PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Alum Rock Counseling Center Welcomes New Chief Executive Officer
February 3, 2017 [San Jose, CA] – The Alum Rock Counseling Center Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Eckert, LCSW, as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. He will begin his duties leading our agency on February 1st, 2017. Steve is a compassionate, collaborative and experienced nonprofit leader, and we are confident he is the right leader for Alum Rock Counseling Center (ARCC) at this dynamic time.
Steve brings over thirty five years’ of community behavioral health experience to his new role at ARCC. Steve is currently the interim Executive Director for King’s View Behavioral Health Systems in Fresno. Prior leadership roles include Executive Director for Buckelew Programs, the largest behavioral health provider in the North Bay, and Executive Director of the East Bay Agency for Children based in Oakland, which provides therapeutic, educational and family support services for over 20,000 children and families. Steve has extensive experience working with diverse communities; in past roles his clients have been predominantly people of color, with a majority being Latino children and youth and their families.
Upon accepting his position, Steve said: “This opportunity seems to be a very close match with my experience and my passion in providing mental health and related services for children, youth and families in culturally diverse communities. Earlier in my career, I provided direct services similar to those offered by ARCC. I am familiar with Latino cultures as I have travelled in Central and South America, lived in and near Latino neighborhoods, and worked with similarly diverse clients and staff.”
Eckert began his professional career working in a residential treatment program while pursuing his Masters in Social Work at San Francisco State University. Starting as a graduate intern at Peninsula Family Alternatives, he worked his way up to become executive director after the agency merged with the YMCA of San Francisco. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Eckert also provided psychotherapy in private practice and counseled adults involved in the criminal justice system.
Eckert is active in leadership and volunteer roles, including serving on the Board of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, founding the Marin Mental Health and Substance Use Provider Coalition, serving as Co-Chair of the Alameda County Health and Human Services Coalition, and as President of the Alameda Council of Mental Health Agencies. He is also a mentor with Be A Mentor in Alameda. In his spare time, he plays bass in a bluegrass band and occasionally performs with a rock band called 5150.
About ARCC:
ARCC provides behavioral health services for youth (ages 0-19) and their families with a specific focus on the East/Central San José area, serving a high percentage (approximately 70%) of Latino, immigrant, and monolingual clients in the region.
ARCC operates over a dozen different programs on a continuum of care, addressing truancy/school failure, anger management, juvenile delinquency, gang activity, drug/alcohol abuse, and family violence. Our continuum of care, working with youth and families at a variety of risks, promotes long-term, positive outcomes in a community challenged by struggles for adequate healthcare and professional support.
For more information about ARCC, visit https://alumrockcc.org/
Sincerely,
Anna Cruz, Board Chair
Alum Rock Counseling Center
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Nivisha Mehta, Development Consultant
Alum Rock Counseling Center
Phone: (408) 240-0070
Fax: (408) 240-0077
Email: nivisha@tangence.com
www.alumrockcc.org