Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty -- yikes!
July 21, 2008

Former Hacienda's Feline Squatters
July 18, 2008

San Diego Business Journal: Nonprofit Profile - Mental Health Systems Inc. or MHS
June 27, 2008

Michael Hawkey Receives A CFO Award For The 2nd Year In A Row
June 10, 2008

Kim Bond Attends The Daily Transcript Healthcare Roundtable
June 10, 2008

MHS- TBS San Bernardino Recognized as Contractor of the Year!
June 6, 2008

Hookah Smoking: A Growing Public Health Issue
June 4, 2008

North County Times-Drug Use Down Among Arrested Teens, Report Shows
June 3, 2008

Dr. Anthony Jensen- KUSI segment (06/02/08)
June 2, 2008

MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.’S SERIAL INEBRIATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZED FOR COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS
May 28, 2008

Serial Inebriate Program(SIP) Alcoholics Could be Pushed to Treatment
May 11, 2008

Mental Health Month Survey Explores Americans'Social Relationships
May 1, 2008

Ricardo Lopez: A Gang Story
April 3, 2008

Kimberly Bond, recognized as one of the 20 most powerful women in business in San Diego
March 5, 2008

Laugh For Recovery Fundraiser: A success!
January 8, 2008

Kim Bond receives a Women Who Mean Business Award
November 5, 2007

Kimberly Bond assumes role as President of MHS
September 14, 2007

Michael Hawkey, one of 11 CFOs honored with a CFO of the Year Award
July 17, 2007

Gov. seeks to cut mental services for homeless
July 16, 2007

Rehab in prison can cut costs, report says
July 16, 2007

Fair Housing Commentary
June 11, 2007

Helping Teens Recover
June 1, 2007

Residential treatment programs find an ally in fair housing laws
June 1, 2007

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE - Urgent Need to Fix our Prisons
March 20, 2007

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty -- yikes!

July 21, 2008

Posted by Gail Marshall on
July 21, 2008 7:03 AM

Did you see Denny Boyles' story in The Bee about the huge feral cat colony at the former Hacienda motel that's being managed by the folks from Mental Health Systems Inc.? They are trying to transform the place into a housing and treatment center for women but taking care of the cats has become a fulltime job. They were taking in 18 a day at the beginning. Holy catnip. Wow. The things they don't teach you in management school.

While I'm sure nobody gets a case study like this one at Wharton,the care taken in supervising this problem says a lot about the management team that's coming into this neighborhood. Instead of trapping the cats and taking them to the SPCA, where they most likely wouldn't live too long, this group of folks has studied up on the science of feral cat colonies, is getting the animals spayed or neutered, adopting them out and letting the rest live on the premises taking care of any mice or rats.

I like what that says about the company and Jenny Bates, regional manager for MHS, who is overseeing the project. Though she's a dog person, she sought advice from the area's premier cat lady, Lynnea Lattanzio, who founded Cat House on the Kings in Parlier. Together, they devised the strategy. Now my mind works this way: If they take this much time and care with wild cats, how much more will they bring to the lives of the troubled human beings who will soon arrive? No telling for sure, but I'm just sayin' it's looking promising.

The story says that workers are now renovating three buildings to house residents in the Fresno First program, which will offer substance abuse treatment and housing to women released from prison. The first(human) residents are expected to move to the Hacienda from elsewhere in Fresno in September. Sounds like everyone will get a pet right away.