2010 Annual Report

Financials

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Financial Statement of Activities for Fiscal Years Ending December 31st

Direct Program CostsOther Operating ExpensesFundraising & Bus. Dev.

6%

33%60%

School FeesIndividual DonorsFoundations & Corporate

1%6%

93%

3%4%

11%

17%65%

Los Gatos High SchoolCostaño/49er AcademyBishop & LakewoodMenlo Atherton HighSunnyvale Homeless

2010 Revenue

2010 Expenses Expenses by Program

26%

2%2%

8%14%

47%

Los Gatos High SchoolCostaño/49er AcademyBishop & LakewoodMenlo Atherton HighSunnyvale HomelessUnrestricted Funds

Revenue by Program

Notes

(1)!CASSY incorporated in April 2009 and became operational June 2009.

(2)!In January 2010, a single donor made a one-time $50,000 donation to support agency growth.

(3)!Our goal is to maintain a four month financial reserve to address cash flow and to fund new opportunities.

2009 2010RevenueSchool FeesIndividual DonorsFoundations & CorporateInterestTotal Revenue

ExpensesDirect Program CostsFundraising & Business DevelopmentOther Operating ExpensesTotal Expenses

Increase in Net Assets

$55,000 $162,190$30,017 $89,517$5,990 $17,250

$7 $132$91,013 $269,088

$75,611 $183,334$3,450 $2,698$8,631 $12,138

$87,691 $198,169

$3,322 $70,919

(1)

(3)

(2)

* Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.

Dear Friends of CASSY,It’s hard for me to believe, but it has been two years since the idea for CASSY was born over a breakfast of scrambled eggs in a Palo Alto coffee shop. From day one, our mission has been to de-stigmatize mental health services and make supporting students’ social and emotional well-being the norm in our local schools. Simply put, we are committed to helping kids navigate the sometimes choppy waters of childhood and adolescence. It’s amazing work, and I am humbled every day to be a part of a profession of healing and hope. We couldn’t do what we do without the incredible support we receive from our schools, our staff, talented volunteers and generous donors.

Since we started our first program in June 2009 in East Palo Alto, we have provided a mental health safety net for over 3,500 students across four school districts in San Mateo and Santa Clara County. Some of the students we see come from broken homes and have no support. Others have wonderful, supportive families but are having a hard time dealing with the struggles of childhood or adolescence. In all cases, we are there to hear them, sit with them, understand them, and give them hope.

I am excited to present CASSY’s first ever Annual Report (more accurately, it’s a 19-month report covering the period between June 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010). In this report, you will read about the programs we’ve developed and get a sense of our young agency. Looking forward, we have exciting plans to build on the momentum we’ve already created. Our strategic plan has us growing in a measured way so that we reach more students each year while never compromising on quality or our core principles. Our longer-term goal is to ensure that comprehensive mental health services are available to all students from the first day of kindergarten to high school graduation in any community that values mental health.

It has been an amazing experience to create an agency that is truly affecting lives. It is also wonderful to know the work we do is valued and appreciated. On that note, we are thrilled to announce that CASSY won the prestigious 2011 Glenn Hoffman Award for Excellence for our work at Los Gatos High School during the 2009-10 school year. This award is presented to programs in Santa Clara County that have a significant impact on students and are innovative, creative, replicable and sustainable.

Sincerely yours,

Liz Schoeben, MFTExecutive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rob SchoebenPresident

Al LlamasTreasurer

Beth O’MalleySecretary

Mike GuerraDirector

Gina MayaDirector

LICENSED STAFF

Liz Schoeben, LMFTExecutive Director

Liz Llamas, LMFTClinical Director

Regan Ryan Hunt, LCSWSite Director

Marissa Mariano, LMFTSite Director

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We provided bilingual counseling services, education and outreach to the newly immigrated English

Language Learner students at Menlo-Atherton High School.

CASSY’s inaugural project provided onsite therapists for the

2009 Ravenswood City School District summer school program.

After struggling with the impact of four student deaths, LGHS hired CASSY to deliver a comprehensive mental health program which includes crisis intervention,

ongoing counseling, and parent and staff support.

CASSY was founded in 2009 with a mission to de-stigmatize mental health services and make supporting students’ social and emotional well-being

the norm in our local schools.

