In 1987, State Office of Child Abuse Prevention funded UPAC Pan Asian Children Services to provide child abuse intervention services. For the past 24 years, UPAC has provided culturally competent mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families. Current programs funded by County of San Diego, Department of Mental Health Services, include:

 

Outpatient Clinic-Based Clinic
Culturally and linguistically appropriate Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) services are provided to Central and North County Region Medi-Cal eligible or uninsured severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. Services include crisis intervention, assessment, case management, collateral consultation, individual, group & family counseling, psychiatric services and medication management of children ages 5 to 18 and their families. Services are provided at School-Based Clinics (Rainbow Project) where UPAC collaborates with twelve (12) San Diego Unified School District schools, and five (5) North County School District schools. Services are also provided at UPAC Outpatient Clinic, where staff provides community-based and home-based services, as well as assistance in increasing the family’s access to treatment. Last year, 263 children in the School-Based Program, 102 children in the UPAC Clinic Program, and 44 uninsured were served.Brochure 2012

Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE) Program
This innovative prevention and early intervention program was designed to increase family, youth and community resiliency in neighborhoods plagued with high crime rates, gang activity and violence in San Diego’s Central region. According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), this region has 90 street gang sets with 3,697 documented gang members, 198 of whom are under the age of 18. More than 50 languages are spoken in the schools in this region. UPAC and our partners, Overcoming Gangs and Beyond (OGB), Power Mentor and the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA (YMCA) have developed a program with two components: 1) Mobile Community Violence Response Team; and 2) Direct services to children at risk and their families. More Info

ACE was established in December, 2009 and last year a) 79 youth have attended the Leadership Academy Program, b) 21 families, including youth and parents have completed the Strengthening Families 7-week curriculum, and c) 116 youth and 108 caregivers attended Gang Awareness programs, and d) 27 adults attended Grief Support Group, and e) Mobile Response Teams responded to and assisted 223 families experiencing incidents of community violence.

Opening Doors
Funded by the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and in partnership with San Diego Unified School District, the program provides a therapist to serve the most vulnerable and disengaged students and their families in elementary schools in the Diamond neighborhoods of southeastern San Diego. Intensive Case Management and Mental Health services are provided to 10 students by a team consisting of the Therapist, school staff, family members, and other support network.

SPEAK (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness Knowledge)
Funded by the County of Mental Health to San Diego Unified School District to educate middle and high school youth, parents, and school staff on the warning signs and risk factors for potential self-harm and suicide behavior. UPAC staff provides educational presentations based on the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program in Vietnamese to the parents and community members of Central San Diego Region.   Last year, UPAC staff provided 15 presentations where 58 individuals were in attendance.

HEART (Helping to Empower Authentic Relationships for Teens)
Funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and in collaboration with San Diego State University Research Foundation and Overcoming Gangs and Beyond, the program establishes cross-system linkages and developing capacity of existing multi-cultural, youth serving agencies in providing comprehensive, culturally competent and evidence-based intervention services for Asian/Pacific Islander, African American, Latino and East African youth victims of teen dating violence, ages 13-24. This program utilizes the evidence-based G-TREM Model (Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model).

Verizon HEART

This project will conduct 1) outreach and education to increase understanding of teen dating violence among 112 at risk API and African-American youth in Mid-City, 2) presentations by youth mentors to increase community awareness on the size and scope of the problem in the community, among teachers, social workers and youth workers, and 3) TREM curriculum to 75 youth, 75% of whom will demonstrate increased knowledge through pre and post surveys at 6 months.

1031 25th Street
San Diego, CA 92102
Phone: 619 232-6454 Fax: 619 235-4607
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Director: Angela Chen, MFT, MBA

UPAC Senior Program Therapist is honored at San Diego’s 24th Annual Mental Health Recognition Dinner

 

 

Polly Stevenson Hewson, M.A. has been a dedicated therapist at UPAC’s Child and Adolescent Services for over eight years. Her enthusiasm and drive to improve the challenging situations her clients face is impressive. She applies her considerable therapeutic skills to help children at Porter Elementary School and various others. Polly cares deeply about the children’s well-being and the well-being of their families. She often goes the extra mile to ensure that families have the resources they need. The children love “Miss Polly” and grow more resilient and confident as a result of being in therapy with her. UPAC is excited and pleased to recognize Polly as a very valuable member of our staff.