Founded in 1889, Felton Institute is the oldest nonsectarian, nonprofit charitable social-services provider in the City and County of San Francisco.

Our mission is to respond to human needs with cutting edge social services and treatment that combine the best social science research with cultural sensitivity, a deep respect for the consumer, and a commitment to social justice and supportive communities.

The Felton Way

The Felton Way is dedicated to improving the quality of service provided at Felton, creating consistency across the agency, and unifying our approach in all services and care provided through Felton Institute. The seven values articulated below apply to the Institute-at-large; in terms of delivering care and services of all types to the community we serve in San Francisco.

Welcoming: When an individual encounters Felton, whether they seek services, an employee or an associate in the community, they will be welcomed and made to feel safe. Those seeking services will be linked to a service provider who will help them to describe their needs and the services they might require. Felton will then either provide services ourselves or ensure that they receive other services that are most appropriate to their needs.

Strength based: All services, interactions, treatment interventions and practice models must build on the assets, skills, capabilities, cultural values, preferences and interests of Felton and the people we interact with and serve, their families and the communities in which we live. Our practices will emphasize partnership both within the agency as well as between any outside individual and staff which will yield a careful understanding of people’s experiences, needs and goals.

Culturally Relevant: All services, interactions, interventions and practice models must reflect the unique cultural attributes of the people we work with and serve, their families and the communities we live in. Culture, in this context, reflects the broadest definition possible.

Team Implemented: All services, interactions, interventions and practice models will be implemented using a team approach. At a minimum, all agency interactions reflect a collaborative process between one another and the people we serve – including staff, community partners, treatment specialists, contracted service providers, clinicians, volunteers and peer’s (people with first person experience) – on the basis of equality and shared purpose.

Recovery Oriented: All services, interactions, interventions and practice models must use a recovery-oriented approach. At its minimum, a recovery oriented approach reflects a person centered strength-based model of problem solving. It means we value a client driven collaboration between staff and the people we serve. The potential of recovery-oriented services further acts to integrate the people we work with and the people we serve in the community to improve everyone’s quality of life.

Family Oriented: All services, interactions, interventions and practice models will be proactive in including and embracing the family as a whole unit in all services provided through Felton. At a minimum, for those individuals who are isolated from their blood relations for whatever reason, a family can be a friend, an important contact, or anyone defined as family by the person being served. We strive to listen to family member’s input, experience, cultural values and desires, and when possible do what we can to include the family unit in the services we provide.

Advancing the Field: The people we work together with and the people we serve have a right to the most effective work practices and service approaches available. Felton will continually work to train our staff in the most effective methods of service and treatment. Individual work practices and treatment approaches will be guided by continuous feedback from outcome assessments. We choose to adopt practices when the outcomes are consistent with our overall mission and vision. Felton participates in research that helps to advance an excellent work environment, and the provision of excellent services in the community.