Girls Inc. of Alameda County to Transfer Pathways Counseling Center to Seneca Family of Agencies
Seneca to Welcome Pathways Counseling Center’s Programs, Staff, and Clients in April 2021
Girls Inc. of Alameda County to Continue Its Demonstrated Commitment to Mental Health Through Partnership with Seneca
OAKLAND, CA, March 26, 2021 – Girls Inc. of Alameda County, a community-based agency whose programming inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, is excited to announce its partnership with the Seneca Family of Agencies, one of California’s largest providers of innovative education, mental health, community-based and family-focused treatment services for children and families. Girls Inc.’s Pathways Counseling Center will transfer to Seneca, becoming Pathways Counseling Center at Seneca. As a result of this partnership, multiple mental health programs will continue to be delivered at Girls Inc., including consultation for Girls Inc. program staff, workshops for girls and their families, and prioritized mental health therapy for Girls Inc. girls and their families.
Girls Inc. of Alameda County began an exploration process nearly three years ago that led to the decision to transfer Pathways to a larger mental health agency with the capacity to grow these vital community resources. For almost two years, Girls Inc. and Seneca have been in talks about this possibility. Seneca is excited to welcome Pathways Counseling Center’s programs, staff, and clients as of April 2021. Following the transition, Girls Inc. of Alameda County will continue its demonstrated commitment to mental health, without having to operate a community mental health center.
“Through this partnership we are excited to add Pathways Counseling Center’s gender-responsive expertise and community mental health services to Seneca’s behavioral health services,” said Ken Berrick, CEO of the Seneca Family of Agencies. “We are committed to providing high quality services with greater impact for the children and families we serve.”
Seneca and Girls Inc. of Alameda County share strong alignment in core values and the same vision for unconditional care provided through an integrated community-engaged approach to vulnerable children and families. Pathways Counseling Center is highly regarded as a community-based, gender-responsive, trauma-informed community mental health provider and Seneca has a long history of providing high quality clinical services and unconditional care to children and families who are facing risk of family disruption. Girls Inc. and Seneca have already worked closely together for decades on mental health concerns in the community as members of the Behavioral Health Collaborative of Alameda County (formerly known as the Alameda Council of Community Mental Health Agencies).
This new partnership combines nearly 85 years of expertise in serving children and families facing risk in Alameda County, and will allow for a seamless transition of Pathways Counseling Center to Seneca, enhancing capability for all entities: Girls Inc. of Alameda County, Pathways Counseling Center at Seneca, and the Seneca Family of Agencies.
“Seneca Family of Agencies will be a wonderful home for the gender-responsive mental health services that Girls Inc. of Alameda County has provided through Pathways Counseling Center to our girls and the greater community for nearly 50 years,” said Julayne Virgil, CEO of Girls Inc. of Alameda County. “We are thrilled to see Pathways’ long-term impact in the community continue, while retaining mental health supports for our program staff, girls, and families.”
About Girls Inc. of Alameda County
Girls Inc. of Alameda County inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through a proven continuum of programming for girls in grades K-12. Established in 1958 as Northern California’s first Girls’ Club, the agency focuses on gender, economic and racial equity, setting a vision for all girls growing up in Alameda County to feel valued, safe, and prepared to achieve their dreams of college, career, and leadership. To that end, the agency connects girls from underserved neighborhoods with hundreds of hours of annual programming that provide the access, resources, and opportunities the girls need to thrive. Visit www.girlsinc-alameda.org for more information.
About Pathways Counseling Center
Pathways Counseling Center is a children’s mental health program within Girls Inc. of Alameda County. In 1973, Girls Inc.’s well-known gender-responsive programs and support for girls in the East Bay led to the agency being approached by County agencies to provide mental health support for girls languishing in juvenile hall. Five years into this work, Girls Inc. officially founded Pathways in 1978 and it continues to play a critical role in Alameda County, operating at the unique intersection of child welfare and juvenile justice, leveraging a trauma-informed approach, gender responsiveness, and unconditional access to support hundreds of children and families facing risk.
About the Seneca Family of Agencies
Seneca Family of Agencies was founded in 1985 to provide unconditional care for children, youth and families who struggle with the most exceptional needs and circumstances. Seneca, in collaboration with its county partners in education, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile probation, has developed local systems of care that serve thousands of children and their families each year. The agency’s over 1,200 staff members offer a wide array of services, including: community-based wraparound, intensive family-finding and engagement, foster family-based treatment, mobile crisis response, integrated mental health and special education programs, special needs adoption, and public and charter school-based mental health services. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Seneca operates in 17 California counties and three counties in Washington State. Visit www.senecafoa.org for more information.
Contacts
Girls Inc. of Alameda County
Julayne Virgil
CEO
510.357.5515
Seneca Family of Agencies
Ken Berrick
Founder & CEO
510.654.4004