Ribbon Cutting Day in Victorville
The Victorville Wellness Center opened with a ribbon cutting, and AJ of Symba Center brought a camera and a microphone along for the whole day. Symba Center is partnering with the City of Victorville as the service provider on the new campus, bringing wraparound services to people experiencing homelessness in one place.
What follows is a 21-minute walk-through of every part of the campus before the first residents moved in, with the people who will run it explaining what each space is for.
Medicine That Meets People Where They Are
The tour starts outside with the street medicine van from Lestonnac Free Clinic, the clinic Symba Center is affiliated with while it works toward its own community clinic license. Symba CEO Dr. Shawn Smith explains that Symba runs its own street medicine van, one with running water and electricity so care can happen inside it.
Lestonnac's street medicine team, based in Orange County, makes the case for the model: most of the people they see are not an ER situation, even though the ER has become their primary doctor. Treating wounds and infections in the field, then connecting people to follow-up care, takes pressure off emergency rooms and leads to better outcomes.
A Campus Designed for Healing
AJ is direct about the thinking behind the layout. Experiencing homelessness is traumatizing, and many of the clients he has worked with have been hurt. The city wanted a place where people could come to heal and get a sense of something normal again.
That shows up in the details:
- Courts where residents can play basketball
- A pet park, because many people experiencing homelessness have pets and shouldn't have to give them up to get help
- Single rooms with storage for personal belongings and a desk
- Larger family units with space for kids and accessible bathrooms with shower chairs
- Accessible showers alongside the standard restrooms
The Dining Hall and Kitchen
The dining hall serves meals through a serving window from a full commercial kitchen with four ovens and a tilt skillet. Outside of mealtimes, the room partitions into three sections with their own entrances, used for therapy groups, financial literacy training, meetings and one-on-one time with case managers.
Where the Plans Get Made
The administrative building is where the day-to-day work happens. Clients check in at a reception window. Behind it, at least 10 case managers will each carry a caseload of about 15 to 25 people, mapping out a wellness plan with each client and holding them accountable to it. Computers in the space let clients apply for jobs and work on their program goals. A conference room hosts the multidisciplinary team meetings.
During the ribbon cutting, Dr. Smith called the day a momentous occasion for the community. "We're bringing services to people who don't have housing. It's been a long time coming," he said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we're going to celebrate today."
The On-Site Clinic
The tour ends in the medical clinic: a waiting area, reception, provider rooms large enough for a provider and students, a nursing station, a lab room with refrigeration for vaccines and insulin, and storage stocked with supplies. The clinic was fully stocked and paid for by the City of Victorville, and the team was preparing to start seeing patients days after the ceremony.
Who Should Watch
Anyone in the High Desert who wants to see what the city's investment looks like on the inside. City leaders and nonprofits working on homelessness elsewhere who want a model to study. Donors and volunteers deciding where their support will go furthest. And anyone who has wondered what happens after someone accepts help.
Watch the full video above.
