News & Impact

According to the Pew Research Center’s new “Parenting in America Today” report, the top concern among parents of children under the age of 18 is mental health. Dr. Sarita Patel, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Center for Children and Youth, a division of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, answers timely questions about children’s mental health today and what help is available.   What kinds of issues are you seeing among children these days? At the Center for Children and Youth, the most prevalent concerns among children and teens are depression and anxiety. Rates of depression and anxiety were rising… Read More

There is overwhelming evidence that today’s youth are facing a mental health crisis. A recent ACLU survey found that 45% of California students feel depressed, while CDC data shows that mental health-related emergency room visits are up 31% for people aged 12 – 17. It is clear why the American Academy of Pediatrics has declared children’s mental health a national emergency and clear too that action needs to be taken. As a leading provider of mental health services, JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth (CCY) is witnessing this crisis firsthand. The obvious need for action inspired CCY’s experienced advocacy team… Read More

When Amelia, age 12, started expressing anxiety about her social status, her mother, Dana, became concerned. Amelia felt that everyone had more friends, more fun, and better life than hers. All based on what she saw on social media. Dana knew she needed help after her daughter began to present a fake life in her social media posts. Amelia refused to go to a therapist’s office, but was amenable when JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth (CCY) told her teletherapy was an option. The preteen is now making headway with managing her social anxiety. Experts at CCY report that anxiety… Read More

Ryan had been struggling academically and socially since the beginning of the pandemic. He had looked forward to high school. Now he was spending his first year of high school online, without opportunities to make friends. Academically, Ryan had difficulty with remote learning and continually lost focus, which quickly led to him falling behind. Ryan’s confidence plummeted as he ended the school year with a C average, having been a straight-A student. The teen became withdrawn and severely depressed. Ryan is not alone. This month US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, issued a public health advisory on the mental health challenges… Read More

Two Stories of Hope and Healing Seven-year-old Maddie didn’t leave her house for an entire year during the pandemic. While her classmates returned to school, Maddie continued learning remotely and recently, everything from schoolwork to getting dressed in the morning has become a painful power struggle with her parents. Anxiety is running high—even though Maddie’s parents are vaccinated against COVID-19 now, the family feel afraid to leave their home. Stephanie Agnew, Interim Director of Parents Place at JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth, is hearing from many children and parents who are suffering from anxiety as life begins to… Read More

None of us know what life is going to throw in our path. For young people who have experienced loss, trauma, a bad medical diagnosis or other difficult life events, hope comes in the form of the  Sandra L. Schnitzer Resilience Fund—a new permanent  Named Endowment Fund of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. The fund, which has been thoughtfully founded by Sandra L. Schnitzer of San Francisco, will pioneer a specialized model of compassionate assistance to help children, teens, and young adults up to age 25. Individual grants will magnify and enhance the expert services already available through JFCS’ Center … Read More