Our CEO Dr. Rosalie Whitlock shares, “We are so fortunate to have an exceptional professional like Vidya on our staff–a deeply compassionate and committed individual who can provide strong leadership in this critical role at CHC.” Read more ›
The Board of Directors for Children’s Health Council (CHC) today announced that the organization’s Chief Executive Officer Rosalie Whitlock, PhD. has made the decision to retire a year from now on June 30, 2022, beginning a thoughtfully-planned leadership transition that will take place over the next year. Dr. Whitlock’s retirement marks the completion of a remarkable career of over 30 years of service as a passionate and tireless advocate for children and their families. Read more ›
In an interview withe the Nob Hill Gazette, CHC’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Ramsey Khasho, offers invaluable insight on what many children, young adults and families have been facing — and invites parents to take an active approach to their children’s mental health. Read more ›
CHC has been a hub for resources for youth mental health, learning differences, ADHD, anxiety, depression and autism. The year 2023 will mark 70 years since Peninsula-based pediatrician Dr. Esther B. Clark founded Children’s Health Council as “a place where kids come first,” with its clinical services, community clinic and the Sand Hill School and Esther B. Clark Schools. Numerous points of connection, including a podcast, blog, workshops, resource library and now, telehealth access, have expanded greatly over the last year to meet increased demand. Read more ›
Nine months into the global pandemic, Riley Capuano told a grid of faces on a Zoom screen why she and her peers needed schools to reopen.
“I’ve never seen this many students struggling with mental health,” the Los Altos High School junior said during a virtual school board meeting on Dec. 14. “Being cooped up in your home all day is really, really tough. Read more ›
CHC is thrilled to introduce a new podcast series, Voices of Compassion.
2020. The year that will not end. We started with COVID-19 in March and sheltering in place. And then layered on school closure and added distance learning. On top of that, we’ve experienced social unrest regarding race and tens of thousands of people evacuated due to wildfires. How much more can we take? Read more ›
Half Moon Bay resident Rosalie Whitlock is one person focused on the effects of the pandemic on the well-being of kids. She is the CEO of the Children’s Health Council, which operates schools to support kids with learning disabilities and offers mental health counseling. Read more ›
For young people who struggle with suicidal and/or self-harm urges and behaviors, Stanford Children’s Health in collaboration with Children’s Health Council, offers a specialized intervention program that is currently enrolling families for their summer/fall session. Read more ›
Dear Friends,
We are all struggling to process the upsetting events that are unfolding in our country right now. We stand with our communities to oppose racism, hatred and bigotry of any kind and we continue to work each and every day with our colleagues, friends and neighbors to realize a vision of hope for the future.
Read more ›
CHC is offering free online community education sessions and virtual parent support groups that address your challenges and concerns and provide strategies and resources to support your child, your family and yourself as we navigate this time of disruption and uncertainty.
We’re all in this together, and CHC is here to help. Read more ›
Dear Friends,
Shelter in place. Be a perfect parent. Be an instant teacher. Be an outstanding employee.
Many of us are being expected to be all things to all people, all at once. Not surprisingly, the strain is taking a toll on our mental health. CHC can help you and your family wherever you are on this emotional and unpredictable journey. Read more ›
Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate the community about mental and behavioral health issues, promote access to care and treatment, and reduce the stigma associated with mental health challenges. Read more ›
Dr. Ramsey Khasho, chief clinical officer at Children’s Health Council, appeared on KTVU News to discuss how parents can address children’s negative behavior during the COVID-19 health crisis. Read more ›
With local youth and families sheltering at home, counseling sessions and support groups that used to take place face-to-face in school wellness centers, clinics and private offices across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties have gone completely virtual. Read more ›
Our thoughts are with you and your families during this unprecedented time. We are all doing our best to slow down and care for one another while we navigate uncharted territory with patience, kindness and grace.
