Family Service Agency of San Mateo County has been helping older job seekers update their resumes and freshen their job skills for more than 20 years through its Senior Employment Program.

But one component has been missing, says Susan Houston, director of senior services for the agency.

"In the last couple years we've seen a large amount of people, mostly women, who had some kind of mental health issue, such as low self-esteem, depression or fear of moving on to a job," Houston says. "But we haven't had the resources to address this."

A $7,500 grant from the 2006 Mills-Peninsula Community Benefit Grant Program, one of eight awarded to nonprofit organizations throughout the county, is allowing the agency to fill this gap.

Program participant Eve-Lyn Ragland, 62, of Pacifica says she wishes counseling had been available when she enrolled.

"It would have taken care of a lot of anxiety," she says. "I had been out of the work force for a few years. I was throwing my resume out there and getting no bites."

Ragland had worked for some 30 years when her office closed.

"I intended to go right back into the work force," she explains. "Then my housemate was diagnosed with cancer, so I started taking care of her. I stopped looking for work and started living off my savings."

Two years later, her friend died and her house was sold, leaving Ragland without a home or job. Today, with assistance from the Senior Employment Program, she is getting back on track. Ragland currently is serving an internship at the Pacifica Community Center.

Nancy Chang, director of counseling and visitation for the agency, says as few as five sessions may help clients work through feelings preventing a transition back to work.

Chang anticipates that approximately three sessions will be offered free, with a sliding fee scale or a maximum fee of $10 for subsequent appointments. A 12-week support group may be organized.

"Help is important," Ragland says. "Counseling can release some of the tension before you really get sick."

For information, call 650-403-4300, ext. 4369.
Back to top