Behavioral Health Needs of Women and Girls of Color in San Francisco

1
Behavioral Health Needsof Women and Girls of
Colorin San Francisco

• By Maru Salazar
• For San Francisco Mental Health Board
• July 8, 2011

2
Introduction

• SF MHB
• GABHS for Gals
• Needs Assessments

3
Participating Agencies Programs
4
Participating Agencies Programs
5
Participating Agencies Programs
6
Needs Assessments

• Whom does your program serve?
• How are you funded?
• What are your best practices in working with
  women and girls?
• What are the needs of the women and girls you
  serve?
• How do you address safety issues? And in
  particular, client-to-client sexual harassment
  policy?

7
San Francisco Population

• San Francisco Total Population 815,358
• Three Populations of Focus

Racial / Ethnic Group Total Population Percentage
Asian and Pacific Islander (API) 260,099 31.9
Latina / Hispanic 117,412 14.4
African American 54,629 6.7

• Source, U.S. Census, 2009.

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Women in San Francisco

• Total Population of Women 392,184 or 49.2
• Largest Age Groups of Women

Age group Total Population Percentage
Under 18 55,690 14.2
25 to 29 42,748 10.9
30 to 34 42,356 10.8
35 to 39 33,336 8.5
Source U.S. Census, 2009
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Women and girls of color

• 3 populations of focus
• African American
• Latina
• Asian and Pacific Islander
• Demographics
• Women
• Girls

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Common Themes

• Shame and stigma
• High incidence of trauma
• Relationship issues

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Common Themes

• Treatment barriers
• System issues

12
What makes a difference?

• Safe environment
• Listening to her story
• Empathy
• Work on multiple levels
• Continuing care

13
Highlights of SF Programs

• Hunters Point Family Girls 2000
• Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Inc.
• The Family Acceptance Project
• Horizons Unlimited YWAP, FAV
• Filipino Community Center
• Community Youth Center YAWAV,
• Asian American Recovery Services, Inc., LWCC

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Evolving Treatment Approaches
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Gender-responsive Services

• creating an environment through site selection,
  staff selection, program development, content and
  material that reflects an understanding of the
  realities of women's lives, and that addresses
  and responds to their strengths and challenges .
• Source Covington and Bloom, 2004

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Best Practices in the Field

• Outreach and Engagement
• Gender-responsive
• Trauma-informed
• Culturally competent
• Recovery-oriented

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Recommendations

• Improving quality of service delivery
• Increase outreach and engagement strategies that
  are culturally relevant.
• Incorporate recovery-oriented systems of care in
  continuum of care.
• develop minimum standards of practice for
  programs.

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Recommendations

• Increasing system capacity
• Dedication of gender-specific funding streams.
• Increase capacity of support service programs.
• System-wide education and training.

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What can we do now?

• What actions can be implemented or integrated
  into existing programs, agencies now?
• How can we encourage programs, agencies and CBHS
  to take action based on these recommendations?

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Behavioral Health Needsof Women and Girls of
Colorin San Francisco

• By Maru SalazarFor San Francisco Mental Health
  BoardJuly 8, 2011