HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SCHOOLS
individuals. families.communites
Our healthy schools and communities centers serve as hubs for services and programs where youth and families can find support, resources, and community. These hubs include school-based health centers, full-service community schools, First 5 centers, and family resource centers.
We strive to create vibrant, accessible, and inclusive centers for participants to belong to and call home. Our purpose is to create a climate of wellness and facilitate access to needed services among students, families, and the broader community. We work closely with public schools and community partners in Richmond, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Hercules, Oakland, Marin, and San Francisco, as well as First 5 Contra Costa and First 5 Solano. We continually work with a large number of local service providers to ensure that the youth and families we serve have access to all available resources. Services are delivered by culturally and linguistically competent staff, with particular experience working with Spanish-speaking youth and families from Central and South America.
EVERY MOMENT IS AN ORGANIZING OPPORTUNITY...EVERY MINUTE A CHANCE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
- DOLORES HURETA -
EAST BAY
SCHOOL BASED CENTERS
In our healthy communities programs, we foster schools where all students and families can feel safe, welcome, valued and successful. Health and wellness centers and community schools offer a range of services and programming that strive to bring equity of access to resources and opportunities that support the psychological, emotional, social and academic growth of young people and their families, as well as nurturing youth leadership and family engagement.
BACR operates Beacon/community schools at 9 sites in West Contra Costa County. In partnership with several community providers, these full service community schools provide a wide range of youth, family, and school services aimed at supporting young people, strengthening parent-school connections, and delivering behavioral health services. The offerings include mental health counseling and case management, social-emotional learning activities, health education and promotion, youth leadership development, family engagement and workshops, and school staff support.
Our on-campus health centers offer a safe and welcoming environment. Coordinating a variety of community providers, these centers offer violence prevention activities, drug, alcohol and tobacco education, and physical health services in addition to the services above. We operate health centers at several schools in Richmond, Hercules, and Pinole.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
STEPHANIE HOCHMAN | MESSAGE STEPHANIE
SAN FRANCISCO BEACON
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Our four San Francisco Beacon Community School programs provide powerful learning, integrated health and social supports, and authentic family and community engagement to develop students’ cognitive, social, emotional, and civic capacities. Anchored by our after school programs at the school sites, our Beacons work in collaboration with the school and community partners to create expanded learning opportunities in order for youth to feel safe, gain skills, develop supportive relationships and show growth in youth development and academic measures. Additionally, we ensure that parents and caregivers have a connection to the school and access to community resources at their child’s school to support their child’s success.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
MATT PEMBERTON | MESSAGE MATT
FIRST 5
FIRST FIVE CENTER
The centers serve families with children ages 0-5 years old in Vallejo and West Contra Costa. The goal is to help parents and caregivers nurture and support their children so they grow up to be healthy, happy, and continuous learners. Strategies include supporting bonding between the parent and child, child development awareness, activities that parents can incorporate into their daily routines, and activities that stimulate creativity and learning. Core activities are offered at no cost and include parent education, early literacy, prenatal and postpartum education, school readiness, and developmental screenings.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
ALEXINA ROJAS | MESSAGE ALEXINA
NORTH BAY
FAMILY CENTERS
BACR Family Centers in Marin offer support to families with mixed immigrant status who are socio-economically disadvantaged. Our Centers are a safe space for families and students to request services and find caring adults they can trust.
The San Pedro, Bahia Vista, and Venetia Valley Family Centers in San Rafael are resource hubs offering a variety of parent engagement and support services, school-based counseling, family advocacy, and parent education services. Culturally and linguistically competent staff deliver services to over 1,000 families at our four family centers. Classroom teachers and administrators rely on BACR advocates for help with their students who need additional support to improve their emotional and academic outcomes.
The Newcomer Family Center at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael delivers support services that include assessment, outreach, and linkages to community services to increase a sense of belonging for newcomer students and families. These services are closely aligned with all other San Rafael City Schools’ secondary school sites to ensure continuity of services.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
MARIANA LOPEZ QUINTANILLA| MESSAGE MARIANA
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