Community Social Services Agencies
The mission of the Youth Service Bureaus of the YMCA is to support families in nurturing and developing connected, healthy and productive youth. We do this by making mental health and social services affordable and accessible to families, schools and communities throughout San Mateo and San Francisco Counties.
For 40 years we have provided a continuum of services to help families address the challenges of growing up. We are the community mental health arm of the Peninsula Family YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of San Francisco specializing in counseling for youth and families; crisis intervention; prevention programs for at-risk youth; and parent education and support.
Did you know?
A donation of $1,500 sends 10 youth through 10 sessions of Anger Management.
Services vary at each site, please contact the office nearest your city for further infomation.
- Parent Enrichment Workshops
- Violence Prevention programs
- Spanish-speaking social services
- School-based Group & Individual Counseling
- Anger Management sessions
- Building Futures Mentoring
- Friendship Club
Youth Service Bureau of S. San Francisco1486 Huntington Ave.S. San Francisco, CA 94080650.877.8642
Youth Service Bureau of Pacifica435 Edgemar Ave.Pacifica, CA 94044650.355.3900
http://youthservicebureaus.org/
Our three Youth Service Bureaus clinics offer the following services to individuals and families.
Family therapy
Indivdual therapy
Co-Ocurring substance abuse and mental health therapy
Child and play therapy
Group therapy
Victims of crime therapy
Diversion family counseling for youth who are first-time offenders.
Fees
We accept Medi-Cal and San Mateo County Healthy Families insurance.
(We can help you enroll in these public insurance programs if you are eligible.)
What to expect.
Our clinic provides a safe space for you and your family no matter what the challenges you are facing. You will be treated with compassion, respect and confidentiality reflecting the highest standards of our profession. Our clinics contain comfortable counseling rooms and play therapy spaces for children and families.
All our our Counseling staff members are licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, Licensed Social Workers or Interns and Trainees working toward MFT and Social Work licenses who follow the standards of the Board Of Behavioral Sciences of the State of California.
The Building Futures Mentoring Program strives to make a difference in a child's life. This free program was established to provide youth from over-stressed families an opportunity to grow through a positive relationship with an adult mentor.
Download Mentee Application & Referral Form
Mentor Requirements:
- At least 23 years old.
- Complete the 15+ hour paraprofessional counseling training.
- Pass a fingerprint security screen.
- Have a clean DMV record.
- Provide a copy of valid auto liability insurance.
- Spend 1-3 hours a week with a youth, over the course of one year.
What's special about Building Futures?
A national one-to-one therapeutic mentoring program to move youth from risk to resiliency & help build a better future by matching them with an adult.
Building Futures began in 1992 to serve mental health needs of youth and families unable to obtain mental health services-free of cost to families.
15+ hours of therapeutic paraprofessional training for mentors to understand cultural/social development, mental health issues, risk factors, and to offer ways to communicate & relate to youth.
Extensive interviewing and screening for mentors.
Ongoing supervision and support for youth, families and mentors from trained family therapists or social workers.
Parents/Guardians included in the mentoring process (e.g. youth intake assessment, setting goals for the mentoring relationship, etc.).
For more information contact Vicki Bynum at 650.286.3916 or vbynum@ymcasf.org
We provide programs in over 40 school campuses in San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, predominantly at middle and high schools. Entry into these programs is generally by school referral. However, if you are interested in enrolling your child in one of these programs, please call us directly to find out which programs are at your child's school and how to access them.
CALM - Communication and Life Skills Management group for girls and boys provided in middle and high schools. The goup focuses on identifying anger provoking triggers, improving communication styles, and strengthening coping and anger management techniques. It provides a space for adolescents to talk about high risk behaviors in a safe place and identify personal strengths to address real-life challenges.
Friendship Club - A socialization group for Elementary aged children focused on relationship building, communication skills, conflict management, and assertiveness skills. Groups provided on campus and at the Youth Service Bureau clinic.
Girls United - A psycho-social group provided at middle and high school campuses to empower girls, develop strong peer support, and give them a safe place to deal with life pressures which may affect them such as drugs & alcohol, gang involvement, academics, relationships, social pressure, abuse, sexuality, depression, anxiety, bullying/harassment. The group focuses on building girls' self-esteem, strengthening healthy decision making, becoming more responsible at school & home, encouraging leadership skills as well as discussing body image, values, pregnancy prevention, conflict resolution, communication skills, and future goals.