CRESCENT MOON CENTER

Crescent Moon Center is A Place for Healing through Horses and Art. Our mission is to build a community of support around people in recovery from mental health challenges due to stress, trauma, addiction and disability by:(1) offering experiential equine-assisted learning and creative arts programs. (2) improving access to recovery resources and programs for diverse, underserved and under-resourced communities. (3) advocating for change in the publics perception of mental health challenges and substance use disorders.(4) developing coalitions and initiatives for recovery support locally, regionally, and nationally.We are a women led 501c3 nonprofit offering an empowering path toward healing, resilience, and growth through proven experiential art and equine-assisted learning workshops, along with ongoing community engagement and support. Healing Reflections our cornerstone program provides participants with a deeply immersive educational experience that integrates equine-assisted learning with creative arts. Our workshops include poetic medicine, abstract painting, photography, collaborative mural-making, vision boards, and therapeutic carriage riding. Each workshop provides a lens of self-discovery and connection to ones authenticity. Collaborative projects, group discussions, and peer-support builds community and trust. Through innovative and hands-on approaches, Crescent Moon is helping participants find balance and emotional well-being by combining the powerful healing tools of horses and art. We offer graduates of our program the opportunity to join us as volunteers and learn project management, program development, fundraising, research, grant and outreach writing, computer and administrative skills. Training with Crescent Moon has the potential for participants to become formally involved in our program and build employability skills generally. This important part of our program supports personal and professional goals to build a life aligned with their unique interests, values and vision for growth. We are further developing this training program and providing opportunities for participants to practice facilitation skills by leading community activities and serving as peer mentors. Over time, volunteers in our training program can progress to become interns, co-facilitators, and potentially become paid workshop facilitators. This trajectory builds upon our vision for a peer-support community. We are now requiring free scholarship-based training for participants who want to become certified peer-support specialists and facilitators for the workshops we offer - Art4Healing, Poetic Medicine, Singing-Tree, and Equine-Assisted Learning.Our program is primarily for adults; However, in 2024 we began planning programs to serve teens, families and youth through partnerships with Downtown Youth Wellness Center (DYWC), TabiMOMS, and Solano Behavioral Health (SBH). DYWC is a Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Department program dedicated to promoting a safe, supportive, and youth-focused environment. TabiMOMS is a nonprofit committed to creating a world where mental and behavioral health services are readily available and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. SBH and TabiMOMS have now become a provider of direct referrals of low-income individuals.Crescent Moon continued to build organizational capacity and launched programs in the South, North and East Bay. Through our Community Partners, we bring creative arts workshops directly to underserved communities, which broadened our impact, enabling us to reach a wider range of participants at critical stages in their healing process. Crescent Moon Center creates a safe and inclusive space for people to be supported. Diversity and belonging are central to our values. Crescent Moon Centers therapeutic equine-assisted learning and expressive arts workshops provide participants with a unique and transformative space for healing. Grounded in scientific research, our approach leverages the neuroplasticity-enhancing benefits of engaging in creative arts activities, along with the awareness of self and lessons in compassion that can be found in equine-assisted learning. Participants have described their experience as transformative and life-changing, highlighting the power of our organization to foster self-awareness and emotional healing.In October 2024, we analyzed survey and interview data to evaluate the impact of our program. The data shows, among other findings, that 85% of participants gained important new strategies for achieving emotional well-being, learned how to reflect on their feelings using creative arts, and developed a better understanding of boundaries through their work with horses. 97.8% of participants received scholarships or no cost workshops with community partners serving unhoused populations, veterans, survivors of violence, those with disabilities, and people recovering from addiction. Through scholarships, we enable participation for those who either do not have the resources to pay for programs or who have exhausted funds available for therapeutic intervention and ongoing support. As a nonprofit, we are dedicated to improving access to wellness resources and programs for diverse, underserved and under-resourced communities.