Children and Family Resource Services

Who We Are:
Children & Family Resource Services (CFRS), also known as Health Linkages, is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, connecting communities with health and wellness resources throughout Santa Barbara County.

Our Mission:
To provide high-quality, family-focused, strength-based services to build resilient communities throughout Santa Barbara County.

What We Do:
Our programs  provide services to families and children living within the boundaries of  Santa Barbara County Schools. Services and Linkages include but are not limited to:

• Community, student, parent & teacher wellness education and family support
• Oral health and health screenings, including orthodontia
• Early childhood education and care support for health, safety and social resources 
• Medi-Cal enrollment and reenrollment services and coordination
• The integration and workforce development of health promotores also known as community health workers/promotores/representatives (CHW/P/Rs) into public and private agency outreach efforts and service delivery systems
• Coordination and funding support for the SB County Promotores Network and many community partner agencies who value their expertise in community outreach and education on a growing number of topics each year 

Our Programs:

Health Linkages Oral Health Program: Offers school-based health, dental and orthodontia screenings hand in hand with engaging health education and follow up services with families that promote student and family health, identify areas of concern, and connect to health care delivery and other critical resources. Led by Program Manager Jennyffer Rivera, MPH

Future Smiles of Santa Barbara County -Empowering kids with a confident smile and a healthier, brighter future: Provides funding, coordination and supportive case management for full orthodontia treatment (including braces and retainers) for qualifying students at a number of schools who have severe orthodontia needs and no other way to afford the critical treatment that supports each student and family's health, well-being, and confidence that leads to greater longterm success, health and happiness overall. Led by Health Linkages Program Manager Jennyffer Rivera, MPH

Connecting You to Coverage : Provides helpful application assistance connecting, enrolling and reenrolling students, families and community members to the best available resources and plans according to household income and other factors. Led by Health Linkages Program Manager Alexis Desales, MPH

Mental Health, Wellness & Education (MWEL) Program: Provides school-based coordination with students and families, in a special collaboration between SBCEO leadership, SB County Behavior Wellness (BWell) Department mental health professionals, compassionate Health Linkages health advocates and teams of dedicated staff from participating schools. Students and families receive trauma-informed assistance to navigate the complex process of accessing appropriate care for wellness. Led by Health Linkages Executive Director MaryEllen Rehse, MSW and SB County BWell Program Director Christina Lombard, MFT

Promotores Program and Santa Barbara County Promotores Network: Together provide a wide variety of culturally familiar and community-based work of the heart to deliver health promotion, education, coordination, advocacy and other critical work. Promotores are experienced and trained professionals and volunteers who acts as the glue between health care agencies and organizations and the community they serve, and Health Linkages Promotores Program is the glue between these two main health agents, often administering 20 different grant programs each with a unique health and/or wellness focus. Led by Health Linkages Program Manager Namino Glantz, PhD and Coordinated by Josefa Rios and Nancy Martinez, Community Health Worker/Promotores (CHW/Ps)