Community Services Unit Programs

allcove™ is an innovative network of integrated youth mental health centers designed with, by, and for youth that reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, increase community connection, and provide access to culturally-responsive services. allcove centers welcome young people ages 12 to 25 with mild to moderate needs, providing a unique space for them to access services with resources and support for friends, family, and the larger community. The centers are embedded within the community they serve and reflect the unique needs of local youth.

Anchored in a model of care that considers the holistic needs of young people, allcove centers are a place for them to take a moment of pause and access a range of services that include:

• Mental health
• Physical health with an emphasis on sexual reproductive health services
• Substance use prevention support
• Peer support
• Family support
• Supported education and employment

Everything about allcove is designed with, by, and for young people. From the look and feel, to the options youth have to engage in center activities, young people are co-creators and champions.

ARCC’s relationship with allcove

Since its inception in 1974, ARCC has provided culturally- & linguistically-sensitive mental health, educational assistance, and other support services to youth and their families in places and spaces that feel safe, comfortable, and familiar to them. ARCC’s staff members often come from similar neighborhoods and backgrounds as the clients they serve. The allcove program is well-aligned with the service model ARCC has offered for almost 50 years. ARCC currently provides peer support and supportive education and employment services for the allcove Palo Alto program.

Peer support specialists draw on their own lived mental health experiences to help build trust and engagement with youth who are seeking services, offering peer-based mentoring and emotional support while working collaboratively with youth, their families, and other members of the allcove care team. Peer support specialists act as advocates on behalf of the young persons they support, orienting them to resources related to mental health, substance use, care, education and employment support, skill-building workshops, and medical services.

The Supported Education and Employment (SEE) Specialist assists youth in initiating, continuing or completing their educational goals, particularly if their academic pursuits have been interrupted by mental health treatment. The SEE specialist supports youth with managing their school schedules, navigating school reentry, and accessing appropriate accommodations at educational institutions. In addition, the SEE specialist supports youth in developing career goals, skills training, employment preparation, assistance with finding employment, and promoting job retention by providing on-the-job training and coaching to individuals.

To find out more about this program, please call (650) 798-6330, visit www.allcove.org, or Contact Us.

Cultural Brokers have a cultural understanding and sensitivity of the Latinx community and must maintain a high degree of cultural and language proficiency. Cultural Brokers provide clients with individualized support, education, and resources in order to promote strong families and safe children.

This program addresses challenges, mitigates bias, mediates between groups of different cultural backgrounds, and creates partnerships to help families better understand the DFCS and JPD systems and concerns. Families become active participants as well as share the responsibility in their own safety planning. Cultural Brokers connect youth and families to outside support as needed for children to remain safely with their families and be supported in their communities.

Cultural Brokers honor the families’ unique strengths and potential, helping them to self-advocate through humility and respect with hopes of preventing families and youth from entering the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Evidence-Based or Promising Practices Utilized

• Motivational Interviewing (MI)

To find out more about this program please call (408) 294-0500 or Contact Us.

Services include same-day access to brief behavioral health support, peer support, workshops, well-being groups, social and educational activities, linkage to services/case management (including medical and longer-term behavioral health services), life skills development, education and career planning, independent living skills, and other related care.

The DYWC offers a space to relax, study, read, play games, do laundry, have a hot meal, and more. The center accepts walk-ins and services are free.

Evidence-Based or Promising Practices Utilized

• Motivational Interviewing (MI)

To find out more about this program please call (408) 961-4645 or Contact Us.

The program utilizes the Botvin LifeSkills Curriculum, an evidence-based curriculum proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use as well as help youth build critical skills such as communication, decision-making, drug resistance, time management, managing emotions, and how/where to access needed support.

Students receive academic, emotional, and social support through a variety of services and activities, which may include:

• Botvin Life Skills Groups
• Educational Workshops
• Case Management Sessions
• Family Support
• Linkage to Resources
• Enrichment Activities & Field Trips
• Group Mentoring and One-on-One Mentoring
• School Workshops

Mentors are volunteers from the community who act as role models and guides, offering encouragement and support; suggesting alternative points of view; and providing resources to the mentee in order for them to reach individualized and academic goals throughout the year. The program utilizes two types of mentoring models: One-on-One Mentoring and Group Mentoring.

One-on-One Mentoring:

With one-on-one mentoring, each adult mentor is assigned to only one mentee and commits to spending a minimum of six hours per month (or ideally, two hours per week) with the mentee for one calendar year. In these weekly meetings, mentors assist youth in developing strategies to overcome their personal and academic barriers and achieve their individualized goals.

Group Mentoring:

Group mentoring is offered to all students in the program who wish to connect with their peers and volunteer mentors out of school time. Group mentoring sessions focus on academics, team-building, skills development, and enrichment activities.

Evidence-Based or Promising Practices Utilized

• Botvin LifeSkills Training Program
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
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To find out more about this program, please call (408) 294-0500 or Contact Us.

Each Parent Advocate has had lived experiences with the child welfare system and been successful in reunifying with his/her children. This helps build an almost immediate sense of trust between parents and their advocates. Parent Advocates help parents navigate through the child welfare process while maintaining honest and open communication about issues and the status of the case. This approach is one that fosters a hopeful path for parents during a process that is often painful, confusing, and overwhelming.

Evidence-Based or Promising Practices Utilized

• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Seeking Safety
• Danger Assessment

To find out more about this program, please call (408) 294-0500 or Contact Us.