Ernie Yamane, Senior VP at Steinberg Architects, and Advisory Board Member with ARCC since 2021 was recently awarded Volunteer of the Year at the 2023 Behavioral Health Board Community Heroes Awards Ceremony. In addition to volunteering and/or serving on the boards of at least 15 local organizations, Ernie was nominated by Alum Rock Counseling Center for this award thanks to his stellar volunteer project management of ARCC’s Clinic Renovations Project.
Having had no major upgrades since 1994, ARCC’s clinic building had fallen into severe disrepair, technologically and physically. Among other things, the space could not adequately support telehealth or social distancing, both of which have become critical components of successful healthcare delivery in today’s healthcare landscape. Over the course of 18+ months, Ernie provided weekly (often daily) support with planning and implementation of ARCC’s Clinic Renovations project from start to finish, including support with architectural design, furniture selection, budget planning, and correspondence with key vendors and stakeholders, ultimately saving the agency tens of thousands of dollars in project management fees.
While Ernie’s 45+ years as an architect was undeniably a huge asset to the project, ARCC staff were equally grateful for his collaborative, positive, can-do style, which shines through in everything he does. Ernie loves to laugh and is almost always smiling. He never seeks recognition. And he is just as willing to do high-level planning as mundane tasks.
Below are a just few project highlights, which Ernie’s leadership helped to make possible:
- Through technology and cabling upgrades, ARCC has vastly improved staff’s ability to provide reliable, quality behavioral health sessions via telehealth.
- Through upgrades to the physical clinic space (including larger family counseling rooms, sound masking systems, new therapeutic toys, and a two-way mirror), ARCC has improved the quality and safety of in-person sessions, as well as the training opportunities they can offer to interns and staff.
- Through the updated, streamlined furniture layout and installation of new desks & docking stations, ARCC is maximizing space to support staff in the hybrid work model. This allowed the agency to close its administrative office location and condense all business operations at the clinic building, saving ARCC approximately $15,000/month in rent and related costs.
Thanks to Ernie Yamane’s incredible generosity, skill, and volunteer leadership of ARCC’s Clinic Renovations Project, thousands of youth and families will be able to receive quality behavioral health services each year in a warm, welcoming, and trusted space, which many have come to view as a home away from home.
For a full listing of all of the 2023 Behavioral Health Board Community Heroes as well as Ernie Yamane’s extended bio, click here.
If you are interested in a guided tour of the new clinic space, please join us for ARCC’s Clinic Grand Re-Opening & Open House Event on Friday, June 2nd from 1-5pm located at 1245 East Santa Clara Street in East San Jose. You can RSVP here.