ISSB Welcome Committee
ISSB welcomes you to our unique community nestled between the oceans and the mountains in our beautiful microcosm. We are a diverse multiethnic vibrant community united by the guiding principles of Islam and its spirit of compassion, mercy and doing good. Our goal is to uplift our community .We invite you to get to know us. We are happy to add you to our mailing list so that you can learn more about what we offer and participate in those events that interest you. Getting involved is the best way to meet people, make friends and discover all the wonderful ways to do good for the ISSB community and the greater Santa Barbara Community at large.
Relocation to a new place can be intimidating and formidable. Let us help you settled in Santa Barbara!
How it works:
Shortly after you arrive, or upon contacting the welcome committee, you will receive a visit from one or more members of the community. They will bring a welcome basket of fruit and other goodies, and they will have a wealth of information to share with you. This will include:
- –Information on how to get involved and connected with the ISSB family with brochures and phone numbers. If you would like to meet with the Imam to have him welcome you, we can arrange that.
- –Information on school districts, best schools to attend according to your children’s unique talents and the local colleges. Our committee members are experts on the school system in Santa Barbara. We can introduce you to other parents.
- –Information on housing and real estate agents. We can give you advice on what areas are best to live in, which to avoid due to fire hazards, etc.
- –Information on getting good doctors and dentists. We have several doctors and dentists as members of our community, and they will be happy to serve as a resource for you.
We would like you to get involved and volunteer. Our committee members can give you information and resources pertaining to that.
Committee members:
1. Mansoor Hussain
2. Afshan Hussain
3. Souheila Elkurjie
4. Ziad Elkurjie
5. Ali Rahman
6. Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman, Community Liaison email: contact@islamsb.org
Community Support Committee
Members:
1. Malihe Hassanpour, Community Liaison. email: contact@islamsb.org
2. Afaf Turjoman
3. Mukhtar Khan
4. Hossin Shaqur
5. Mansoor Hussain
Goals:
This group of caring volunteers is dedicated to supporting members of the community during challenging times. Our goal is to embody, live and practice the Islamic values of compassion and mercy in our community with a view to bringing comfort and a healing love to those who are vulnerable. In this way, we remind them that they are part of the ISSB family and not alone. We serve as a resource to the community and help to obtain the needed services or resources that they need in their particular circumstance.
Functions:
- Illnesses, surgeries, and admissions to the hospital or other health care facilities:
We will be there to visit, sit with you and read the Quran if desired, on a regular basis. We keep the list of the names of those who are ill and prayers are made for them at the Juma prayers. The name can be added or removed by contacting the community liaison. We coordinate the delivery of home-cooked meals when illness or injury makes taking care of oneself or one’s family difficult.
- Bereavements:
To support the ISSB families during this time, we will be there to read Quran and provide solace for the grieving families before, during and after the death. We will aid in funeral arrangements and provide moral support and financial support if needed. Prayers for the bereaved will be done at the Center by the Imam and the Congregation. A committee member will make contact periodically to see how the bereaved family is faring in the first few months following the difficult event.
- Births :
The birth of a child is a time of great transition. It takes some time for new parents to regain a sense of balance in the lives, as they deal with new parent uncertainty, lack of sleep and other challenges. We support the parents by providing meals for 1-2 weeks after birth to ease the transition.
- Other challenging life, events such as breadwinner job loss, domestic stresses such as divorce and separation.
We will be there to provide moral support, mediation, mental health services, prayers and handholding.
- Senior support
Our seniors are our most revered members. We want their wisdom and their participation.
We will arrange transportation to the prayers, regular visits for companionship or interaction with other seniors in the community, and access to other resources based on their unique requirements.
Health Care Advisory Committee
Members:
Dr. Ayesha Shaikh (Obstetrician/Gynecologist)
Dr. Salmanul Haq (Endocrinologist)
Dr. Priti Gagneja (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Bilal Harake (Pediatric Cardiology)
Dr. Samira Kayumi (Pediatrician)
Dr. Pedram Rashti (Gynecologist)
Dr. Zohair Hussain (Anesthesiology)
Dr. Saida Hamdani (Pediatrician)
Dr. Sasha Hamdani (Psychiatry)
Community Liaison: Saida Hamdani MD email: Health@islamsb.org
Functions:
- Health related educational talks for ISSB community and the greater Santa Barbara Community at large. There will be a video archive developed and maintained on the website.