Young people need our support.In a given year, 20% of young people experience mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, academic stress, low self-esteem, and substance abuse. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these kids do not receive the treatment they need. Left untreated, many teens contemplate suicide, the third leading cause of death for young people today.

The good news is that quality treatment can help. The challenge, however, is connecting these kids with the treatment they need. Families often find it difficult to find and pay for qualified professionals, let alone getting these kids to the therapist’s office. Studies show that students are far more likely to seek counseling when it is available at their school, especially if it is free.

That’s where CASSY comes in.We are a nonprofit agency that partners with schools to provide professional mental health services to students in their academic setting. Our therapists are compassionate, extremely competent and conveniently located right on campus. All services are free to the student and their parents. With CASSY, there are no cost, transportation, or insurance barriers to prevent students from getting the help they need.

CASSY has proven that when you put highly qualified postgraduate therapists on the school campus, students will come in and get help. In fact, 20-25% of the entire student body will come in. Some once or twice. Some every week for years. Being school-based is absolutely the key.

Getting to where we are today...

The Beginning

Ravenswood City School District

Menlo-Atherton High School

Los GatosHigh School

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As part of a districtwide summer school program in 2010, CASSY supported homeless and financially disenfranchised families

in the Sunnyvale School District.

Last fall, we launched an exciting new mental health program at one of Ravenswood’s more troubled school sites. We are on campus three days each week during the

academic year.

CASSY has been on campus at two elementary schools in the Sunnyvale school district since February 2010. The majority of the students are Spanish-speaking English Language Learners, with over 65% on free or

reduced lunch programs.

CASSY model and principles.CASSY provides counseling and proactive mental health education for students, consultation and training for staff, and outreach to parents and the broader community. Although every program is unique, we always stick to five core principles.

1. We are available to help all students, regardless of their ability to pay.We serve financially disenfranchised communities where free services at school are the only realistic way to reach kids. We also serve financially stable communities where many families have the resources, but other barriers such as stigma, transportation and insurance limits get in the way.

2. We partner with schools that value mental health in the educational process. The only way to achieve our shared goals is to create a strong working relationship between our agency and the school. To do so, we set up shop right on campus and integrate the CASSY team with the school’s staff. Together, we create a mental health resource team that is as much a part of the school as the guidance department and special education.

3. We tailor our programs to meet the unique needs of the population we will serve. We factor in the unique characteristics of a given school when creating any new program. For example, our staffing for a 2,000-student high school with a single site will be quite different from that for a district with a dozen elementary school sites. We have also found that bilingual therapists are essential for some schools.

4. We hire, train and mentor professional therapists who love working with youth. We use experienced therapists to tackle our clients’ issues rather than using our clients’ issues to train inexperienced therapists. Our model starts with a licensed site director who supervises a staff of paid postgraduate therapists.

5. We are committed to making a difference.We take great pride in improving the lives of the students we support. We will always see each case through whether we handle it internally, refer it out, or both. When there is a mental health crisis on campus, we will be there leading the way. We expect our partner schools to put us in charge and rely on our expertise.

Bishop & LakewoodCostaño &

The 49er Academy

SunnyvaleSchool District

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We began our work in East Palo Alto with a Ravenswood districtwide summer school counseling program in 2009. CASSY placed two bilingual, bicultural therapists on site at Green Oaks Academy for six weeks to support high risk students from across the district. Our therapists observed classroom and playground behavior to recommend services and support staff with the behavioral issues they were facing. We provided individual and crisis counseling as needed, including hospitalization of a student for suicidal behaviors. We ran several support groups on topics such as anger and impulse control, social skills and an eighth grade girls transition group.

While we saw progress during our summer school program, we knew that to make a bigger impact, we’d need to provide a comprehensive program during the school year. In the fall of 2010 we partnered with Costaño Elementary and The 49er Academy, the most needy schools in the district. These schools had been designated by the California Department of Education as consistently low performing schools, which qualified them for turnaround funding from the government. The school

administration made mental health a priority and wrote CASSY into their School Improvement Grant request. We are now working diligently to remove the social and emotional obstacles preventing their students from being able to focus on their academics.

