Former Muir Wood clinical director among victims of California shooting

Among the three shooting victims of this month's hostage standoff at a northern California veterans home was a former clinical director at the adolescent addiction and mental health treatment program Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services.

Jennifer Golick, 42, was a highly respected clinician who presented at a number of Vendome Healthcare Media forums in recent years, including a talk on risks associated with adolescent marijuana use at the 2016 National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD) in Denver.

Golick and the two other women who were killed in the March 9 incident at the Veterans Home of California, Christine Loeber and Jennifer Gonzales, were employees of The Pathway Home, which assists veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The counseling service is housed at the nation's largest veterans home, located in the Napa Valley area. The veterans program, for which the three women served as the core clinical team, has been suspended indefinitely.

Muir Wood executive director Scott Sowle said in a news release that Golick “helped countless families heal.” He added, “The boys at Muir Wood would literally line up at her office door waiting for her to arrive in the morning.” Golick had left Muir Wood in order to take a job that would place her closer to her family.

The staff at the Destinations for Teens treatment organization paid tribute to Golick, who they called “a friend and an avid partner,” in a statement that read in part, “In the wake of this tragedy, we are reminded of the important and valuable work we are privileged to do in this field. We are committed today more than ever to provide exceptional and accessible service to teens so that stories like Jennifer's can be prevented.”

The Napa County coroner's office reported this week that the 36-year-old gunman, a former Army infantryman, shot the women with a rifle before killing himself. According to news reports, the man had been treated at The Pathway Home before being asked to leave the program for carrying knives into the facility.