City and County of San Francisco Launches the Family Connections Program, a Residentially Based Service Program Pilot for Youth and Families

For Immediate Release
May 19, 2011

San Francisco, CA –The San Francisco Human Services Agency is pleased to announce the launch of the Family Connections Program. Part of a state-wide pilot project to offer Residentially Based Services (RBS) to improve outcomes for children and youth, Family Connections Program helps children, youth and their families achieve and sustain positive and permanent relationships. Family Connections Program provides a comprehensive array of services for families who have highly disrupted relationships and need support to reconnect. This pilot project, a result of Assembly Bill 1453 which strives to “transform the current system of group care for foster children,” will deliver enhanced services to families at no additional cost to the County.

Family Connections Program is a partnership between the San Francisco Human Services Agency, Community Behavioral Health Services, and three provider agencies: St. Vincent’s School for Boys/Catholic Charities CYO, Edgewood Center for Children and Families, and Seneca Center. Three other counties in California are also participating in this RBS pilot project: Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties.

“A unique aspect of RBS is that each child or youth and family will experience continuity of care across living environments,” said Debby Jeter, Deputy Director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency, Family & Children Services Division. “The same direct care team will remain consistent whether the child or youth is in a residential cottage, in a foster or relative caregiver home, or back home with their family.”

An event to kick off this program will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at Edgewood Center for Children & Families, 1801 Vicente Street, San Francisco, CA 94116.

About San Francisco Human Services Agency
The Human Services Agency promotes well-being and self-sufficiency among individuals, communities, and families in San Francisco. Its Family & Children's Services division offers a continuum of programs and services aimed at safeguarding the well-being of children and families in ways that strengthen and preserve families and ensure permanency for children and youth.
Media Contact: Pamela Tebo, (415) 557-6540, Pamela.Tebo@sfgov.org

About Community Behavioral Health Services
Community Behavioral Health Services, a division of the Department of Public Health, offers a full range of specialty behavioral health services for San Francisco residents which are provided by a culturally diverse network of community behavioral health programs, clinics and private psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists.
Media Contact: Eileen Shields, Public Information Officer, (415) 554-2507

About St. Vincent’s/Catholic Charities CYO
Catholic Charities CYO is the social services arm of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Founded in 1907 to care for the orphans of the San Francisco earthquake, Catholic Charities CYO is an independent non-profit organization. All financial contributions directly support Catholic Charities CYO’s programs in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Sonoma Counties. Catholic Charities CYO serves and advocates for the poor, the sick, the distressed, children, youth, families, immigrants and seniors, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other basis covered by local law.
Media Contact: Gabrielle Gallagher, 415-972-1294 or gslanina@cccyo.org,

About Seneca Center
Seneca Center was founded in 1985 by advocates who wanted to better meet the needs of children in group homes and foster family care. In the ensuing decades, Seneca established itself as an innovative leader in the provision of unconditional care, creating a comprehensive continuum of community-based and family-focused treatment services for children and families who often have no other alternative to long-term institutionalization. Seneca’s continuum of care includes: in-home wraparound; foster family-based treatment; mobile crisis response; integrated day treatment and special education services; after-school therapeutic recreation programming; public school-based mental health services; and home-like residential treatment.
Media Contact: Ken Berrick, President/CEO, (510) 654-4004 or ken_berrick@senecacenter.org.

Media Contact
Lauren Corke
Communications Manager
415.375.7582