HOMELESS CHILDRENS NETWORK
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Mission Statement
The mission of Homeless Children’s Network is to decrease the trauma of homelessness and domestic violence for children, youth, and families; to empower families; and to increase the effectiveness of collaborative efforts among service providers to end homelessness and poverty.
About This Cause
Homeless Children’s Network (HCN) is the premiere San Francisco agency providing comprehensive mental health and early intervention services to children and families experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or living in intergenerational poverty. HCN uplifts a unique mental health and wellness model to improve behavioral health outcomes for Black and BIPOC San Franciscans while addressing the historical legacy of intergenerational racism, inequity, and trauma. Our programs use a whole-person, relationship-based, trauma-informed approach to culturally responsive, heartfelt behavioral healthcare. We support low-income parents/caregivers and teachers/ childcare staff who care for infants and young children to create loving, nurturing, and healing environments. Citywide, professionals and community members recognize us as a key partner in supporting children’s mental health and wellness. We collaborate closely with schools, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, childcare providers, and early education sites, bringing therapy and case management directly to their locations. Our Story: Three decades ago, leaders from six shelters recognized a critical gap in services for San Francisco families experiencing homelessness. These organizations provided emergency shelter, domestic violence assistance, and transitional housing, but because of their structure, they could only serve families for a short time. This limited period of care created a traumatic cycle of attachment and loss – families would build relationships with staff, only to be uprooted again. This instability made it hard for families to remain open to accessing support. In 1992, the community came together to break this cycle. They founded HCN to provide families in crisis with a lasting source of connection and care. Today, HCN is an anchor for San Francisco’s most vulnerable households - those experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and the challenges of mental health and substance use disorders. HCN meets families where they are – literally on park benches and in shelters. We offer a coordinated thread of stability, regardless of where they live. Families who engage with our services know they are not alone. They become part of a caring, resilient community that embraces them with support. Today, HCN is stronger than ever before. From our humble beginnings, we have grown into a network of service providers, working to strengthen San Francisco’s system of care HCN provides essential programs that support vulnerable children and families, with a strong emphasis on community-based mental health solutions. We see each child and their families through a strengths-based lens, with a desire to respect and respond to the cultural and linguistic differences across San Francisco’s richly diverse communities. Our work is both site-based and mobile. Engaging a mobile clinical model, our mental health practitioners meet participants at times and locations that suit them. HCN’s clinical team has a broad presence at more than 30 schools, 45 early childhood centers, and eight homeless and domestic violence shelters. Our clinicians are agile, using innovative, evidence-based practices to address emerging community needs. Our licensed or licensed-eligible therapists draw from a wealth of experience, providing trauma-informed, culturally affirming care that extends beyond conventional Westernized models. What We Do: Serving 2,500 community members annually, our core programming includes: Mental and Behavioral Health Services HCN tailors our therapeutic support to meet the unique needs of each child and family, helping them cope with traumas such as experiences with homelessness and domestic violence, develop social-emotional skills, strengthen bonds, and empower families to heal and thrive. Our evidence-based therapeutic interventions are trauma- informed, culturally responsive, strengths-based, and family centered. Services include individual, family, and group therapy. Through talk and play therapy, we provide a safe space for children to explore their emotions and express themselves freely. We also support parents through therapy and parenting groups—helping them strengthen their bond with their children and foster a nurturing home. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) ECMHC provides early intervention services by pairing culturally competent mental health consultants with caregivers and teachers supporting infants and young children ages 0-5 in various settings such as early childhood education centers, childcare centers, shelters, and family resource centers. For over three decades , HCN has helped families affected by homelessness and housing instability by strengthening the ability of caregivers, educators, and community members to foster children’s healthy social-emotional development. Now embedded in over 45 community sites across San Francisco, this trauma-informed relationship approach embraces collaboration and collective strength to ensure every child and family has the support they need to thrive. Case Management and Wraparound Support HCN provides case management, crisis response, resources, and linkages and referrals to help families achieve lasting stability. Whether families are at risk of losing their housing or transitioning out of homelessness, we support them in securing stable housing and accessing mental health services that address trauma and build resilience. Families receive services that help them overcome problems with housing access, health care, food insecurity, education, employment, legal support, and other urgent issues. They receive seasonal and ongoing support such as food drives, school supply and toy drives, clothing closets, and diaper banks. Our focus is on equipping parents and caregivers with the tools they need to support their children, helping them set and achieve goals for stability —whether through homelessness prevention, crisis intervention, long-term housing stabilization, or employment, education, and legal support referrals. Substance Use Prevention, Intervention and Treatment At the request of the City of San Francisco and in response to community needs, HCN recently expanded our Substance Use Disorder (SUD) programming to address the growing urgency of the opioid crisis and substance use disorders in our community, particularly for Black/African American community members. Operating at the intersection of substance use, mental health, and spiritual wellness, our comprehensive SUD continuum includes prevention, education, outreach, training, peer support, referrals and linkages, and treatment. By integrating awareness, education, and direct care, we are working to prevent substance use disorders and save lives. Youth Leadership and Advocacy HCN’s youth initiatives provide vital youth development and leadership opportunities for youth, ages 11-18. Through fieldwork, mentorship, workshops, civic engagement, and youth-led discussions, participants collaboratively improve their community while developing critical life skills in communication, teamwork, and self-advocacy. These experiences help youth achieve personal goals while empowering them to make lasting contributions to their community. Mental Health Workforce Development Our clinical internship training and community mental health worker training programs provide education and employment opportunities to grow the number of mental health professionals trained to meet the urgent need for culturally responsive mental health and wellness, particularly for the Black/African American community. What Sets Us Apart HCN serves children, youth, and families in San Francisco facing challenges related to homelessness, mental health, and substance use. We provide support to families living in emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, transitional housing programs, and single-room occupancy (SRO) units, as well as those with a history of homelessness but currently housed. We also offer community mental health programs specifically for Black/African American, LGBTQIA+ youth, and the Latine community. These programs were created to deliver a racially and culturally congruent care model that resonates deeply with the families we serve. We engage in rigorous external evaluation to ensure that our programs are meeting the desired community impact. Our culturally concordant clinical mental health model connects clients with providers who reflect their racial and cultural backgrounds, creating a space where they feel heard, seen, and understood. Clients consistently express a deep appreciation for clinicians who hear, see, and understand their journeys and validate the feelings that accompany their experiences. With 30+ years of trusted service, HCN is a well-established community partner. Local shelters, schools, and organizations welcome us because of the trust we've built over the years. This collaborative, community-based approach strengthens our ability to meet families’ needs. We are committed to providing the best services for families by carefully selecting solutions that help level the playing field and support long-term sustainability. HCN’s programs create transformation. Our programming strengthens everyone involved in a child’s life – parents, teachers, siblings - and brings them together to support the child. In delivering early interventions, we address mental health needs like family trauma while delivering practical support in areas like housing. When we address families’ holistic needs, we build resilience and create healthier, brighter futures for them and our entire community. At just 12 years old, Jayla** struggled with low self-esteem and health challenges, prompting her mother to seek support from HCN’s Ma’at Program. Through three years of heartfelt, culturally affirming therapy, Jayla and her mom strengthened their bond, learning to communicate their needs and navigate challenges together. With HCN’s support, Larissa** became a more patient and balanced parent, while Jayla gained confidence and the ability to advocate for herself.