New Beginnings Expands Staff Amid Mental Health Surge in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - In recent years, New Beginnings in Santa Barbara has faced mounting demand, leaving some patients on counseling waitlists for more than a month.

“We’ve had record numbers every year … ever since Covid … this year in particular we’ve had a significant increasing request for counseling," said executive director Kristine Schwarz of New Beginnings.

Until now, the organization has operated as an all volunteer counseling center.

"All of those people provide pro bono counseling and support to our community," said Schwarz.

For the first time, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Women’s fund of Santa Barbara, the nonprofit is hiring paid counselors in addition to its longtime volunteers.

The goal is to cut wait times and connect more patients with the care they need.

“We have so many fantastic programs that meet high needs of our community at this time. You know if we have a client who is afflicted by multiple issues … we’re able to give them comprehensive care," said clinic intake coordinator Kailee Lencioni of New Beginnings.

The New Beginnings team hopes additional staff will help meet the community’s growing mental health needs.

“This position was limited in hours … we didn’t have the funding … and thanks to this will be able to expand my hours to be a little bit more in the clinic and helping those Spanish speaking clients that we have," said Spanish intake coordinator Elvia Hernandez of New Beginnings.

By adding counselors and updating its center, New Beginnings aims to reduce wait times for Santa Barbara residents in need of care

“It allows us to process intake more quickly, which will allow us to serve more people more quickly," said Schwarz.

The nonprofit expects wait times to shorten significantly as more counselors come on board this year.New Beginnings in Santa Barbara is overwhelmed with a counseling waitlist now stretching more than a month.

The staffing boost is backed by new funding, including a two-year $150,000 grant from the Women’s Fund, as well as support from the Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation and the Santa Barbara Sunrise Rotary.

The grants also helped purchase new furnishings for the counseling center and medical equipment for the nonprofit’s healthcare navigator.