Our services include:

• Information and Referral
• Parent Education Workshops
• Advocacy and Support Navigating the Public and Private Systems of Care
• Planning and Coordination of Services
• Psychological Assessment for Children and Adolescents
• Individual and Family Counseling
• Support Groups for Parents and Siblings
• Socialization Groups for Children
• Parent-Child Play Activity Groups
• Training and Consultation for Staff at School Sites

Children with special needs and their families require professionals who have specific training and expertise. Our multi-disciplinary team utilizes the skills of parent educators, licensed therapists, clinical social workers and volunteer services.

The Center for Special Needs on the Peninsula is staffed by experts who are also knowledgeable about best resources in the area for speech therapy, physical therapy, neuropsychological assessments and other services:

Karen Friedland-Brown, M.A., Coordinator of Parent Education, Parents Place of the Peninsula, has been a parent educator, trainer and consultant for 30 years. Her specialities include behavior management and improving communication skills for special needs families.

Gloria Moskowitz Sweet, PPSC, LCSW, Coordinator of Parents Place Community Education, provides on-site parent education to employees at workplaces and schools throughout the Bay Area. She has 20 years of experience as a social worker and professor in the graduate department of social work at San Jose State University. Her specialities include consultation to parents of special needs children.

Jill Rosenberg, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who graduated with her doctoral degree from the California School of Professional Psychology in 2003. She has worked with children and families in a variety of clinical settings throughout college, graduate school, and as a licensed professional. Dr. Rosenberg has experience interfacing with school settings and helping families advocate for their child's needs. She specializes in helping families who have a child or adolescent with special needs (ADHD, learning disabilities, and/or an Autism Spectrum Disorder) improve social communication, behavior, and mood. Dr. Rosenberg has a private practice and joined JFCS Palo Alto in December, 2008.

Kristin Stent, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been in practice for 5 years. Kristin has worked with children, adolescents and adults in a variety of settings including: schools, juvenile justice programs, foster care settings, medical clinics and outpatient mental health organizations, such as JFCS. Kristin specializes in childhood behavior disorders and adolescent mental health. She is currently running social skills groups for pre-school children as well as conducting individual and family therapy for clients at JFCS. Kristin received her doctorate at the University of Oregon.

Sarah Sherwood, MSW is the case manager for Parents Place Center for Special Needs in Palo Alto. She previously worked in New York City in therapeutic foster care, in Brooklyn with a chronically and persistently mentally ill population, and in Los Angeles with at-risk youth and families. Sarah has experience advocating for clients, especially in the education system. She received her Master?s in Social Work from Smith College.

In Palo Alto:
Parent Place Special Needs Center
Koret Family Resource Center
200 Channing Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
650/688-3040
parentsplacepaloalto@jfcs.org

In San Mateo:
Parent Place Special Needs Center
Eleanor Haas Koshland Center
2001 Winward Way, San Mateo, CA 94404
650/931-1840
parentsplacesanmateo@jfcs.org

The Parents Place Special Needs Center, which is open to children and families of all faiths, is a program of Jewish Family and Children?s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.