the university and San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services, Wellness WORKs! offers classes and activities for CalWORKs participants, providing much-needed education and training to help them reenter the workforce.

The program was founded in 2000 by CSU Stanislaus nursing Professor Emeritus Paula LeVeck, with funding from San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services. It recently received full funding from the county for the 2013-14 fiscal year, allowing it to continue all of its existing programs and clinics.

"The current economic climate has been difficult, and budgets have been cut statewide," program coordinator Diane Feneck said. "The fact that our funding was not cut is directly related to the quality of this exceptional program."

The Wellness WORKs! center offers classes that cover self-esteem building, personal appearance, physical wellness, anger and stress management, healthy eating habits, conflict resolution, money management, being a working parent and more. Feneck said the more than $500,000 in county funding will allow the center to hold 12 three-week programs, 28 one-week programs and 12 one-day programs this year.

Last year, Wellness WORKs! served 650 clients, bringing its 13-year total to nearly 7,700.

"With programs like this, CSU Stanislaus fulfills its commitment to contribute to the enrichment of the diverse population it serves," Feneck said. "Case managers often tell us that clients are far more compliant in welfare-to-work activities and much more motivated to seek employment or education after attending Wellness WORKs!"

Those who have participated in the program say it can have a life-changing impact, and they praise the caring and helpful staff.

"We were treated as people instead of cattle being rushed through class," one client wrote. "I needed something like this to remember who I was before life took me away."

School of Nursing Offers Wellness Clinics

Through its connection with the CSU Stanislaus School of Nursing, Wellness WORKs! also offers Wellness Clinics each fall. Led by Associate Professor Carolyn Martin — and with help from graduate and undergraduate nursing students — the clinics provide basic health screenings, education on various health topics and a list of community health resources.

In particular, the Wellness Clinics target important medical problems identified as major issues in San Joaquin County, such as diabetes, strokes, heart disease, obesity and asthma. Many welfare recipients lack consistent medical care, Feneck said, so the wellness clinics have been a valuable addition to the program.

The Wellness Clinics are in the fourth year of a five-year, $38,000 grant obtained by Martin through CSU Stanislaus' Center for Excellence in Graduate Education (CEGE). The program was one of four to receive CEGE's Faculty Achieving Community Engagement for Students (FACES) grant.

For the CSU Stanislaus nursing students who participate, the clinics are an opportunity to gain exposure working with the disadvantaged and a chance to practice their skills in a real-world setting.

"The experience was fulfilling and inspiring," student Kristi Carson said. "I believe I will be a better nurse and a better person for the short time I spent there."

For information on Wellness WORKs!, call 664-4455.