Felton Institute knows what it looks like to successfully build community. Our unwavering dedication to serving individuals, families, and the community is exemplified through our programs and services that uplift clients, ensuring successful outcomes to all we engage with.
2023 was filled with innovative and culturally sensitive programs and community support. We introduced our very first community response teams that provide a non-police response to people experiencing a mental health crisis, partnered with a Deaf advocate who informs, educates, and inspires the public about Deaf awareness, opened a residency program for individuals with justice-involved backgrounds, and hosted international delegations that visited Felton to learn about our ground-breaking senior services, among other life-changing programs and community outreach. Highlighted below, these accomplishments are just a few examples of our unwavering dedication to clients and community members.
To learn more about all of our groundbreaking services that span across 60 programs and seven counties, please see our past newsletters, follow our social media posts, and explore our website. As we welcome 2024, we remain committed to providing services that strengthen and support the community and beyond.
Angelo Quinto Community Response Team Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Featured on Multiple Media News Groups, including CBS News Bay Area
The City of Antioch held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome Felton’s Angelo Quinto Community Response Team (AQCRT) to the community. AQCRT works in collaboration with the City of Antioch, Antioch Police Department, and local community-based organizations, to provide a 24/7 non-police response to low-level, non-life threatening, 911 calls. Antioch City Council unanimously selected Felton to launch the city’s first, as well as Contra Costa County’s first, 24/7 community response team.
Crossroads to Hope (C2H) Activating Hope Through Housing
The Justice Services Division introduced its first residency program for individuals with justice-involved backgrounds. Activating hope through housing, Crossroads to Hope (C2H) provides 6-month housing residencies, on-site case management services, and programming for individuals with justice-involved and mental health backgrounds. The program strives to help residents build a support network, access community, resources, and establish long-term stable housing.
Felton welcomed the community to Crossroads to Hope in Sonoma County for its open house event and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Featured special guest speakers included Supervisor Chris Coursey and Mayor Natalie Rogers of Santa Rosa as well as inspiring speeches from MHSOAC (Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission) Executive Director Toby Ewing, Felton Institute CEO Al Gilbert, C2H Program Manager Shannon Wise, Felton Institute Justice Services Division Director Curtis Penn, and Health Services Manager Sid McColley. Attendees got to explore the craftsman-style house and beautify the garden by planting succulents.
Justice Services Division’s Newest Program, Integrated Health Resource Team (IHART), Coming Soon in Vallejo
The Integrated Health Resource Team (IHART) is a mobile community resource team serving the city of Vallejo. The team provides services to those experiencing a mental and behavioral health crisis. The dedicated team is comprised of non-police personnel who conduct welfare checks, screenings, and assessments. They provide proactive, culturally responsive engagement to link residents to resources based on their specific and urgent mental and behavioral health needs.
Felton is Honored to Serve Bayview’s Unhoused Community Members
Felton assumed responsibility for the vital services that provide a lifeline to unhoused, formerly unhoused, and food-insecure residents of the Bayview. Through three programs, Pier 94, Hope House, and Mother Brown’s Kitchen/Jennings Street Drop-in Center, Felton supports the community and individuals experiencing homelessness by providing services that help them obtain and secure safe housing. The daily drop-in center offers a site for respite care and hot meals to those in need. Staff are made up of residents, many of whom were formerly homeless, allowing them to give back to the community.
BeneFITS 2 Work Launches: Supporting Older Adults Navigate Employment
BeneFITS 2 Work (BFITS) is an exciting new program that provides FREE dedicated and effective workshops and counseling services for people considering employment but concerned about income impacts on means tested benefits such as SSI and Medi-Cal. BeneFITS 2 Work helps San Franciscans navigate the complex world of government benefits. Participants gain knowledge about how their benefits work, what the parameters are for continued enrollment, and other benefits programs they may be eligible for. BeneFITS 2 Work serves older adults, adults with disabilities, and retired individuals seeking part-time or full-time employment. To learn more, please visit the BeneFITS 2 Work program page.
Information, Referral, and Assistance Program: Providing Essential Resources to SF HSA Clients
The Information, Referral, and Assistance program (IR&A) is a pilot program that links San Francisco Human Services Agency (SF HSA) clients to services and resources to help meet their essential needs. This program aims to prevent vulnerable community members from slipping through the cracks by providing community resource referrals paired with extensive follow-up to verify clients were connected effectively. The team of trauma-informed and compassionate Information Specialists provides services via phone for an average of one month, depending on follow-up needs. IR&A aims to empower clients to address self-identified needs using their own support systems in partnership with the extensive network of available San Francisco resources.
Korean and Taiwanese Delegations Visit Felton Institute
Felton Institute was honored to host Korean and Taiwanese delegates who came to the Bay Area to learn about our cutting-edge Senior Services. Felton Insitute President and CEO Al Gilbert, Senior Division Director Cathy Spensley, and Program Director of Workforce and Engagement Services Amy Yu, gave the international delegations tours of our senior program locations as well as informative presentations about Felton’s Older Adult programs that support and empower seniors. We’re immensely grateful to the Korean and Taiwanese delegates for allowing us to showcase our incredible senior services across the Bay Area.
Raven Sutton partners with Felton’s Deaf Community Counseling Services (DCCS)
Deaf Advocate and Influencer Raven Sutton (@bluejay19xx) participated in an Instagram Live event with Deaf Community Counseling Services (DCCS) Lead Case Manager Tori Serrano. The disability activist, dancer, content creator, and contestant from Netflix’s ‘The Circle,’ spoke about her experiences growing up as a Deaf person, her advocacy work, and the importance of mental health awareness in Deaf communities.
DCCS empowers Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients to live self-sufficient lives through a transformative focus on their overall well-being.
Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment And Creating Hope Pilot Program A Success
Launched in January 2023, the Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment And Creating Hope (ECE REACH) program is a groundbreaking Latina-focused workforce development initiative jointly pioneered by Felton Institute and MEDA (Mission Economic Development Agency). The pilot program offers an accelerated career pathway, tackling historical barriers to employment for Latina mothers in San Francisco’s Mission, Excelsior, and Bayview neighborhoods. This transformative program delivers comprehensive academic, financial, career, and wrap-around client support, ensuring the success of Latina participants entering the ECE field.
ECE REACH recently held its first graduation for participants!
Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services to transform lives. Our organization offers 50+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our award-winning programs, which have been recognized as national models, combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.
Founded in 1889, Felton is the oldest secular non-profit social services provider in the City and County of San Francisco. We have expanded our services across most Bay Area counties and continue to be at the forefront of pioneering new approaches to meet the emerging needs of underserved populations.
We know what it looks like to successfully build community.
We foster impactful change by strengthening the community as a premiere service provider. We also strengthen other service providers by supporting them in their fiscal, human resources, communications, IT and overall agency operations. With Felton’s support, they are able to focus on providing the best services to their clients, doing the work they were meant to do.
Felton empowers the community and ensures successful outcomes to all we engage with.
Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.