During our first semester on campus, we worked with Costaño administration and identified bullying as the most significant issue on campus. To address the problem, we conducted an anti-bullying workshop for the entire sixth grade class using an award winning documentary entitled Let's Get Real and its associated curriculum. We held small group discussions with students to discuss both their reactions to the film and their firsthand experiences with bullying. Several students identified themselves as bullies and asked for follow up counseling to address their aggression and acting out behavior. School administration already reports an overall improvement in"student relations within their sixth grade class.

Ravenswood City School District

98% Latino, African American or Pacific Islander

68% classified as English Language Learners

85% on free or reduced lunch programs

StudentProfile

SERVING MINORITY AND LOW INCOME STUDENTSIn California, 40% of Latino, African American, and Pacific Islander students drop out of school before reaching the twelfth grade. To help these kids reach their academic potential, we must address the underlying social and emotional issues that affect so many students.

Starting in February 2010, CASSY placed a bicultural, bilingual licensed therapist at each of Lakewood Elementary and Bishop Elementary. The majority of the students at both schools are Latino, African American or Pacific Islander, and almost three-quarters of the students receive free or reduced meal plans.

We see these children for a range of issues, the most prevalent being anxiety, child abuse, cross cultural issues, depression, divorce, domestic violence and poverty. Our work with a given child begins with an extensive assessment which includes classroom and playground observation, teacher feedback and parent consultation. Our counselors use play therapy, which is proven to be the most effective way to work with kids at this age. After the first semester, 80% of the students had an increase in self esteem as measured by the Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory Report. Our counseling program was renewed for the 2010-2011 school year.

In the summer of 2010 we conducted a districtwide counseling program for homeless and severely financially disadvantaged students and their families.

Beyond the individual, family and couples counseling, which we provided primarily in Spanish, CASSY also offered community outreach services. We distributed backpacks filled with school supplies and community-donated clothes, books and toys to the families in need. Our counselors connected these families to local resources that could help them find adequate food, clothing, and shelter for the longer-term. !""#$%&$'()$*%*+,-'.%/$0)12)3$4)1)$(%5),)00$%1$6./-/7.-,,8$3.0)/&1-/7(.0)3$&-5.,.)09

During the 2009-2010 school year, CASSY played a key role in Programa Conexiones, a Menlo-Atherton High School program that supports newly immigrated students. CASSY therapists served as liaisons for many of the Conexiones students who were having trouble accessing campus and community resources.

Some of the students needed legal support relating to traumatic events they had experienced. Our counselors were there to help them successfully navigate the legal system. CASSY also led outreach classes on a wide range of topics including immigration issues, depression, substance abuse and STDs.

Menlo-Atherton High School

Sunnyvale School District

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Los Gatos High School

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At the beginning of the 2009-10 school year, Los Gatos High School (LGHS) contracted with CASSY to provide a comprehensive, on-campus mental health program that included 100 hours per week of individual, family and group counseling sessions during school hours. Between August 25, 2009 and June 10, 2010, we performed 403 student assessments, 203 parent consultations, and 2,128 therapeutic sessions.

After meeting one-on-one with over 20% of the student body, the top issues with which many students struggle became clear (students can have more than one issue).

PRESENTING ISSUE %

Grief and Loss Issues 28%

Depression 25%

Communication with Parents 24%

Peer Relationships 19%

Anxiety 17%

Academic Stress 16%

Divorce/Single Parent 13%

CASSY also provided outreach opportunities for the Los Gatos parent community, including:

Parent Project – We assisted the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department with a 12-week parenting class for at-risk youth.

Hopefulness and Help: Understanding Depression & Suicide – We hosted a parent event featuring Dr. Dan Reidenberg, a national expert on teen suicide and depression.

To measure the effectiveness of our programs, CASSY uses the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), a therapeutic tool where each student is given a rating based on overall level of functioning. Our goal is to increase the GAF number with counseling. At the end of our first year at LGHS, 83% of our clients had an increase in their global functioning.

New Programs for 2010-2011 School YearThis past fall, CASSY supplemented our core services with two new outreach programs:

Depression and Suicide Awareness Campaign CASSY staff follows the nationally recognized suicide prevention curriculum created by SAVE, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. During the first semester, we completed 15 presentations to the 422 students in the sophomore class and identified 50 at-risk students.

