Programs & Services - Onsite & Community-Based 

Individual/Family/Couples Counseling and Psychotherapy (Village Wellness) 

Village Wellness is CHAC's in-house counseling and psychotherapy program for individuals, couples, children,  youth and families. Services are provided in several languages at our offices on Church Street in Mountain View.

Issues addressed in counseling or psychotherapy may include depression, anxiety, child abuse, domestic violence, gang participation, substance abuse, parenting skills, communication problems, relationship issues, post-traumatic stress, or other short- or long-term stressors or psychological problems .

Village Wellness provides counseling and psychotherapy by appointment, to community members of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and surrounding communities, including: 

Counseling and Therapy: Counseling, parent support groups, alcohol/drug counseling, and other psychoeducational services are provided to sustain individuals and families. CHAC uses an integrative approach to counseling and therapy.  

Bilingual/Bicultural Services: A broad range of culturally and ethnically specific counseling and support-group services are provided to individuals and families from a variety of ethnic/cultural communities in our local area. 

Child Abuse, Domestic Violence: In-depth, long-term individual, couple, and family counseling for youth and their parents/guardians. In addition, intervention and prevention services are provided for domestic violence. 

Information and Referral Services: CHAC collaborates with many local community resources and frequently refers clients for services not provided by CHAC (e.g., food, housing, medical services). See Other Resources.

Psychological Assessment: Our psychological assessment program uses standardized tests, interviews, observation, and other tools to help better understand the strengths and challenges facing a child or adult.  See assessment details.

To schedule an intake appointment, please call during business hours (Monday through Thursday – 9am–8pm; Fridays 9am-5pm) at 650-965-2020.

Parenting Classes and Support Groups 

CHAC offers parenting classes and support groups geared towards parents of infants, preschoolers, toddlers, children, and adolescents. One of the methods used is the Seven-week Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP). This course, as well as others, is offered on elementary and high school campuses, as well on-site at CHAC.

We are excited about adding the PARENT PROJECT parent training groups to our offerings.  The PARENT PROJECT is an empirically validated program of 12 three-hour classes followed by facilitated support groups;  it is aimed at helping the parents of our most difficult-to-manage teens cope in a positive way with these adolescents.  Parents will learn how to set limits, avoid fruitless arguments, deal with anti-social bahavior -- all in the context of increasing needed support for kids who tend to make it very difficult to be supportive.  Please contact Martha Cravens at CHAC for more information about schedules and fees.

Courses offered at different times of the year are geared towards parent of infants, preschoolers, toddlers, school age children and adolescents. See Current course schedule and also information about Spanish-language opportunities: clases en la crianza de los hijos and groupo de apoyo latino.

Restorative Justice Program (Santa Clara Juvenile Probation Program)

The Restorative Justice Program (RJP) is part of Santa Clara County’s Action Plan to respond to and reduce juvenile crime and violence. The mission of the project is to develop a balanced and restorative system in targeted areas of Santa Clara County. The three main components are Community Protection, Competency Development and Accountability.

CHAC provides individual, family, and group counseling, competency development classes, and community service projects for juveniles who receive citations by any police officers in the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and Milpitas.

When a juvenile receives a misdemeanor citation and they are a first or second time offender, they can be given the option of participating in the RJP as an alternative to the traditional court system. The probation officer refers the youth to CHAC for any number of the provided services. The implementation of the services is geared toward counseling for the individual and or family, educational classes to challenge thought and behavior, and community services projects.

The classes are geared towards the three main areas of offenses: Violence Prevention, Drug and Alcohol, and Property Offenses. The themes for these classes focus on empathy, relationship building, and risk avoidance and resiliency. Often we recruit community agencies and leaders to speak on various areas of expertise including relationship issues, gang violence, and drug and alcohol use and abuse. Our goal with Community Service projects are to focus on the assets of the individual and youth related crimes. Some creative ideas are creating anti’drug posters, assisting the developmentally disabled, helping small business owners such as the Farmer’s Market, and helping maintain many beautiful reserves like Arastradero Preserve.

Restorative Justice provides a unique alternative for juvenile offenders who participate by giving back to the community and themselves in a positive way.

If you have been referred to RJP and have seen your probation officer, please contact Diana Ritter at 650-965-2020 x21 to set up your intake appointment. 

New Outlooks -- Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Program

New Outlooks is an after-school program for adolescents, ages 13 to19 years, who are working toward a clean and sober lifestyle, free from alcohol and drug use. New Outlooks responds to a need in the community by working with substance- abusing teens who do not need residential care and can benefit from supportive treatment and recovery. Through counseling, support, and other interventions, individuals have the opportunity to learn how to lead sober and productive lives. They work toward improving relationships and increase self-awareness.

New Outlooks accepts referrals from all sources including schools, family therapists, probation, and the community. New Outlooks meets at the CHAC agency twice a week for 2-hour sessions. The group size is limited to 10 teens at a time. The program also runs at the Alta Vista campus.

