2015 Annual Report

Matthew stared at his final math exam, eyes watering up, pencil shaking in his hand. He couldn’t do it, couldn’t answer the questions about what number x is equal to without bursting into tears.

Matthew's teacher realized something was wrong and immediately called the office for support. CASSY Therapist, Tabitha, asked Matthew to sit with her; Matthew slumped down in the chair and sobbed. Matthew's best friend tried to commit suicide just six hours before the math final and was in a coma.

“I just sat there with him and told him it was okay to cry. We sat together for two hours talking about how sad and hurt and confused he was. He helped to identify other close friends who also needed support,” says Tabitha, “We brought in this group of kids so they had a place to support each other in private.”

Matthew became one of the 5,000 students who access mental health services through on-campus CASSY supports. He and his peers created a weekly support group, facilitated by Tabitha, where Matthew was reminded he is not alone in his pain and grief. The

group continued to meet until they graduated.

Though Matthew participated in weekly group therapy, he started to skip school and his grades dropped. Matthew told Tabitha he didnt want to use his situation as a means to get support for his academics. He admitted to lacking motivation. Matthew agreed to meet with Tabitha twice weekly, where Tabitha helped Matthew work through the depression that had been triggered by grief.

“Matthew focused on the impending death or big change for his friend. He was stuck between not being able to mourn and the hope that his friend would wake up and be okay. We worked through motivational interviewing, which was focused on the internal conflict of grieving or holding onto hope that his friend would get better. We talked through both scenarios and validated why he struggled so much,” Tabitha tells us.

Matthew successfully moved on to college in the fall, having processed much of his grief and with a toolbox full of coping strategies for when he faces a difficult situation in the future.

CASSY envisions a world where youth have continuity of support through their school years and aims to impact the culture of stigma surrounding mental health services.

Our mission is to de-stigmatize mental health services and make supporting students’ social and emotional well-being the norm in our local schools.In 2015, we collaborated with 33 elementary, middle, and high schools to provide comprehensive mental health services to students like Matthew. In the community where Matthew lived, mental health support is heavily stigmatized and available community resources are minimal, so CASSY is an important part of ensuring kids have the tools they need for success now and later in life.

The individual and group therapy sessions Matthew experienced were a few of the 15,000 offered program-wide. When school staff, families, and CASSY therapists come together to collaborate, we can best address the needs of the individual students and their community. In addition to individual, group, and family therapy sessions, over 4,000 staff and 6,000 parent consultations took place. Collectively, CASSY provided over 50,000 hours of therapeutic support in the communities we are proud to serve.

CASSY collaborates with our communities, including school districts, local governments, foundations, and individuals, to support the mental health needs of our kids. We are proud to commit over 95% of funds received directly to support the program needs and continue to ensure the financial stability of the organization.

2014-2015 Financials

77%

15%

2%

95%

5%2%

2%2%

Program Fees Foundations Individuals & Events

Corporate Government In-Kind

Program Administration

Revenues Expenses

Sobrato Center for Nonprofits 544 Valley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035

We are grateful for the generosity of our supporters, volunteers and partners. It is with great pleasure that we recognize contributions over $250 received between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

• Sand Hill Foundation• Rob* and Liz Schoeben• Sharks Foundation• University Club of Palo

Alto• Vasconcellos Project

Individuals• Chris Benson and

Pamela Maker• Rochelle Brandt• Rich Capeluoto and

Gina Maya*• David and Darin

Conway• Donna and Mitchell

Dale• Jim Deichstetter• Karen and Philip

Demers• Dana* and Tony

Fenwick• Leslie and Eric Finch• Stephen Fisher• Rebecca Fox

• David and Darice Funk• Robin Gates• Lara Gemignani• Joel and Michelle

Greenberg• Mike Guerra*• Steve and Marsy

Haber• Brian and Megan

Hedayati• Kenneth Huesby and

Suzan Jackson• Aki Inoue• Kristin Kerman• David and Karen Krall• Ben and Barbara

Lawler• Claus and Anne

Moelgaard• Andrew Moley and

Cathy Crane Moley• Scott Mosher and

Christine Laing• Carol and Ian Mowat• Amy Rao

• Vernon and Carole Rogers

• Debra Sacks• Jeff and Susan Scheel• Mike and Jan

Schoeben• Mike Schonenberg*

and Tracy Niestadt• Margaret and Dan

Seligson• Christina Semba• Aaron and Denise

Simmons• Wendy Smith and

Gordon Saul• Shannon and Jim

Susick• Nicole and Ken Thom• Richard and Carol

Tinsley• Mark Wilson

School Districts• Aspire East Palo

Alto Charter School (EPACS)

• Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

• Los Gatos Union School District

• Milpitas Unified School District

• Moreland School District

• Palo Alto Unified School District

• Ravenswood City School District

Foundations & Corporate Gifts• 1440 Foundation• Apple Matching Gifts

Program• Calvary Church Los

Gatos

• CASA• City of East Palo Alto• Google Inc.• Los Gatos Home &

School Club• Los Gatos Lions

Charities• Los Gatos Rotary

Charities Foundation• New Millennium

Foundation°• Palo Alto Community

Fund• Palo Alto Foundation

Medical Group Community Health Care Endowment Fund

• Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund

• Peery Foundation• S.H. Cowell

Foundation• Saratoga High School

Foundation

• Sobrato Family Foundation

• The Alarm Company, Inc.

• The Audrie Pott Foundation

• The Nick Traina Foundation

• The Rathmann Family Foundation

• The Sereno Group• Town of Los Gatos

In-Kind Donors• Alyssa Levitan Design

2014• Art Heroes• Susie Bitar• Boys and Girls Club of

Silicon Valley• Cindy and Bob Kron• Joy Frick• Kristin Dickens• Morgan, Lewis &

Bockius LLP

Thank You!

° Acknowledging gifts pledged in 2014 and 2015* CASSY Board Members