Assisting with Facility Management | Spotlight on Erika

As Ascend grows to encompass every avenue and level of treatment for teens who struggle with their mental health, our team expands along with our operations. If you’re interested in how we keep Ascend running smoothly, you’ll want an inside look at what happens behind the scenes.

This month, we’re following Erika — the Assistant Facility Manager at our Santa Clarita houses, including Haven House, Willow House, and Canyons House. Learn what she does for us and how she got her start when you read this blog today!

What Does An Assistant Facility Manager Do?

Erika’s job is to support Brenda, our Regional Operations Manager. She’s there to ensure that all our facilities are safe and up to code, so clients and staff are in a secure environment at all times. Erika supports staff across all departments, including educators, clinical staff, and even the culinary team, to ensure everyone has the resources they need to help clients thrive.

How Erika Got Her Start

Erika didn’t always work in mental health. Before Ascend, she worked in retail. However, she felt the need to do more. When she saw that a mentoring position was open at Ascend, she decided to apply. As a mentor, Erika learned about our operations from the ground up, gradually advancing through the mentor hierarchy and ultimately becoming integral to our facility management processes.

Why Erika Loves Ascend

While she doesn’t have as much contact with our clients as she used to, Erika still finds it incredibly fulfilling to work with them. She loves being around for the transformation that clients experience from their first day with us until they leave our treatment programs. 

Erika also loves interacting with her peers every day, learning about the unique qualities our other team members bring to the table. Watching their work helps her refine her own skills to enhance her performance at Ascend.

Why We Love Erika

One of the reasons Erika is such an effective Assistant Facility Manager is her ability to determine who needs a little extra support. She keeps her eye on every single department, stepping in when there’s a gap so we can successfully keep our operations running at peak quality. Erika has spent time helping the team in the Santa Clarita facilities, Encino houses, and even our PHP locations!

Erika is also vital to running Ascend Academy. These unique training sessions offer structured training, experiential learning, and values-driven mentorship. We utilize Ascend Academy to onboard new staff with the knowledge, confidence, and compassion necessary to deliver the highest quality of care to adolescents and their families in treatment. Erika, in her capacity as an Ascend Academy leader, prepares, supports, and inspires staff to navigate challenging situations, maintain professional boundaries, and foster environments of safety, growth, and healing at Ascend.

A Day in Her Life

Erika’s days vary greatly depending on what’s needed at each facility. After clocking in for her shift, she makes sure that the list of Facility Tasks is completed, including data and documentation. She also checks in on the company vehicles, takes care of facility repairs, and covers the floor as needed.

You may find Erika doing a walk-through of a facility to spot any problems, taking clients to appointments to support our nursing team, working with the farm team, or filling in for a mentoring shift if someone calls out for an emergency. Every day for Erika is completely different!

Erika’s Trajectory at Ascend

Erika finds Ascend to be the most compassionate place for clients and staff to learn, grow, and build resilience. She’s learned a lot from her time with us, including how to help someone in distress, how to de-escalate stressful situations, and how to care for her own mental health. She’s excited to be a core part of the Ascend team, providing mental health resources and support to those who need them.

If you’re interested in learning more about Ascend, check out our history and mission. Want to join the team? Apply for a position with us today!