Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

What do you do if you are a caregiver and feel overwhelmed and stuck in your particular situation? Happily, Catholic Charities now offers “Call to Care,” a training program for caregivers. If you are a paid professional - such as a Home Health Aide, CNA, Nurse or Chaplain - a volunteer caregiver, or a caregiver for family members, this program is for you.

“Call to Care” is a training program to help people to learn how to be healthy and effective in their caring for others. The class offers effective communication skills, strategies for how to respond to losses, cultural sensitivity, identifying and dealing with different types of crisis that arise, and locating mental health services and resources in your community.

“This program is unique, because training for caregivers is so rare.” commented Ken F. Sawa, CEO of Catholic Charities. “Most caregivers are too overwhelmed to take the time to look after themselves and learn new skills. This is a program that provides help and creates hope for the individual who could benefit from a support system of peers, and learning how to deal with the difficulties that arise in this most important and loving ministry - care giving.”

The Ministry of Life, Dignity and Justice of the Diocese of San Bernardino considers the completion of this program to be a specialization course for the Parish Ministry Formation Program of the Ministry Formation Institute. The skills learned in this course are ones that will help Eucharistic Ministers, people who visit the sick, parish ministers, and those that care for their elderly, aging or handicapped family members.

Catholic Charities has expanded the training locations into three regions: Desert Region (classes are currently offered in Palm Springs and in the Fall in the Palm Desert Area), Western Region (classes are currently being held in Riverside and Rubidoux), and Mid–County Region (classes are currently offered in early November at St. Catherine’s of Alexandria, Temecula). Attendees are awarded a certificate of completion after they have finished the 12-week course.

There are English and Spanish classes provided in all three regions of the county twice a year. There is no cost to the participants. Winter Classes begin in January.

The Call to Care program is directed by Sr. Kay Wagner, OFM, who is a licensed social worker, a Franciscan Sister and has taught this class for three years. When asked about the feedback she receives from her previous students, Sr. Kay commented, “I love what I see. I see how the skills taught in the “Call to Care” classes are vital to the health and effectiveness of caregivers and their service to the care recipients. This program helps both the care-giver and the recipient.

These skills learned in “Call to Care” can be transferred to all the relationships in the caregivers’ lives. The participants grow in self-esteem and self-confidence.”
Courses are offered in the fall and then again in the winter/spring season. The twelve classes are offered on a weekly basis for a 2 hour session. The Mid-County Region has openings for the Fall 2010 classes. For more information and to be put on the “Call to Care” mailing list for the Western and Mid-County Regions call Adrianna Romero at (909)763-4970, extension 422 or email her at adrimft@yahoo.com. For more information and to be put on the “Call to Care” mailing list for the Desert Region call Phyllis Harakson at (760) 360-0441 or email her at pjharaksin@verizon.net.

“Call to Care” is sponsored by Riverside County Mental Health.