The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services is launching a new embedded social worker pilot program in the cities of Bolinas and Stinson Beach two days a week.

The social workers will be in place in response to community feedback given at town hall meetings for west Marin residents and stakeholders.

The county said it learned that not everyone who needs services is able to go to the Point Reyes Station multi-services center, therefore embedding social workers in both Bolinas and Stinson Beach will help those people.

West Marin resident and social worker Caren Gately will be undertaking the job. She has worked as a navigation specialist for older adults in the county for five years.

“Her passion for service and deep knowledge of available resources ensures clients are aware of, and can access, the array of support and services necessary to enjoy health, well-being, safety, and self-sufficiency,” the county said in a statement.

The pilot program will be re-assessed after six months and make any necessary adjustments.

A meet-and-greet event will take place on Friday, April 15, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Bolinas Fire Department Community Room, 100 Mesa Road, Bolinas.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.