Agency Mission

To provide high quality,
family-centered, culturally competent
behavioral health and human services.

Agency Vision

To be the Premier Provider and Manager
of Services of Care

Description:
Westside offers a broad spectrum of community based prevention, mental health, substance abuse, and social services for the underserved populations of San Francisco.

Westside’s philosophy is to form a partnership with each individual and family we serve because we believe this is the most effective way to build upon their strengths and their culture.

To help people recover from complex illnesses all aspects of a problem need to be addressed. Therefore, we offer integrated treatment taking into account psychological, sociological, economic and medical issues. As we work with clients, our comprehensive approach employs a broad range of community resources for housing, education, social and spiritual support, all of which are part of an effective recovery program.

History:
Westside Community Services (formerly Westside Community Mental Health Center, Inc.) has been providing an array of community based mental health, substance abuse, and social services to clients in the City and County of San Francisco for approximately 40 years and is noted as one of the oldest community mental health agencies in the nation

Instituted in 1967, Westside was created as the administrative arm of a consortium of existing community agencies, local hospitals and residents in response to the need for community based and culturally sensitive mental health services for the predominantly African American underserved residents of the Western Addition neighborhood. In the late 1970’s, with the onset of declining federal funds, the consortium was dismantled and Westside became a direct service provider, funded primarily by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

In the '90s and continuing through this decade, Westside has improved its relationship with its primary funder, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and currently has an operating budget of $13 million. Unlike many community based organizations committed to culturally proficient services, Westside was able to survive the years of budget cuts and respond to increasing community concerns by developing services to address the HIV, substance abuse and mental health needs of the poor and disabled residents of the city's very diverse population.

The range of programs and services have varied over the years; however, its commitment to providing culturally appropriate, community relevant, quality programming has remained.

Contact people:

Rachel Kelly, (phone), (email) Marylouise Adlo-Robinson, Board President, (phone), (email) Abner Boles, Chief Executive Officer, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (415) 431-9000
Office fax number: (415) 431-1420

Address:

1153 Oak Street San Francisco, CA 94117 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.westsid-health.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 14th Street,   Walk distance (in minutes): 10   Nearest Bus Stop: Divisadero & Oak, 1 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	21
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	Yes