With support from the California Arts Council, Ella’s Ella’s Foundation will expand on last year’s comedy therapy workshop called “Con Comedy”. Facilitated by veteran comedian Adam Barnhardt, men will participate in a 12-week comedy therapy workshop to learn how to process feelings, trauma and emotions using their own life stories as part of their routine. The participants will be filmed by the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Tiffany Judkins of Kinship Filmworks.
For nearly 10 years, Ella’s Foundation has provided supportive housing to individuals who have been deemed homeless and have been diagnosed with a mental illness disorder exiting from jails, prisons and/or mental health facilities. Given the specific needs of these individuals, which range from unemployment, mental illness and substance abuse, Ella’s Foundation works to meet these needs by establishing a “client centered” model. Among the programs and services offered at Ella’s Foundation are the following:
o Case Management Services
o Employment Readiness
o “Men at Work” Life Skills Support Group
o Relapse Prevention Services
o Peer Mentoring
o Creative Writing Workshop
o Music Therapy
o Art Therapy