On The Wire with Fred Finch Podcast Fred Finch Youth & Family Services

In 33 Bay Area schools, Fred Finch therapists provide crucial mental health care to students, addressing rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior among teens. Join us as we explore how these dedicated therapists work with students, breaking down barriers, and decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health care. Discover the transformative difference they make in the lives of young people and the broader impact they have on school communities.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An 18-unit apartment complex on Fred Finch Youth & Family Services’ Oakland campus provides a safe and nurturing home for young adults, most of whom are former foster youth. These residents have experienced homelessness and contend with mental health illnesses, behavioral health disorders or both. In this podcast episode, we share the stories of Coolidge Court’s residents who, through the support, stability, and sense of community they have found here, have rediscovered their self-worth and now lead lives with purpose and joy.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An innovative Fred Finch Youth & Family Services program, Specialized Wraparound, gives caregivers the tools to support youth with autism or an intellectual disability. This program is usually a last resort for families who have tried many therapies yet find themselves unable to manage their children’s destructive behaviors. Unlike most interventions where youth are expected to change, this program empowers caregivers with knowledge and strategies to address the underlying causes of dangerous behaviors and to recognize early warning signs of an outburst. In this show, we discuss how Specialized Wraparound works, and we meet Tasha Carey, a single mother, who became part of the program when she started to feel afraid of her then 12-year-old son who has severe Autism. Learn more at https://www.fredfinch.org/specialized-wraparound.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a shooting and school lockdown at Madison Park Academy in August, Fred Finch counselors began planning how to help begin the healing process for students traumatized by the event. The shooting was an accident and not deadly. Yet, the trauma was real. The next day, Fred Finch counselors opened a center for students, an environment where students could get their needs met with empathy, both for what they had experienced and how they were best able to process it. Students engaged with counselors in different ways, playing board games, making art and talk therapy. We speak to two counselors and the director of Fred Finch’s Alameda County School Based Services to learn how they helped students and the ways they continue to offer compassionate support to Madison Park’s teachers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With mental health care workers reassessing their careers just as the demand for them – particularly among youth – increases, finding and holding on to staff has become harder. In this nationwide crisis fueled by the pandemic, Fred Finch Youth & Family Services is tackling the problem with new strategies to maintain staff and to recruit and “grow” new, diverse employees. This time on our show, we connect with the people in charge of filling the vacancies, Fred Finch’s Lois Woods and Alejandro Alvarez, about how the organization has made changes to benefits to offer employees more flexibility and to help them avoid out-of-pocket costs. We also learn about programs to attract and train mental health care workers, particularly those of color, to better reflect the youth Fred Finch serves. We hear from a participant who completed a Fred Finch program that introduces young people to behavioral health care about her hands-on experiences.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the critical role transitional housing plays for youth leaving the foster care system and starting lives on their own. To learn more about Fred Finch Transitional housing program and comprehensive supportive services, please visit https://www.fredfinch.org/rising-oaks.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.