CHC remains committed to the children, teens and young adults with learning and mental health challenges throughout the Bay Area, today and always. Read more ›
Dear Parents, Clients and Friends of CHC,
The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly and we want to keep you informed so you can make plans for your family. As you know, earlier today six Bay Area counties issued Shelter-In-Place orders: Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa. You can access details about this order here. As a result, CHC’s Palo Alto, Ravenswood and South Bay offices will close at midnight on March 16. Most mental health services will be addressed via telehealth. Read more ›
Dear Parents, Clients and Friends of CHC,
As we all make our way through the uncharted waters of COVID-19, the health and safety of our clients, students, families and staff are the top priority, so we are reaching out to you. The situation remains fluid. Guidelines have been changing on a daily/hourly basis. Our Emergency Response Team has been closely monitoring the rapidly-changing situation so we can make responsible decisions and keep you informed. Read more ›
We are continuing to follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 at CHC and as a result, we are planning to deliver the remainder of our Community Education sessions online. Read more ›
Dear Parents, Clients and Friends of CHC,
As you are no doubt aware, several cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) were diagnosed in Santa Clara County this weekend. Global circumstances suggest and experts recommend preparing for more widespread transmission. Read more ›
For students with mental health challenges so severe that they become insurmountable barriers to learning and functioning, nonpublic schools can be life-saving. Read more ›
Three community groups that focus on children’s health, welfare and education have won Stanford University 2019 Community Partnership Awards.
This year’s award winners are the Children’s Health Council, CrashCourse and Future Advancers of Science and Technology. Read more ›
CHC’s Patrice Crisostomo and Meghna Singh, representing CHC’s Teen Wellness Committee, appeared on the September 7 edition of KCBS Radio‘s In Depth radio show on the topic of raising awareness around mental health. Read more ›
Dear Friends,
We’re all struggling to process the tragic events and aftermath of the past days. Our clinical staff reminds us that in our roles as parents, friends, colleagues and family members, self-care is more important than ever before. This means taking care physically by resting, eating well and exercising, and taking care emotionally by spending time with safe and emotionally-supportive friends. Read more ›
Sarah Pistorino saw a therapist through the end of her freshman year at Sacred Heart Preparatory School. Then summer came — and with it, the end of her academic stress and fatigue — so she pressed the pause button on her therapy. But when school started up again in the fall, she felt a decline in her mental health. She now continues therapy through the summer months. Read more ›
CHC’s Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director, Dr. Glen R. Elliott, PhD, MD, has been awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who, a publisher of biographical profiles. Read more ›
Children’s Health Council (CHC) mental health services coordinator Divier Wallace understands the importance of supporting his community.
“As someone who grew up in East Palo Alto during the 1990s when times were very tough, I am so pleased to be able to come back and work with my community to provide services for families in need, in their language of choice,” said Wallace, speaking at the recent grand opening of the new East Palo Alto office and clinical space of the Ravenswood Initiative, a CHC project. Read more ›
Youth mental health nonprofit Children’s Health Council has opened a new location in East Palo Alto with the ambitious goal of serving five times as many children as the organization currently does in that community.
Children’s Health Council, which has been providing mental health services at no cost to children and families for five years in East Palo Alto, parts of Menlo Park and Redwood City, can now do so out of a physical home at 1848 Bay Road. Read more ›
Palo Alto, CA January 30, 2019—Ravenswood is designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a “Health Professional Shortage Area,” meaning there are not enough medical and mental health professionals to meet the community’s needs. 95% of residents are considered low income, 54% of parents are not high school graduates, and 72% of students are English language learners. Despite a vibrant community, rich with culture, history and potential, stressful conditions create a collective sense of heightened anxiety, fear, grief, and trauma–all barriers to learning & thriving. Read more ›
This month TeenzTalk.org, a mental health platform created by youth for youth, interviews Maya, a member of CHC’s Teen Wellness Committee. Read more ›
“There is so much I wish someone had told you.”