Peer Mediation – CASSY initiated an extensive four-month program to train select LGHS students to become certified peer mediators. These students will help other students resolve conflicts without violence and with respect. Mediation not only empowers students to find appropriate solutions but also allows them to develop life skills in interacting with others.

SERVING FINANCIALLY STABLE COMMUNITIESMental health issues know no socioeconomic boundaries and affect young people regardless of their financial resources. Too often, logistics and the stigma associated with seeking outside therapy prevent young people from getting the social and emotional support they need, even if they can afford it.

–

On Saturday, August 28, 2010,

the Los Gatos community

hosted a trio of fundraising bike

rides in memory of Jill Naber,

who died in 2009 when she was

a freshman at Los Gatos High

School. All proceeds from the

event went to support CASSY

services at LGHS."

Jill’s Ride for Hope was

organized and produced by Rob

and Polly Naber, with support

from a group of volunteers and

the Los Gatos Lions, who

provided all the food, supplies

and services for the BBQ.

Special thanks to Rob and Polly

Naber, Dave Burt, Louise Kobin,

Elizabeth Nedved, Jim Thrall

and Matthew Wygant for their

incredible efforts. The event

was a huge success, increased

awareness of CASSY, and raised

over $20,000.

STUDENT RESPONSE

“CASSY was the best thing in the world for me. It is soconvenient and the people are absolutely amazing.”

“It helped me become a stronger person inside. Getting badthoughts out of my head made me much happier.”

“CASSY made life bearable.”

“I feel like if it wasn't there I would have gone crazy, or at least lost, without their guidance.”

“I don't think I would have survived high school without her.”

PARENT OPINIONS

“I feel CASSY may have saved our relationship.”

“My daughter's attitude towards seeking on campus counselingmoved from ‘why bother’ to encouraging her friends to do the same rather than shut down or act out due to stressors.”

“I am very grateful my daughter had someone to talk with regularly about important issues.”

“By far the most valuable resource the school has to offer.”

STAFF PERSPECTIVE

“CASSY provides a blend of veteran therapists and interns, a combination that provides the best student mental health support system I have ever seen implemented in a high school setting.”! - Cary Matsuoka, Los Gatos-Saratoga Superintendent

“I’m grateful that CASSY has become so fully integrated into the daily functioning of our school. This seamless integration has removed any stigma that might otherwise be attached to students needing help.”! - Kristi Grasty, Assistant Principal

“Last year when our school suffered another student death, CASSYwas instrumental in leading the healing process for our school.”! - Amy Guiterrez, Guidance Director

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We are so grateful for the generosity of our donors, volunteers and partners. It is with great pleasure that we recognize gifts

received between June 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010.

SCHOOLSLos Gatos High SchoolMenlo-Atherton High SchoolRavenswood City School DistrictSunnyvale School District

FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE GIFTSACTTBarbara Scavullo Design, IncBeck, Ross, Bismonte & Finley LLPCASACSM ConsultingExecutivEdge of Silicon ValleyGolden State ActivewearHospice of the ValleyID Construction, IncJames J Nicholas & AssociatesJillian Naber Memorial FundKR Surface IndustriesLos Gatos Community FoundationLos Gatos Home & School ClubLos Gatos LionsLos Gatos RotaryPalo Alto Weekly Holiday FundTMR Systems, Inc

IN-KIND DONORSA Party PlaceCreative DrinksDon Williams and AssociatesHobee’s of Los GatosJoel Jordan PhotographyJohn Baird of ExecutivEdgeJungle Printers

Liquid Sky VineyardsLos Gatos Barber ShopLos Gatos High SchoolLos Gatos Lions ClubMoore Buick GMCMorgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLPNeumethod DesignPalo Alto Medical FoundationParty BeansParty FiestaPeet’s Coffee and Tea of Los GatosPro Signs of Los GatosProvino Premium WinesRough HouseSports BasementSummit BicyclesTim PasquinelliTrader Joe’s Los GatosTrail Head Cyclery

