ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
The Northern California Family Center is a non-profit, licensed Foster Family Agency that has been serving the needs of youth and families for over 38 years. Our staff are dedicated professionals on-call 24 hours a day to provide experienced clinical care and assessment for a wide range of personal and family problems.
RUNAWAY SERVICES
The Northern California Family Center works with youth, who have run away, have been kicked out, are truant, are out of parental control, or homeless. We provide four services:
- Outreach/Safe Place
- Short-term shelter for youth
- Family Mediation
- Follow-up counseling
We also provide assistance with emancipation and referrals for youth employment. There is no charge for a youth to come into shelter. Our shelter is available for youth up to and including 17 years of age and accessible through our Martinez office.
SAFE PLACE AND OUTREACH
CALL 800-718-4357
Youth can also access our services through the Safe Place Program. Anywhere this logo is displayed; a youth can walk in and request assistance. Look to the Contra Costa Fire District, YMCA, YWCA, County Connection and other local service providers for this logo.
MEDIATION
The Northern California Family Center counselors work with the youth and their families for reunification, or to develop a mutually agreed upon (sometimes alternative) stable living arrangement. Choices can include agreements to:
- Live at Home
- Live with Extended Family
- Live with Friends of the Family
- Enroll in Job Corps
- Apply for Work & Emancipation
- Combinations of these
- Transfer Guardianship
The Mediation Agreement is usually written and signed. Those who come to short-term shelter are eligible for two free mediation sessions. All others will be charged on a sliding scale.
FOLLOW-UP COUNSELING:
As the youth’s living situation is stabilized, there is often a need for the family to learn new and different ways to discuss their feelings and resolve conflicts. We can forward the written Mediation Agreement to the current therapists. We will continue to see those who seek counseling: on a sliding scale. We will also refer families and youth to other providers, who may be geographically closer to the family.
COMMENTS:
“My parents and I got to the point that we were so angry we just couldn’t talk; so I ran away. My counselor at school gave me Northern California Family Center’s number…” Runaway, age 14.
“I’ve never really been able to talk much with my dad. The Northern California Family Center counselors helped me sit down and talk about my feelings without getting angry.” Runaway, age 16.
LOCATION
We are located at
2244 Pacheco Blvd.Martinez. Go north on Highway 680 2 ½ miles past Highway 4 and then take the Pacheco Blvd. Exit 54. Go another
2 and 2/10 miles. We are on the left (south) side of the street next to the Cinco De Mayo restaurant. Going south on 680 take Marina Vista Exit 56. Turn left on Marina Vista, Left on Shell Ave. then right on Pacheco Blvd.
WE COORDINATE WITH:
The Contra Costa Fire Protection District
The County Connection Bus Lines
The Contra Costa Crisis Center
Contra Costa County Mental Health Services
Contra CostaCounty Employment and Human Services Department
The Contra CostaCounty Office of Education, Youth Development Services
Contra CostaCounty Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission
County of Contra Costa Office of Sheriff
The Contra Costa Probation Department
The Contra Costa Public Health Homeless Program
The Antioch Police Department
The Concord Police Department
The Martinez Police Department
The Pittsburg Police Department
The Richmond Police Department
The Pleasant Hill Police Department
The National Runaway Safeline
The
National Safe PlaceProgram
Shelter Inc.
The Solano County Health and Social Services Department
BayPoint Family Health Center
The Vallejo Fire District
The YMCA of Mt. Diablo
The YWCA
WE RECEIVE FUNDING FROM:
Dept of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Runaway and Homeless Youth Program
The Thomas J Long Foundation
The John Burton Foundation
The Five Bridges Foundation
The Union Bank of California Foundation
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