This quote, from an anonymous teenager directed to her future self, is from a new book a group of local teenagers wrote to address their sense that there is a lack of guidance to help young people cope with mental health issues. An unfiltered view of the experiences of local teens, the book aims to help any reader, young or old, better understand mental illness. Read more ›
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to celebrate our schools, filled with heroes who—academic expectations notwithstanding—are increasingly responding to the mental health needs of our youth. To faculty, staff, coaches and administrators: you are there listening and advising, supporting kids who are struggling, identifying warning signs, coordinating with parents and providers, and partnering with organizations like CHC to provide the best possible support networks for our kids. You are saving lives every day. Read more ›
More than 2,000 students are served by All Students Matter, a volunteer-driven nonprofit providing literacy, math and social-emotional support to elementary school students in the Ravenswood City School District. All Students Matter received $5,000 from the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund this year, paying for new volunteer training that the organization’s founder described as “invaluable.”
As All Students Matter has grown — from 15 people informally volunteering in one Ravenswood school 10 years ago to more than 200 volunteers at six schools — so have the needs of the students it serves. This is reflected in the revamped training, which now consists of one hour focused on literacy and, new last year, one hour on social-emotional support. Read more ›
Under the direction of Bay Area teens, mental health and wellbeing advocates from Palo Alto, Stanford University and elsewhere are working together to plan the first-ever Teen Wellness Conference.
The free conference for teens ages 13 to 19 in September is unique in that it is being organized mainly under the direction of teenagers. Read more ›
Palo Alto, CA July 18, 2017—Renowned nonprofit agencies Parents Education Network (PEN) of San Francisco and CHC of Palo Alto have announced they will officially join forces on August 1, 2017. All of PEN’s signature programs will become part of CHC adding to its comprehensive range of education and mental health services to families across the Bay Area. PEN services include parent education, parent support groups, Student Advisors for Education (SAFE) and the EdRev Conference at AT&T Park in San Francisco in April. Read more ›
The Children’s Health Council (CHC) launched its first Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) on May 8, marking a pivotal point in expanding local teen mental health services. The program will address the needs of high school teens ages 14 to 18 who show signs of significant anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts. Read more ›
On May 8, Palo Alto’s Children’s Health Council (CHC) will debut its newest branch, the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which will focus on aiding teenagers struggling with depression or anxiety.
The IOP will use a variety of therapeutic methods, including mindful movement and family therapy, to provide comprehensive support and treatment for high schoolers, specifically those with high levels of anxiety, self-esteem problems, suicidal thoughts and histories of self-harm. Read more ›
Palo Alto teens and families looking for mental health services that fall between occasional therapy and hospitalization soon will have that option.
With the help of an anonymous donor interested in reducing the number of teen suicides, the nonprofit Children’s Health Council has launched a 12-week Intensive Outpatient Program at its Palo Alto campus at 650 Clark Way.
The outpatient program starts May 8. It will serve teens 14 to 18 years old with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression, self-harm behaviors or suicidal thoughts. Read more ›
Palo Alto, CA March 20, 2017– On March 16, 2017, Children’s Health Council (CHC)’s 4th Annual Breakfast showcased CHC partners who are successfully making strides to combat teen anxiety, depression and suicide.
Over 300 parents, professionals and community members attended the event, held at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park. The program was moderated by Ramsey Khasho, PsyD, Director of The Center at CHC, and featured three of CHC’s many partners: Nancy Lublin, Founder & CEO, Crisis Text Line; Jayne Appel, NBA star and Bring Change 2 Mind Ambassador; and Dr. James B. Everitt, Director, Office of Mission Initiatives & Institutional Planning, Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton. Each shared their personal motives for raising awareness about teen anxiety, depression and suicide, and touted the critical role partnerships play in building solutions. Read more ›
A donation from an anonymous Palo Alto resident has enabled Children’s Health Council to address a “critical gap in teen mental health services” by opening what the nonprofit says will be the city’s first intensive outpatient program for teenagers with moderate to severe mental-health issues. Read more ›