New Outlooks includes the following:

• Individual therapy
  
• Group counseling
  
• Family therapy
  
• Multi-family meetings
  
• Field trips which offer training in sober living skills and provide drug-free activities
  
• Structured and supportive environment
  
• Random drug-testing
  

For more information on the New Outlooks program, please contact program director Ursula Vogelsang or by phone at 650-965-2020 x40. 

Outlet – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youth Outreach

Outlet is a youth empowerment program serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning teens (LGBTQQ) in the Bay Area. As the only comprehensive resource for LGBTQQ youth on the Peninsula, Outlet provides professional counseling, caring support services, and community -building social activities to this particularly vulnerable population. In addition, Outlet is developing the next generation of LGBTQQ community advocates by engaging youth with leadership training, coalition building, and civic activism. Finally, as we envision a world in which all people are accepted and embraced for their true identity, Outlet reaches out to the broader community forming alliances and educating the public to eradicate homophobia.

Every aspect of the Outlet Program is carefully designed to address and foster the emotional and mental health needs of the youth. Most young people come to the Outlet Program feeling alone, scared, and isolated, often having experienced depression or suicidal thoughts. Outlet not only connects these youth to a system of support and resources, but also gives the youth the opportunity to become leaders in their own community, working toward lasting change.

For more information on the Outlet Program, please visit projectoutlet.org or by phone at 650-965-2020 x22. 

A Place for Girls

A Place for Girls is a 10-week program developed to provide a safe environment for 5th through 8th grade girls to explore the issues they face in pre-teen and early adolescence. 

A Place for Kids

A Place for Kids is a support group for children who are living with a chemically dependent parent or family member in recovery. The in-house program is for children ages 6-11 years.

Similar to the school-based program, Just for Kids, except with more of an emphasis on alcohol and drug abuse prevention. In addition, children are taught that they are not to blame for addictions in the family. 

Anger management classes

CHAC offers anger management classes led by members of our staff with facilitator certification using the Anderson & Anderson Anger Management method. This model is widely recognized as providing the most effective methods for developing skills for individuals to deal with their excessive anger and aggression.

For more information on the Anderson model and endorsements, please check out the links below:

andersonservices.com/LATimesArticle.html

andersonservices.com/endorsements.html

Candidates:

• Couples, parents, adolescents, businesses, organizations
  
• Court referrals
  
• Self referrals
  

Fees:

If you would like more information or to enroll, please contact Mary White, MA, MFT, ATR–BC 650-965-2020 x23 

Family Partner collaborative with FIRST 5 of Santa Clara County

CHAC's Family Partner Program is funded by FIRST 5 Santa Clara County – first5kids.org. CHAC is part of the North Region Partnership, a collaboration of 7 non-profit organizations seving families under the First 5 system of care. .

CHAC’s FIRST 5 staff engage and assist parents/caregivers of children ages prenatal through age 5 in the cities of Mt View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Palo Alto. County Courts and social service agencies are typically the initial referral sources.

Staff working in this program has been trained in the Family Development strength based model from Cornell University. Our role will be providing access to services needed by the family (including housing, childcare, jobs, preschool, mental and physical health needs, neighborhood support, etc.). Staff will also be utilizing assessments to identify areas of concern in the family (Ages and Stages, Ages and Stages Social and Emotional, Health Screening).

CHAC was chosen by FIRST 5 based on the successful work we have been doing in the local community for the past 30 years providing services to families. This new partnership with FIRST 5 is an expansion to existing services that will provide additional funding, greater visibility and closer ties in the community as we collaborate with other community service providers in the North County in ensuring the existence of and accessibility to needed services for our families.

Offices are located in the Old Mill Office Center at 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 250, Building C.

For more information on the Family Partner Program, please call 650–947–0622 or email first5north@yahoo.com. 

Blossom Project – Teen Pregnancy and Parenthood

The Blossom Project began in 1999 in response to the growing number of teen pregnancies in the Mountain View/Los Altos area. It is a collection of young parents who have developed a classroom performance that allows students to see, first hand, the challenges and difficulties of being teen parents. These performances are taken to the local middle and high schools in an effort to educate teens about the painful, life changing consequences of teenage pregnancy.

For more information on the Blossom Project, please visit the website at blossomproject.net.

Youth Services Unit

The Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) and CHAC have teamed together to develop the Youth Services Unit (YSU), including a CHAC counseling office located inside the police station. The YSU is dedicated to the diversion, prevention and intervention of youth before they enter gangs, or to help them exit from gang life, as well as decrease risky behavior such as substance use. The YSU team consists of CHAC Counselors, a dedicated Sergeant and Police Officer, MVPD School Resource Officers, and the MVPD Gang Suppression Team.

Outreach to youth, their families, and the community, is conducted throughout Mountain View, in the schools, homes, and throughout the community, and provides education, intervention and support for all involved. Referrals are made to support and assist the various needs our youth and their families. Services include individual and group counseling, CHAC's Parent Project, mentoring and various other resources. The YSU is dedicated in helping youth stay out of the juvenile justice system and diversion options help youth learn how to address anger issues, learn conflict resolution, and increase self esteem.

For more information please contact Program Director, Nicole Gwire, via email at ngwire@chacmv.org, or by phone at 650-965-2020, ext. 43.