- The Committee members will be available to help triage questions related to specific health issues as the need arises.
- The Community Liaison will communicate generate a quarterly report to the Board.
List of Upcoming Health Topics for 2017:
- Anxiety and Depression – Recognition and Management
- Men’s Health issues (Prostate health, Hypertension, exercise in a digitalized world).
- Healthy Nutrition for families
- Pediatric topics: Vaccines, Childhood nutrition for health and mental wellness, Behavioral topics.
- Preventative Medicine: weight management, Diabetes prevention, weight management
- Stress management (Mind/ Body Harmony)
Health Resources:
Santa Barbara Clinics
Santa Barbara residents can receive free or low cost medical and dental care from various clinics and community health centers. Most of the locations are Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) that are focused on serving the medically underserved, low income, unemployed, and uninsured by providing primary health care services.
Many of the health care programs are provided to individuals who are of low-income (including medically indigent and the homeless) as well as individuals with MediCal or Medicare insurance. Some of the services offered usually include urgent care/walk-in internal medicine, prescription medications, orthopedics, surgery, infectious disease, gynecology, asthma, arthritis, dermatology, endocrinology, family practice, urology, neurology and obstetrics. Many of the Santa Barbara health center programs also include laboratory radiology, social services, and access to pharmacy.
Community Health Centers
The clinics listed below are all federal government qualified health centers that can provide free or low cost medical and dental care to the low income, uninsured, and others. The clinics focus on people who struggle to access health care on their own. Dial the center below, or call the Santa Barbara health center hotline at (805) 929-3211.
All of these centers can offer general health care, medications, assistance with medical bills and expenses, immunizations, and more. Considering that they are all part of the federal qualified centers, many services may be offered at no cost for income qualified people. Call (805) 929-3211.
Carpinteria Health Care Center
931 Walnut Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Dial (805) 560-1050 for intake and other medical help.
Franklin Health Care Center
Clinic address is 1136 East Montecito Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Phone number – (805) 568-2099
Lompoc Health Care Center
Location is 301 North R Street
Lompoc, CA 93436
Phone number – (805) 737-6400
Santa Barbara Health Care Center
345 Camino Del Remedio
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Health Care for the Homeless Program
300 North San Antonio Road
Santa Barbara, California 93110
(805) 681-5363
Medical care is offered for the homeless, uninsured, and very low income/people in poverty. Call to contact volunteer doctors, medical professionals, and dentists at this Santa Barbara facility.
Homeless Issues
Casa Esperanza
816 Cacique Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805) 884 8481
Eye Care
Free eye exams and eyeglasses are available for uninsured children and adults of all ages.
See International
Santa Barbara Vision Care Coordinator
(805) 963-3303
Health Insurance Agency
Cencal Health
Health insurance agency in Santa Barbara, California
4050 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Phone: (800) 421-2560
Neighborhood Clinics
Covers the medical underserved and low income in the various parts of Santa Barbara. Access help with medical and hospital expenses. Learn about government medical care, and prescription drug assistance programs, too. Can access referrals to specialists as needed.
Eastside Neighborhood Clinic
915 North Milpas Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Dial the community clinic at (805) 963-1641
Isla Vista Neighborhood Clinic
970 Embarcadero Del Mar
Isla Vista, CA 93117
Phone number – (805) 968-1511
Westside Neighborhood Clinic
628 West Micheltorena Street
Santa Barbara, California 93101
Phone number – (805) 963-1546
Mental Health Community Resources for Youth, Individuals and Families
Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM)
1236 Chapala St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)965-2376
Cliff Drive Christian Counseling Center
1435 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
(805)568-3838
Community Counseling Center
923 Olive Street, Suite 1
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)962-3363
Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Center
CADA, Mentor and Fighting Back
232 East Canon Perdido Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
(805)963-1433
Family Service Agency
123 West Gutierrez Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)965-1001
Family Therapy Institute
111 E. Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)882-2400
Hope Counseling Center
5350 Hollister Avenue, Suite E
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805)681-7384
Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc.
2050 Alameda Padre Serra
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805)563-8820
Isla Vista Youth Projects
701 H West Campus Lane (next to Isla Vista School)
Goleta, CA 93117
(805)685-6900
Jewish Family Service Agency
524 Chapala Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)957-1116
Mental Health Children’s Services Clinic
429 North San Antonio Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805)884-1611
New Beginnings Counseling Center
324 East Carrillo Street, Suite C
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805)963-7777
Hosford Counseling and Psychological Services Clinic-Graduate School of Education
1110 Phelps Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
(805)893-8064
The Psychology Assessment Center (PAC) is a clinical and research resource of the Hosford Counseling and Psychological Services Clinic, a graduate training center within the Department of Counseling Hosford – Clinical, and School Psychology at UCSB.
