Empowering Families, Transforming Futures: Carenodes & Esteem Health’s PATH Marketplace Impact

At Carenodes, we believe in more than just systems change — we believe in human transformation. Across California, the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Technical Assistance (TA) Marketplace connects Medi-Cal providers with expert partners like Carenodes to drive real, measurable change for children, youth, and families.

Two stories from Esteem Health, one of our valued collaborators, show the extraordinary power of thoughtful, trauma-informed care, elevated by the strategic support of the TA Marketplace.

Turning the Tide for a Teen in Crisis

In Central California, a teenager stood at the edge of collapse — grappling with severe mental illness, substance use disorder, and the looming threat of expulsion. For Esteem Health, enrolling them in the Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program was just the first step.

But turning that enrollment into a life-changing experience required more.

With Carenodes by their side, Esteem Health moved beyond reactive care. Together, we identified systemic gaps, crafted trauma-informed interventions, and built a wraparound care plan that placed the teen — not the diagnosis — at the center.

A collaborative team of therapists, care managers, school staff, and family members worked tirelessly to stabilize the teen’s mental health, rebuild school engagement, and foster emotional healing. By summer, the teen not only graduated but also secured a job — reclaiming a sense of purpose and hope.

Even more profoundly, the teen’s family began to heal. Through Esteem Health’s dyadic care approach and caregiver support, once-estranged parents reunited, finding joy again in shared milestones and victories.

At Carenodes, we know that transformation is rarely linear. But with the right partners, the right tools, and the right heart, we can help providers like Esteem Health close the loop — connecting behavioral health, education, and family systems into a single, resilient support network.

Healing Around the Kitchen Table

Not all transformation happens in clinics or conference rooms. Sometimes, it unfolds in the quiet vulnerability of a family kitchen.

When Esteem Health’s team visited a foster family caring for young twins, they saw more than just intake forms or case files. They saw exhausted foster parents, children burdened by complex trauma, and a home yearning for support.

With Carenodes’ guidance, Esteem Health’s ECM Lead Care Manager (LCM) knew that the most powerful intervention was simple, human connection. Listening. Affirming. Sitting beside overwhelmed caregivers and saying, “We see you. We hear you.”

One twin dreamed of becoming a nurse, inspired by the visiting care manager. The other dreamed of learning a trade, following the example of their foster dad. In that moment, they weren’t just foster children — they were beloved members of a family, with hopes and dreams shaped by love.

Since that visit, Esteem Health, supported by Carenodes’ strategic tools and insights, has expanded services for the family — addressing medication needs, securing after-school programs, and building summer plans. But most importantly, they’ve nurtured hope.

As Esteem Health cofounder Ozzie Payne Miller reflected:

“Low income isn’t a demographic. It’s a subculture. Foster care isn’t just a placement — it’s a lived experience.”

The Power of Partnership

At Carenodes, we are honored to walk alongside organizations like Esteem Health through the PATH TA Marketplace. Together, we’re not just offering technical support — we’re helping to reimagine what’s possible for families, one child, one parent, one home at a time.

This is the heart of our mission: to deliver care that heals, care that uplifts, and care that transforms. If you are a Medi-Cal provider looking to deepen your impact, explore the possibilities of the PATH TA Marketplace — and discover how Carenodes can help you turn expertise into empowerment.