BEHAVIORAL & MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
individuals. families. communities
Behavioral health represents the connection between behaviors and the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. BACR’s behavioral and mental health industry spans a wide range of services including mental health and counseling; tobacco, marijuana, and vaping cessation; substance abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment; and nutrition, substance abuse and health advocacy. We deliver services in schools, community centers, BACR offices, and the jail.
Our restorative and trauma-informed programs are assets-driven and equity-focused. We understand that systemic and institutional racism as well as economic injustice have enormous negative impacts on the youth and families in many of our communities. BACR programs aim to provide opportunities for client-centered exploration, to develop navigation skills to address these impacts and to develop positive strategies to be successful and healthy in and out of school.
Our advocacy and social change activities aim to create long-term, systemic change in the systems and structures that negatively impact the health of young people and families. These advocacy projects are all youth and community-driven organizing efforts.
BACR has particular experience working with Spanish-speaking families from Central America and has been commended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for our diverse, culturally, and linguistically competent staff. We work diligently to hire staff who reflect the communities we serve and engage in ongoing cultural humility training and development.
are you extraordinary?
positions available
Are you committed to making a positive difference in your community? Do you have the dedication to continue growing professionally and developing your skills to deliver services to those most in need in your community? And do you enjoy working as part of a diverse team that shares your same values? If so, you might be destined to become a leader with BACR. We are responsive to the people we serve locally and welcome you to consider a possible career in one of our programs.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health services at BACR help lay the groundwork for the well-being of the individual, couple, and family. All our mental health programs have the common goal of helping our clients be more successful in their lives by reducing risk factors and increasing their resiliency. Our services aim to provide opportunities for client-centered exploration, to develop navigation skills and to advocate for change in the systems and structures of racism and inequity that impact our clients and families.
Core mental health services include individual, group, and family counseling, case management, parent education, and trauma response as well as consultation with school personnel, other stakeholders and collaborators. We offer programs dealing with multiple issues in schools and in community settings. We strive to guide our clients towards more successful outcomes such as improved coping skills, emotional functioning, school performance, and peer/family relationships. BACR prevents and intervenes in challenges that can otherwise lead to problem behaviors and negative outcomes.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
STEPHANIE HOCHMAN | MESSAGE STEPHANIE
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
LAURA KANTOROWSKI | MESSAGE LAURA
SUBSTANCE USE
We deliver prevention, assessment, intervention, treatment and recovery support services to youth, families, and adults in our community. We also coordinate youth and community-led substance use advocacy and social change programs.
Our prevention services provide basic education on the physical and psychological effects of alcohol and drugs, aid to parents on how to identify use/abuse by their children, and how to talk to them if they are using and/or thinking of using. Our assessment services help identify where on the continuum from recreational and experimental use to severe substance use disorders someone may be, and the guidance as to what next steps may be. Our intervention and treatment services help people struggling with their substance use and abuse participate in the level of treatment needed to begin the road to recovery. Finally, our Recovery Support Services help ensure that participants continue to live healthy lives. Our services are provided in a number of settings: schools, in-custody, freestanding recovery centers, and county offices. We deliver services in Marin and Contra Costa counties.
Our advocacy programs engage youth people and adults in assessing community level substance use issues. Using a community action model, we organize for policy changes in schools, cities and counties.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
STEPHANIE HOCHMAN | MESSAGE STEPHANIE
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
LAURA KANTOROWSKI | MESSAGE LAURA
TOBACCO & VAPING
BACR’s services boost awareness and help individuals quit smoking/vaping. Core services include education, advocacy, and cessation (quitting) support. These services are offered in Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, and Solano counties in partnership with schools, community-based organizations, and public health agencies.
YOUTH EDUCATOR - NORTH BAY
SAYRA SORIANO | MESSAGE SAYRA
PROGRAM DIRECTOR - EAST BAY
ALISON WOHLGEMUTH | MESSAGE ALISON
TOBACCO USE PREVENTION
AND ADVOCACY
There are a number of tobacco prevention programs including the YTAPP, YPL, API-CHAT, and SMOOTH that mobilize youth leaders to address tobacco-related health disparity issues in their communities. These programs serve cities and counties throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley. Using a community participatory action research model youth leader the work fighting targeted tobacco marketing efforts, promoting smoke-free mutli-unit housing, advocating for tobacco retail licenses, and addressing smokefree outdoor air.
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) stimulates positive community change by promoting awareness, education, and legislative action regarding substance use and misuse.
ADULT
CESSATION
BACR provides four adult tobacco cessation services:
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We assist agencies and clinics in developing systems for screening, advising, and treating clients/patients and staff members who use tobacco;
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We provide tobacco education and referral resources for community groups;
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We conduct customized off-site tobacco cessation/reduction groups at various community locations; and
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We provide training and ongoing support for peer cessation groups and peer participation in healthy activities, speaking engagements, and webinars/conferences.
YOUTH EDUCATOR
SAYRA SORIANO | MESSAGE SAYRA
HEALTHY EATING
& ACTIVE LIVING
Personal health and wellness are integral components of BACR’s mission. One way we address these components is through promoting healthy eating and active living. At many of our school and community programs, we offer a range of activities for students, with some offerings for families as well. Activities include cooking and nutrition classes, physical fitness, sports, and recreation activities, mindfulness exercises, parent education classes, school-wide health and wellness promotions, and health screenings and referrals. We also facilitate student-led advocacy and public education efforts aimed at helping people make better decisions about their nutrition and overall well-being. By adding these components to our existing counseling services and support services, our school programs align with the Whole School Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) framework for addressing health in schools.
NUTRITION
Almost all of our school programs offer a rich menu of activities to promote nutrition, such as cooking and nutrition education classes. Many schools also conduct school-wide healthy eating promotions such as fruit and vegetable distribution programs and a “Rethink Your Drink” and “Healthy Snack” campaign. In the community, our First 5 Centers provide nutrition classes for parents and caregivers, and our youth-led advocacy programs include the Urban Nutrition Initiative and Healthy Options at Point of Sale projects.
URBAN NUTRITION INITIATIVE
The Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) is a youth leadership program that empowers high school students in Richmond elementary schools to address issues of poor nutrition among young people, such as promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Youth-driven strategies include gathering local data, providing peer education, and changing media messaging to inform and advance the Smarter Lunchroom movement.
RICHMOND, BERKELEY AND OAKLAND
HEALTHY CHECKOUT
BACR’s Healthy Options at Point of Sale is a community advocacy and research project that aims to remove high-sugar, high-sodium foods and beverages from checkout aisles in large stores in Richmond, Berkeley, and Oakland. Students carry out strategies such as gathering store data, conducting focus groups and interviews with community members and retailers, educating the public, and advocating for policy to reduce unhealthy food and drink from checkout.
GET INVOLVED - VOLUNTEER or JOIN OUR TEAM
