In honor of Latine Heritage Month, Fred Finch proudly presents a special episode focused on how we serve California's Latine community, a vital part of the state’s population. Nearly one-third of the families Fred Finch serves are Latine. Our organization ensures they receive access and support in their native language with more than 60 bilingual Spanish-English speaking staff. In this episode, Fred Finch staff share how bilingual services—from school-based counseling to behavioral interventions and supports —help build trust and connection with participants, fostering culturally responsive environments that make every participant feel seen and supported.

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In 33 Bay Area schools, Fred Finch therapists provide crucial mental health care to students, addressing rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior among teens. Join us as we explore how these dedicated therapists work with students, breaking down barriers, and decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health care. Discover the transformative difference they make in the lives of young people and the broader impact they have on school communities.

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An 18-unit apartment complex on Fred Finch Youth & Family Services’ Oakland campus provides a safe and nurturing home for young adults, most of whom are former foster youth. These residents have experienced homelessness and contend with mental health illnesses, behavioral health disorders or both. In this podcast episode, we share the stories of Coolidge Court’s residents who, through the support, stability, and sense of community they have found here, have rediscovered their self-worth and now lead lives with purpose and joy.

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An innovative Fred Finch Youth & Family Services program, Specialized Wraparound, gives caregivers the tools to support youth with autism or an intellectual disability. This program is usually a last resort for families who have tried many therapies yet find themselves unable to manage their children’s destructive behaviors. Unlike most interventions where youth are expected to change, this program empowers caregivers with knowledge and strategies to address the underlying causes of dangerous behaviors and to recognize early warning signs of an outburst. In this show, we discuss how Specialized Wraparound works, and we meet Tasha Carey, a single mother, who became part of the program when she started to feel afraid of her then 12-year-old son who has severe Autism. Learn more at https://www.fredfinch.org/specialized-wraparound.

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Following a shooting and school lockdown at Madison Park Academy in August, Fred Finch counselors began planning how to help begin the healing process for students traumatized by the event. The shooting was an accident and not deadly. Yet, the trauma was real. The next day, Fred Finch counselors opened a center for students, an environment where students could get their needs met with empathy, both for what they had experienced and how they were best able to process it. Students engaged with counselors in different ways, playing board games, making art and talk therapy. We speak to two counselors and the director of Fred Finch’s Alameda County School Based Services to learn how they helped students and the ways they continue to offer compassionate support to Madison Park’s teachers.

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With mental health care workers reassessing their careers just as the demand for them – particularly among youth – increases, finding and holding on to staff has become harder. In this nationwide crisis fueled by the pandemic, Fred Finch Youth & Family Services is tackling the problem with new strategies to maintain staff and to recruit and “grow” new, diverse employees. This time on our show, we connect with the people in charge of filling the vacancies, Fred Finch’s Lois Woods and Alejandro Alvarez, about how the organization has made changes to benefits to offer employees more flexibility and to help them avoid out-of-pocket costs. We also learn about programs to attract and train mental health care workers, particularly those of color, to better reflect the youth Fred Finch serves. We hear from a participant who completed a Fred Finch program that introduces young people to behavioral health care about her hands-on experiences.

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In this episode, we explore the critical role transitional housing plays for youth leaving the foster care system and starting lives on their own. To learn more about Fred Finch Transitional housing program and comprehensive supportive services, please visit https://www.fredfinch.org/rising-oaks.

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This podcast looks at the impact of Turning Point – a Fred Finch Youth and Family Services transitional housing program for young people from 18 to 25 - through the eyes of a former resident.

Lacking any education and disowned by his parents, Esteem Brumfield found that Turning Point offered more than shelter and food, which he desperately needed so he could focus on his studies. It also provided the emotional support his family didn’t give him and the therapy he didn’t know he needed.

As you’ll learn, Esteem’s story is somewhat extraordinary, yet the influence Turning Point had on his life is not. Over decades now, the program has helped steer hundreds of young people toward more secure and fulfilling lives.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, On The Wire is featuring stories from Fred Finch’s CARES program. Based in San Diego County, CARES offers treatment and support services for kids with autism and their families. Providing the behavioral therapy that creates dramatic change to improve the lives of kids and their families is at the heart of what CARES does, but unlike most other autism programs, CARES can provide psychiatric support and mental health counseling for kids and their caregivers. In this show, two families speak to their personal journeys, from their children’s diagnosis – and their initial disbelief – to the care they received from Fred Finch, sharing their struggles and triumphs. We also dig into how the CARES team works with families to provide parents and kids with the tools to reach their goals. To learn more about the services Fred Finch CARES provides, please visit www.fredfinch.org/cares.

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In Episode 3 of On the Wire, we meet Jordan, a past participant in one of Fred Finch’s residential treatment programs. We also meet Mar Smith and Bruce Wexler, who lead the residential treatment programs in Almeda County and San Diego county respectively. While some of our staff were able to pivot to a telehealth model, Mar and Bruce, and their dedicated staff, have had to show up to work daily to care for the most vulnerable population at Fred Finch.

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