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Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) Year-End Statistics Reflect Heightened Community Awareness of Teen Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues
ACS experiences dramatic increase in number of clients and counseling sessions during 2009-2010 school year
PALO ALTO, Calif. --Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), a community-based nonprofit agency celebrating 35 years of dedication to the healthy social and emotional development of teens, experienced its busiest year to date with increases in sessions or clients in all three of its core programs: the On-Campus Counseling Program, After-School Counseling Program, and the Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program.
The On-Campus Counseling Program, which provides free on-site counseling at eight area schools, witnessed an increase of over 500 counseling sessions and over 1,000 additional intern hours logged from the previous school year. Additionally, there was a 22 percent increase in students admitting to suicidal ideation in pre-treatment analyses. Program Director Roni Gillenson partially attributes this increase to more open communication between parents and teenagers following the tragedies at Gunn High School. “These issues may have been there before,” she explained, “but now there’s more permission to talk about it and seek treatment.”
The After-School Counseling Program, which provides affordable individual, group and family therapy in English, Spanish and Mandarin, nearly doubled its number of clients in the 2009-2010 school year and increased financial aid to families by more than $20,000. Program Director Katie Luce believes that both the amplified visibility of ACS within the community and ongoing economic instability have led to more people reaching out to ACS for assistance. “When parents contact me, they have often already exhausted other possibilities such as their own insurance or private therapists,” she stated. “We’re providing high-quality services during flexible hours at an extremely low rate. This type of accessibility is clearly meeting a need in the community.”
The Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program, which offers affordable outpatient assessment and treatment for teens and their families struggling with addiction, experienced an 82 percent rise in clients and also increased its financial assistance to families by over $20,000. Program Director Brenda Stern believes that these startling numbers should not alarm parents: “There is a heightened sense of awareness in our community which has resulted in more families seeking treatment for issues that had previously been unnoticed or neglected,” she explained, “and the kids entering treatment were further along in the addiction process because of this.”
In addition to these core programs, ACS will continue its preventive education efforts in the coming year, providing its free booklet, “99 Tips for Talking With Your Teenager” in both English and Spanish, a frequently updated blog providing advice and resources for parents, a new support group for siblings of special needs kids, and public forums covering the topics of online safety, bullying and leaving for college.
For more information about ACS, call (650) 424-0852, email info@acs-teens.org or visit ACS online at http://www.acs-teens.org.
About ACS
ACS’s mission is to empower teens and their families in our community to realize their emotional and social potential through counseling and preventive education. Established in 1975, ACS relies on the generosity of the community to offer critical interventions and mental health services to over 3,000 individuals annually, building a better future for tomorrow. ACS offers year-round services to San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, including an On-Campus Counseling Program, the Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program, and the After-School Counseling Program.
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