Yifat Clein has recently joined Kadima as the Intake/Quality and Compliance Coordinator. Prior to Kadima, she worked in a community mental health agency in Detroit, and with the Jewish community of Oakland County. She has a passion for health and wellness, affordable housing and food justice.

Written By: Yifat Clein

I will start with a little bit of background. I was born in Israel and have been living in the U.S. for the past 10 years. Growing up in a tight knit social environment influenced my drive to pursue a career that involves working with other people.

I moved to the U.S from Israel in 2007. After about a year in Seattle, I started pursuing my education at Seattle Central Community College. When it was finally time to pick a major, I decided to transition from psychology to social work because I appreciated the social justice emphasis and it seemed to offer a wider range of career possibilities. During my time at the University of Washington, I interned with an agency that focused on affordable housing and services for homeless individuals. I was also involved in a pilot food justice project on campus. I obtained my bachelor’s in social work in 2013 and a year later moved to Ann Arbor for graduate school. My concentration in graduate school was mental health with adults, but housing and food justice continue to be two of my biggest passions. I believe that access to housing and good food are essential for our physical health and mental health.

Before coming to Kadima I worked as a case manager, home-based therapist, and a customer service associate. I joined Kadima in December 2017 as the Intake/Quality and Compliance Coordinator. My role here is multi-layered: I communicate with prospective clients and their family members about services, I coordinate intake appointments and client moves with direct care and clinical staff, and I collaborate with members of the administrative team to collect and manage information and analyze outcome data. I am happy to be in a position where I get to directly engage with clients and staff and at the same time manage more “big picture” responsibilities. I was drawn to Kadima because of its holistic approach to mental health.

I appreciate that clients at Kadima take an active role in their care. They can participate in community programming at the Zussman Activity Center, engage in one on one or group therapy, volunteer in the community, and utilize a range of community support services. I believe that all of us, and especially individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness, benefit from multiple levels of support. I see, every day, that Kadima strives to offer individually-tailored care to each client.

As one of the “new arrivals” at Kadima, I am lucky to learn from those who have been doing this work for years. Kadima has an incredible team of individuals who truly care about the wellbeing of our clients and show up for them even when it is challenging. And if you’ve have ever worked in a non-profit social service setting you know about these challenges. As I continue to learn about the agency and my unique role within it, I look to my colleagues for guidance and inspiration. I am proud to be part of an organization that supports individuals who are vulnerable and too often marginalized. Kadima makes space for these individuals to see their own strength, resiliency, and capacity to overcome!