Gateway to Hope

Welcome to the Gateway To Hope, a one-stop shop of tools, information, resources and knowledge for parents, family members, consumers, caregivers, and friends of those within the mental health care system. The information provided here is for informational and educational purposes only. UACF does not endorse or support any particular legal service. By accessing these links you acknowledge that UACF holds no harm or liability in our referral system, as organizations listed here are not necessarily endorsed by UACF. However, we hope that you will find useful resources through the links below.

Advocates and Organizations

Information is available for children and youth, parents, caregivers, and partners, as well as military families, LGBTQ, and Transition Age Youth (TAY). Resources, outreach and community partnerships, education, training, assistance, treatment, crisis prevention, job assistance, and support with regard to mental health needs including:

Substance Abuse
Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder)
Schizophrenia, Depression, Bi-Polar
Eating Disorders
Alzheimer's
Suicide Prevention

California Mental Health Advocates for Children and Youth (CMHACY)
HelpGuide
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National Institute of Mental Health (NiMH)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

California Community Based Organizations (CBOs)

Click here to download a list of organizations working with UACF to further provide outreach, educations, and support for families.

California Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Departments (by county)
Network of Care Links consumers to support groups and personal advocacy resources in the community. The site also provides a repository of evidence-based practices – successful, creative ways for communities to respond to their behavioral-health needs.

Disability Rights & Services

Disability Rights Advocates: A non-profit legal center dedicated to securing the civil rights of people with disabilities. DRA advocates for disability rights through high-impact litigation, as well as research and education. There is no charge for services
Disability Rights California: Legal assistance, advocacy, public policy, outreach, and education resources.
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund: National civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.
People with Disabilities Foundation: Education and advocacy for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities, with or without physical disabilities.

Education, Special Education, and IEP (Individualized Education Program)

California Department of Education National Center for Learning Disabilities: Information regarding the IEP process, learning disabilities, parent/child rights, education, training, and more.
Mental Health Services for Special Education Pupils (AB 3632)
Reading Rockets: Reading and literacy support for parents.
Resources on IEPS for Children with Disabilities
US Department of Education
WrightsLaw: Special education and education law, advocacy for children with disabilities.

Legal Services

Bay Area Legal Aid
Bazelon Center
Law Help California
Legal Aid Society of Orange County
Mental Health Advocacy Services
National Center for Youth Law
National Mental Health Information Center
Pre-Paid Legal Services
Rubicon Legal (Formerly T he Hawkins Center )
US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Medical Coverage & Low Cost Insurance

California Department of Health Care Services: Access to low income health care, routine screenings and exams, hospice, coordinated and assisted living. Additional language and translation services available.
Low Income Health Programs: Through Health Access, find resources on the county level for obtaining low cost or no cost insurance
Medicare
Medi-Cal
TRICARE: Mental health services for military personnel and their families.

Multi-Lingual, Multi-Cultural Services

Alma Family Services serving the Los Angeles area, they provide, along with other purposes, a comprehensive range of multilingual, culturally competent community based services for those with special needs including emotional, physical and/or developmental delay and their families.
Asian Community Mental Health Services: Serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, they provide and advocate for multicultural, multilingual services that empower the most vulnerable members of our community to lead healthy, contributing, and self-sufficient lives. Staff provides services in twelve languages: Cambodian, Cantonese, English, Japanese, Khmuu, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Mien, Tagalog, Toysan, and Vietnamese.
Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies through Access California (MECCA): A community based organization that has the capacity to serve underserved communities in 13 languages (English, Arabic, Farsi, French, German, Tigrinya, Urdu, Armenian, Spanish, Pasto, Gujarati, Turkish, and Punjabi). All AccessCal staff are multilingual and multicultural. Staff come from ethnic/underserved communities themselves and can be empathetic with clients, because they have experienced similar life experiences.
Multi-lingual Counseling: Bay Area based practice specializing in individual, couple, child, elderly, group counseling, available in English, Farsi, Pashtu, Ordu, Spanish.
Persona Neurobehavior Group: Multicultural, multilingual mental health services to diverse California population across the lifespan.

Parenting Resources

Child Welfare Information Gateway Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families by connecting child welfare, adoption, and related professionals as well as the general public to information, resources, and tools covering topics on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, and more. They also have a 24/7 hotline for parents:call 1-866-490-3666 toll free.
Family Education and Resource Center - Alameda County The Family Education and Resource Center ('FERC') is a new family/caregiver-centered program that provides information, education, advocacy and support services to family/caregivers of children, adolescents, transitional age youth, adults, and older adults with serious emotional disturbance or mental illness living in all regions of Alameda County. These services are provided in a culturally competent manner, reaching out to people of various ethnicities and language groups. FERC programmatic components include: (1) a warm line; (2) education, training and support for family/caregivers; (3) a resource center; (4) assistance with AB-1424 (communication with providers); (5) support for the development of family leadership; and (6) collaboration with other MHSA-funded programs.
Parenting.org Resources and guidance on how to successfully raise, praise, discipline, teach and love your child. Parenting can be a difficult job; however, the valuable parenting tips provided can make the job easier. Here, you will find many valuable resources, articles and stories offering parenting help in today’s world.
Parent Resources: Brings together a vast collection of resources that will help families find their bearings. Including informational articles and books, hotlines and helplines, advice, a directory of related websites, how-tos, recommendations, support, and much more.

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