Fred Finch Youth & Family Services recently broke ground on a new Crisis Residential Treatment Program in Oakland designed to serve youth impacted by autism and complex behavioral health challenges. Developed in partnership with Kaiser Permanente Northern California, the program provides short-term, therapeutic crisis stabilization in a residential setting — offering families an alternative to emergency departments and long-term inpatient hospitalization during moments of acute need. Across...

When Kayla  (a pseudonym used to protect privacy) began meeting with a therapist through Fred Finch Youth & Family Services’ School-Based Services at Antioch High School , she was carrying more than most teenagers should. Kayla had experienced significant loss and instability in recent years, including a house fire that displaced her family. Living in close quarters with extended family brought added stress, and tensions at home often left her feeling overwhelmed. At school, she placed high...

Accessing mental health care should be a pathway to healing, stability, and connection . Yet for many youth and families—particularly Black youth and families and others from historically underserved communities—that pathway is often shaped by systemic barriers, stigma, and prior experiences that make seeking care feel inaccessible or unsafe.   As a behavioral health organization working closely with youth and families, we understand these challenges not as a lack of willingness to seek help,...