Center of Success

By California Community Colleges

February 11, 2025

Woman finds mental health, career and educational support at The Empowerment Center in Temecula

As a young teen, Autumn Hess wandered into The Empowerment Center in Temecula on a whim, intrigued by an event she’d heard about on self-improvement through empowerment. She initially wasn’t sure what to make of what she’d heard there, but her mother urged her to return the next day to learn more.

Nine years later, Hess is glad she gave it another chance. Now 21 and living in Murrieta, Hess thanks The Empowerment Center for helping her out of deep depression and the chance to become a certified community health worker with a focus on mental health. The free 12-week training led her to college and the goal of becoming a school counselor.

The Empowerment Center provides youth and families with mental wellness support and resilience-building skills. Its work to train and deploy mental health community health workers was buoyed by a $1.95 million grant from the California Workforce Development Board. Mental health community health workers are trained to connect people with resources such as counseling and health screenings.

“The course can help people who have been in a very dark place to better themselves. The Empowerment Center played a huge role as an extended family for me. They gave me help with my mental health and checked in with me a lot to see how I was doing.”

Autumn Hess, Certified Community Health Worker, Mt. San Jacinto College Sociology Student
The state program is part of Vision 2030, an initiative of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to create equitable access for students to gain the skills and knowledge they need to enter the workforce in growing fields, including health care, STEM, education and climate action.

The opportunity was life-changing for Hess. A survivor of abuse and molestation by a peer as a teenager, she was later diagnosed with major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, she lost her father to cancer at age 7, and her now single mother struggled with crippling stress. In elementary school, Hess was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

To obtain her certificate as a community health worker, Hess was given a laptop and then joined a group of other students online 10-12 hours a week over 12 weeks. She made friends with people who’d faced similar challenges, her depression eased and she was inspired to do more for her community.

“The course can help people who have been in a very dark place to better themselves,” she said. “The Empowerment Center played a huge role as an extended family for me. They gave me help with my mental health and checked in with me a lot to see how I was doing.”

Hess attends Mt. San Jacinto Community College, where she is pursuing an associate’s degree in Sociology. Next, she hopes to transfer to a state university and obtain a bachelor’s degree to become a licensed clinical social worker.

Hess’ ultimate goal is to counsel others like herself, who may be experiencing bullying, mental or social challenges. “I know there are students who want to close themselves off from their parents,” she said. “I want to help them open up more and more.”

Empowerment Center Founder Tiffany Baker said she is proud of students like Hess who completed the certificate program.

“It was deeply inspiring to witness our graduates radiate pride as they received their well-earned diplomas,” she said. “This moment signified a transformative step in their journey of personal and professional growth.”

For more information about The Empowerment Center, visit www.theempowermentcenterintl.com. To learn more about the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Vision 2030, go to www.cccco.edu.

Written by Dorsey Griffith

Center of Success