Thank you for your interest in “Connections” our Community Services Feed the Homeless Program based out of the
Anne Sippi Clinic for the Treatment of Schizophrenia.The following information provided below will help in providing an understanding our Community Services Feed the Homeless program, “Connections,” and hopefully answer any questions you may have about who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. We encourage you to contact us at any time if you need any further information.

Client of the Connections program passing out food at the Midnight Mission.

The Anne Sippi Clinic, located near the campus of California State University of Los Angeles, is a private residential treatment center which offers intensive bio- psycho-social treatment for various facets of disabling mental illnesses. In addition, The Anne Sippi Clinic and our sister clinic located in Bakersfield offer intensive, structured outpatient programs to treat clients throughout the community.

At the Anne Sippi Clinic our primary focus is to help people learn how to help themselves, to reduce debilitating symptoms, and to establish a feeling of safety. We aim to instill our clients with a sense of dignity and self respect through the knowledge that their illness need not continue to disrupt their lives. We believe that there is hope and that getting well can be a reality and not just a frustrating, unfulfilled dream.

We take an atypical approach to the treatment of schizophrenia. We believe that locks and fences are counterproductive for our clients. The clinic is home to thirty-seven clients who would otherwise be homeless or housed in a secured facility. By forgoing austere security measures we provide an environment conducive to growth and happiness. Our program has been designed to provide a variety of treatment methods that lead to the development of healthy relationships, dignity, and productive living within the community. Most importantly our program was designed to provide immediate quality of life improvements for our clients.

We feel strongly that everyone has something positive to contribute to our local community. By providing opportunities for individuals with mental disabilities to get involved two key goals are achieved. Not only does community service allow our clients to identify the need for meaningful work as a primary life goal, but it provides an essential element to their recovery because it creates conditions where they are actually becoming a community resource while helping others.

For the past year the clients at our Los Angeles clinic have been engaged in our “Connections” volunteer program which is best described as a project for sharing common humanity and kindness. Each Wednesday morning our staff and clients work as a team to assemble care packages for the homeless. Everyone takes part in our assembly line of care. Some make sandwiches; some pack the food into boxes, while others carefully place hand-written inspirational messages in each package. Afterwards all participants in our “Connections” program are taken to downtown Los Angeles’ Midnight Mission where they are handed out, in addition to food, clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, and stuffed animals.

Clients of the Connections program working in the kitchen,
preparing the meals at the Midnight Mission.

In defining effective treatment options, we have observed that a significant amount of growth and change relies upon an awareness of oneself in the context of other people. At the Anne Sippi Clinics we continue to develop program activities which serve as a catalyst to develop interpersonal dynamics and roles within the facility as well as the community.

Our sister clinic in Bakersfield, The Garden House Store operates as a non-profit 501(c )3 organization that provides a
pre-vocational training program along with work opportunities for persons with mental disabilities. Developed for and operated by the client’s of the Anne Sippi Clinic, the store features crafts, flowers, plants and gift baskets.

We believe that the store and all the jobs it creates make a very big difference in the lives of the individuals we serve, but we’d like to do more!

Our Los Angeles based Community Services Feed the Homeless program “Connections” operates on a very limited budget. Currently we are only able to make 50 sandwiches for the homeless once a week. Having the resources to do more means that more clients get to participate, and more people in need can get food, clothing, and other essentials that they need.

1. Double our sandwich making production on Wednesdays and then add a second volunteer day on Fridays, and so on.
2. Encourage people within the community to not only donate resources such as money, toiletries, clothing, and toys, but to actually participate in our homeless outreach program.
3. Raise money to create and support an Anne Sippi Clinic drop-in mental health counseling storefront to expand our community outreach. Our clients will have an instrumental roll in helping to provide direct services to the homeless of Los Angeles.

Our goals are ambitious, but we are driven by our care for people and our want to help.

The goal of Schizophrenia rehabilitation is to increase an individual's level of functioning and help him or her to live as independently as possible within the community. The ability to enjoy a quality of life comparable to that of others should be one of the most important goals in the rehabilitation process. Sadly, one common outcome for this condition is often the loss of choice in one's residence. Many people with schizophrenia find themselves homeless. It has been estimated that more than 30% of homeless people suffer from a psychotic disorder. Unfortunately, many of these individuals go on for years fighting and struggling alone without anyone to help them.

With your help, we can make it so the homeless of Los Angeles begin to feel connected to a community that cares. We heavily rely on the kindness of your donations to help support the commitment the staff and clients of The Anne Sippi Clinic have made to feed the homeless. Thank you very much for your interest in our Connections program. Please call me with any questions or to learn more about our program. (323)227-5252.

Ken Bagnis, MA, MFT
Treatment Director