SERVICES
Provides psychological assessment services for the measurement of disorders that affect psychological, emotional, academic, and occupational functioning. These include:
- Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
- Learning Disabilities including dyslexia
- Personality disorders
- Psychosis and thought disorders
- Neurocognitive disorders including nonverbal learning disabilities
- Depression and anxiety
- Learning Disabilities including dyslexia
Testing is comprehensive in nature, consisting of multimethod assessment of personality, contextual, neuropsychological, and intellectual factors.
CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: (805) 776-3722
Counseling through CenCal (Health Insurance Agency)
The Holman Group has been contracted through CenCal to provide counseling and medications for mental health services. To obtain assistance:
- Call the Holman Group through Managed Behavioral Health Care at: 800-321-2843
- Complete a Brief Intake Call (instructions should be provided at step1)
The Holman Group will call within a few days and provide a list of providers contracted through CenCal and will assist in coordinating an appointment to begin services.
Undergraduate-Graduate Education Committee
Members:
1. Prof Ahmad Ahmad, Humanities and Religious studies
2. TBD Electrical Engineering
3. Prof Saeed Mohaghegh, Business Administration
4. Prof Neda Mashoon, Chemistry
5. TBD Computer Science
6. Venus Nasri, Student Support
Community liaison: Venus Nasri email: higheredu@islamsb.org
Functions:
- Setting high goals for academic advancement and achievement for the undergraduate and graduate students of our community and the greater Santa Barbara community at large.
- Fostering personal and emotional growth
- Provide guidance and encouragement to undergraduate and graduate students regarding UCSB and City College resources
- Advise as to navigating the system (choosing the right courses, teachers and tracks, being able to compare the different majors and choosing the right major/minor and/or graduate program, avoiding common pitfalls in the UCSB/CC system).
- Advise on getting involved at a community level without losing values and principles, fostering self-esteem and confidence, cultivating healthy relationships, fostering leadership skills and independent thinking, assisting undergraduate and graduate students in becoming successful role models for others coming behind them.
- Support for students with special needs
- Help with learning about learning.
- Emotional Support: advise on how to prevent stress and burnout
- Extracurricular advice: community service, sports, enrichment activities
- Assist with setting up Student Class Representatives for Years 1-4 and Graduate work in each field
- Mentoring opportunities
- Establishing a structure for networking with professionals on campus and in the field
- Career counseling
- Assistance with financial/ housing resources
- Welcoming freshman students and their parents and giving them information about campus and community resources.
The committee will meet monthly with interested students for an educational event, which could involve having a speaker, giving an educational talk, screening a documentary, or just having tea with cookies session with students and answering questions.
The Community Liaison will generate a quarterly report to the Board.
K-12 Education Committee
Members:
1. Afshan Hussain, (Community Liaison) email: k12edu@islamsb.org
2. Kiffaya Haj
3. Souheila Elkurjie
4. Rola Kadi
Functions:
- Setting high goals for academics and achievement for the children in our community the greater Santa Barbara community at large.
- Provide guidance and encouragement to young parents regarding Public School resources, advice as to navigating the system (choosing the right courses, teachers and tracks; being able to compare the different schools and choosing the right one for each child; avoiding common pitfalls in the school system.
- Advise on empowering the children, getting involved at a community level without losing values and principles, avoiding bullying, fostering self-esteem and confidence, nurturing the ability to pick good friend groups and cultivating healthy relationships, fostering leadership skills and independent thinking, assisting teens in becoming successful role models for the younger children coming behind them.
- Home schooling advice: what curriculum to use, how to stay organized, time management, Charter School advice, socialization, Home School discounts, planners, Khan Academy and other resources
- Mentoring/ Support of Parents: advise on how to prevent stress and burnout
- Extracurricular advise: community service, sports, enrichment activities
- Setting up of Student Class representatives for K through 12
- Mentoring opportunities
- Formulating a plan to get involved with PTAs
The committee will meet monthly with interested parents for an educational event which could involve having a speaker, giving an educational talk/screening a documentary or just having a tea and cookies session with parents and answering questions.
The Community Liaison will generate a quarterly report to the Board.