Youth Programs
Maurice and Jason spent the year working with longtime partner Homeless Youth Alliance, doing street outreach, meeting youth at HYA’s syringe access program, and offering therapy at the Huckleberry House Clinic (Huckleberry generously donates office space to us).  Jason also spent 9 months working at Covenant House’s YEAH shelter in Berkeley.

In the fall, Jia and Jose joined the youth team, and we began startup work on our new mobile therapy project.  We are working alongside First Place for Youth in two Mercy Housing projects; with the Homeless Youth Alliance at the Sunset Hotel where 38 young people live in transitional housing; and at LYRIC, a drop-in center for LGBTQ youth where approximately 80% of clients are experiencing homelessness.

The centerpiece of the program is a therapy office built in a large Ford Transit van.  It is nearing completion and will be on the road any day now, meeting youth in the neighborhoods where they live and hang out.  We’ll create outdoor drop-in spaces; including a barbecue and kitchen set up so folks can have hot food which is so important to nourish and ground them for the important mental and emotional work they need to do to change their lives.

Street Medicine
Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits Program awarded us a grant to do outreach and “sidewalk therapy” alongside the Street Medicine team.  Diana works in this program with a goal of creating a holistic model of care for people living on the streets.