INDIVIDUAL DONORSLisa AbeyounisTheresa AbramsAnonymous (4)John & Susan BairdBrian & Anita BeahmJim Bean & Christine O’SullivanStephen & Kazuko BeckCelia BellJim & Nancy BlakeToni BolligerElizabeth Bowden-SmithDean BraunKim BrodnikRichard & Laura Brossart

Beau & Adria BrownPatricia BullerStephen CampbellRich Capelouto & Gina MayaRoger CarlsonMary CarusiTom CasadyBrian CassidyNoel CastellanosLaurie ChavezWilliam H. CilkerCurt & Faustine ComstockJoan ConleyLinda ConnerJane CreightonJohn & Debbie CrouchAndrew & Carol CroweDallas De AtleyGianfranco & Eileen De FeoDavid DominguezDoug DonzelliDavid DoolinLissa DuttonDominic & Gillian FarmerHenry and Linda FeeTony & Dana FenwickLeslie FinchRandy & Susan FlatnessKaren FongShirine FowlerGary & Nanci FredkinLinda FrenchJohn Fumia Jr.John FurlongPaul & Diana Garneau

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Amy GoldsmithJudy GoodsonMike GuerraSteve & Marsy HaberTimothy & Georgia HarrisBrian & Megan HedayatiLynnAnne HeilJere & Leslie HenchRandy HessLinda HigginsDr. Russell HirschScott & Katherine HotfelterK. Huesby & S. JacksonLorin JanovichRobert JensenTony & Kathleen HughesWilliam KellerJudith Kelley-MacekMatthew KevorkianJohn & Monica KirkorianJeri KistnerJeffrey & Taryne KrausJohn & Nancy KymeCharles Kuta & Eva EchemendiaScott & Kristin LamsonMonica LaurenceBenjamin & Barbara LawlerMargaret LawrenceCarol LeRobert LepeshJim LisiLarry Lisser & Nadine GravenDeborah LockettFrancesco LongoniHoward Look & Melissa AndersonDavid & Monica Lyle

Keith & Catherine MacbethCatherine MacierzMichael & Jane MairoseJohn & Judy McCoolDennis McEvoy & Kim WorsencroftLeslie MeehanChris & Laralyn MelvinChris MillerScott & Elise MillerAndrew & Cathy MoleyKevin & Lori MorrisMike & Elaine MurphyNeil MurphyRoss NakajiRobert & Claudia NelsonMeiyi Ng & Eliahu LevKeri NicholasDeirdre O’BrienMartin & Beth O’MalleyHenry & Nancy OfferOswald & Jan OlsenLana OrozcoPilar PabloKirk & Annette PaulsenDeborah PavlosEric Raff & Kathryn PaisleyGregory PayneTodd PhillipsDebra RaleyKaren RamirezAmy RaoElizabeth RatchfordRonald Ricci & Loretta StagnittoLainey RichardsonRobert & Barbara RichingKeith & Janice Robinson

Nicole RodriguezRandee RoseJoel & Andrea RubnitzGordon Saul & Wendy SmithEdwin Sayre Jeff & Susan ScheelKatie SchoebenRob & Liz SchoebenMike Schonenberg & Tracy NeistadtGrant & Robin SedgwickLauren SegalAndrew & Else SinsigalliKathy SmoleyMichael & Ilene SotnikRoger & Laura StephensElizabeth StoneNancy and Dennis SymanskiJitian TanKen & Nicole ThomCheryl ThomasSusie TigheElizabeth Novak TinorLeah ToeniskoetterGale UhlNancy Walker Chris & Melinda WellingtonDeb WhitmanCandi Whitsel David & Patty WildeAngela WongYiding & Robin WuGordon Yamate & Deborah Shiba Eric & Jean YoungJo Ann Yore

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Thank you!

With your help, CASSY can continue to support the social and emotional well-being of all students at the schools we serve. Contributing is easy, safe and tax-deductible, with two convenient ways to give:

WRITE A CHECKPlease make your check payable to “CASSY” and mail it to 555 Bryant Street #126, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

GIVE ONLINETo give online, just visit www.cassybayarea.org/support and fill out the secure online form.

CASSY is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN#26-4655116. All donations are 100% tax deductible

555 Bryant Street #126Palo Alto, CA 94301-1704