Episode 54: Edgewood Center for Children & Families

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Alex _ Lauren - Wraparound Services Holdiay Toy Delivery.jpg

Edgewood Center for Children and Families Wraparound Services, Holiday Drive, Unity Quilt, Holiday Toy Delivery and 12K Run

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“We are very committed to having honest, open conversations about mental health and that there is nothing to be ashamed about having that discussion or saying that you need help”- Gregg Biggs

Our featured voices in this episode are Justine Underhill the Chief Program Officer and Gregg Biggs the Director of Advancement from Edgewood Center for Children and Families. The harm on our mental health from the covid-19 pandemic has been the most acute on our children, teenagers, and young adults. School closures and enforced social distancing have added to the uncertainty, social isolation, and parental angst along with cutting off many teens and young adults from most of their psychological supports. As our youth, families, and community struggle with these mental health realities, we wanted to feature a legacy social service agency in San Francisco that has been at the center of providing mental health services to our youth for over a century, Edgewood Center for Children and Families.

Justine Underhill

Justine Underhill joined Edgewood in November 2017 as Chief Program Officer. Ms. Underhill has chosen to bring her management, clinical, and teaching experiences to Edgewood and strategically designs oversees, develops and implements cutting-edge, multifaceted, empirically tested, family-centered programs. She also assures that Edgewood’s programs align with the agency’s mission and she builds and enhances partnerships with public and private organizations to actualize the vision and mission of Edgewood.

Ms. Underhill is a graduate of Brown University, holds a Master’s degree in Social work from San Francisco State University as well as a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University. She has spent the last decade working in the UCSF Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, where she began as a family therapist, and then directed the Intensive Family Therapy program, before becoming the Clinical Director for the Young Adult & Family Center, overseeing the operations of five clinical programs for adolescents and young adults as well as the Clinical Director of the UCSF Eating Disorders program. Justine remains on the clinical faculty at UCSF, where she teaches family therapy classes and lectures annually in different departments. She is a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders and the National Association of Social Workers. Along with her colleagues at UCSF, Justine’s research on the use of Reflecting Teams in family therapy was recently published in the academic journal, Family Process.

Prior to her 10 years at UCSF, Ms. Underhill trained at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital and at San Mateo County Mental Health and worked as a clinician in Edgewood’s day treatment and community-based programs. Justine has served on the Board of Directors of the Family Services Agency of SF and shares a commitment to serving our community.

Gregg Biggs

Mr. Biggs joined Edgewood in November 2012, previously serving as Major Gifts Officer and Director of Philanthropic Services. He is responsible for Edgewood’s fundraising, external communication, and volunteer engagement. He has over 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector with an emphasis on building financial and volunteer support for programs that benefit marginalized populations locally and globally.

Prior to joining Edgewood Mr. Biggs worked on issues centered around hunger and poverty in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He served in various roles with World Neighbors over the course of 24 years, including as Associate Vice President, Development. He has served on the boards of Media for International Development, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, BAIDO (Bay Area International Organizations), and Partners in Responsible Tourism. He currently serves on the steering committee of the San Francisco Chapter of Advisors in Philanthropy.

Edgewood Center for Children and Families

Each year, Edgewood Center for Children and Families helps thousands of abused, neglected, and traumatized children in the Bay Area through life-changing programs that transform and heal. Edgewood operates residential, community-based, and school-based programs throughout San Francisco, San Mateo, and East Bay (Alameda & Contra Costa) counties among others.

Crisis Stabilization Unit
Our Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) evaluates and triages children and youth (ages 5-17) who are experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms or a mental health crisis. The CSU has a multidisciplinary team, including a Medical Director, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Clinicians, Nurses, Counselors, and a Family Peer Partner. The CSU team provides 24/7 care, is working closely with the family to determine and facilitate in-depth individualized safety plans for each youth.

Acute Intensive Services
Our Acute Intensive Services are family-focused programs that assess, stabilize, and treat youth (ages 12-17) throughout Northern California facing behavioral or emotional challenges. These programs target high-risk behaviors and help youth develop coping strategies and stress management skills, and include a wide variety of clinical and medical services as well, including: Individual and family therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT); Skill building groups and milieu therapy; and psychiatry via our Hospital Diversion and Partial Hospitalization programs.

Community-Based Services
Edgewood partners with parents, teachers, youth, and agency partners to offer services helping children and families at home, in schools, and in the community. Included in these services are: Kinship Support Network, Transition Age Youth Programs, Wraparound Services, Transitional Housing Plus Program, and more. Our community-based services are based around 10 key principles that we incorporate into our work with every individual, family, and caregiver who comes through our doors:
• Supporting Family Voice and Choice
• Focused on Teamwork
• Natural Support Systems
• Collaborative
• Community-Based
• Culturally Competent
• Individualized
• Strengths-Based
• Persistent
• Outcome-Based

Prevention and Early Intervention Services
Edgewood recognizes that kids do better when action is taken before behavior issues escalate, this includes making sure our families have the resources they need, through mediums like our weekly Food Bank and Family Resource Center. Our Preventive and Early Intervention programs reach children in schools, neighborhoods, and communities to ensure lasting powerful results. Under this umbrella, we provide the following services: peer support groups; health education; family and parenting workshops; independent living skills instruction; consultation and support to caregivers in need; and counseling and support for children showing quiet symptoms.

Donation/Volunteer

Give a Gift that Makes an Impact - Please consider making a donation today to support the critical mental health and human service needs of our children, youth, and families. You can help Edgewood with their Wish List through In-Kind Donations of Goods & Services. To find out more about coordinating In-Kind Donations during the Covid-19 pandemic, please contact Joelle Brinkley, Manager of Philanthropic Services, joelleb@edgewood.org or call 415-418-9702.

Volunteer - To find out more about Covid-19 Virtual Volunteer Opportunities - Please contact Joelle Brinkley, Manager of Philanthropic Services, joelleb@edgewood.org or call 415-418-9702..

Videos

To find out more about Edgewood Center for Children and Families check out our videos:

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“I hope and think that could be actually something that lasts, that if enough people have experienced mental health issues, it will really change the amount of stigma associated with it. I do think that the focus on self-care, the focus on empathy and kindness to each other during this time, I hope will translate and continue on”

— Justine Underhill,Chief Program Officer, Edgewood Center for Children and Families

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