Clinic & Community Based Behavioral Healthcare
The Alameda Family Services Clinic & Community Behavioral Health Care division provides counseling services to families, children, adults, couples, and groups. The clinic operates a highly respected APA accredited Narrative Therapy Training Program for doctoral interns, as well as practicum students from a variety of graduate programs. Additionally, the clinic satellite offices deliver trauma-informed, culturally responsive services to residents of Alameda Point Collaborative designed to promote well-being and empowerment.
Clinic Counseling Services
Licensed clinicians and professional therapists-in-training, working under the license of clinical supervisors provide the following services (available in English and Spanish. Other offered languages vary from year to year. Through June 2025, therapy in Gujarati and Hindi are also be available):
Family therapy for children and adolescents
Therapy for youth on probation
Individual or family therapy for adults
Couples counseling
Psychological assessments
Group therapy
Alameda County Medi-Cal eligible child-parent psychotherapy for ages birth to 7
Counseling at Alameda Point Collaborative
Referrals and resources
Our psychological assessments test for attention, executive functioning, academic/learning disorders, and social emotional functioning. For additional information on psychological assessment services, please view our information sheet.
All services are available through Telehealth as well.
Fees & Eligibility
We serve Alameda County Medi-Cal recipients and also provide services on a sliding scale. Some families in Alameda are qualified for one no-cost counseling session.
Scheduling an Appointment
Please call the intake line at 510-629-6210 to schedule a phone screening or to get more information about our intake procedure.
For additional information, please view our program brochure.
Groups
Anger Management
Groups offered through Alameda Family Services include an adult Anger Management group. For more information about the adult Anger Management group, please view the flyer. This group meets in-person on Mondays from 6-7pm.
18 Years and up
$20 intake fee
Sliding scale Session Fee
For more information call: 510-629-6311
Other Groups
Families Together: Parenting LGBTQIA+ Kids and Teenagers
Weekly online support group for parents, caregivers, and guardians of Kids and adolescents who are LGBTQ+, or who questioning or exploring their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. please view flyer.
5 to 18 Years
$20 intake fee
Sliding scale Session Fee
For more information call: 510-629-6307
Narrative Therapy Training Program
The Alameda Family Services clinic has been providing mental health treatment to the residents of Alameda for almost 40 years and is one of the few organizations in the state to offer a Narrative Therapy Training program.
Narrative Therapy is a highly effective therapeutic approach that helps people overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, and many other struggles. Our Narrative Therapists are trained to facilitate collaborative, nonjudgmental, and compassionate sessions that guide participants in finding inner strength and developing the skills necessary to become free of mental pain.
Over the years, we have seen the life changing benefits of Narrative Therapy with the many families, adults, and children that have entered into therapy with us. Treatment typically lasts for 3 months when sessions are held on a weekly basis.
Graduate and postgraduate psychology, counseling, and social work students as well as therapists who are collecting hours towards licensure are eligible to apply to our Narrative Therapy Training Program. Please click here for more information on how to apply.
Our APA accredited Narrative Therapy Training Program, a division of the Clinic & Community Based Behavioral Health Care Services Program, hosts graduate and postgraduate psychology, counseling, and social work students as well as therapists who are collecting hours towards licensure. Our training program emphasizes a family and community approach to clinical work. Trainees are matched with programs and supervisors based on areas of interest, ranging from families with young children to teen issues to substance abuse. Graduate and postgraduate psychology, counseling, and social work students as well as therapists who are collecting hours towards licensure are eligible to apply to our Narrative Therapy Training Program. Please click here for more information on how to apply.
Everyone in the Training Program comes together for a full day of training every week and also shares the commonality of providing services at the clinic site. Trainees provide the bulk of the family, couple, and individual therapy at the clinic under the auspices of the Behavioral Health Care Services Program. The work in the clinic also involves on-call crisis response by phone and in person. Though we intervene in quite a wide range of crisis situations, therapists are specifically trained to respond to family crises which have resulted in police action. Trainees also facilitate or co-facilitate groups in the clinic.
In addition, trainees work in Alameda Unified School District high schools, providing individual, family, and group therapy to students through the School-Based Services (a program of Alameda Family Services). We also have trainees working as consultants to Head Start teachers in the classroom, providing support to parents, and engaging Head Start children in therapeutic activities individually and in small groups. Outside of the classroom, trainees provide specialized family and individual therapy to Head Start families as well.
In the Early Head Start program, trainees facilitate developmental playgroups and provide parent-infant and parent-child therapy services. If interested, trainees also have the opportunity to be involved in at-home visits and screenings for postpartum depression and child development.
While the populations and services vary, the Clinical Training Program has a unified focus on supporting families in context. Using a narrative and social justice perspective, the program is strength-based and solution-focused.
Applications
Practicum applications (including third year doctoral, advanced Master's, and post-Master's students) follow BAPIC guidelines. Practicum positions are open to students from psychology and counseling graduate programs.
Deadline for applications: February 21, 2025.
Post-doctoral applications must include an interest letter stating which programs appeal to you most and why you want to work with families/the community.
Deadline for applications: March 18, 2025.
For Doctoral intern applications, please see the doctoral intern brochure here for information and deadlines. Alameda Family Services is currently an exclusive affiliate site of the Wright Institute.
Deadline for Doctorial Intern applications: November 25, 2024.
For more information on our Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data Click Here.
The training year begins in late August with a week-long orientation and ends in late June / early July for practicum students and mid-August for doctoral interns and post docs. Second interviews include a family role play for doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows, whereas practicum applicants may only be interviewed once. For more information on the training program, please download the information packet here.
Please note, for the 2024-2025 year, our APA accredited doctoral internship will serve as a captive site for students affiliated with The Wright Institute. The practicum positions are open to other graduate programs. For more information on the doctoral internship, please download the brochure here. For additional information, you may email Dr. Jennifer Wu at jwu@alamedafs.org.
When you apply, please include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and recommendation letters (2 for practicum, 3 for doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows). For 2024 applications - Practicum and postdoc applicants: please EMAIL your applications to Jennifer Wu, Psy.D. Division Director - Behavioral Health Care Services, at jwu@alamedafs.org.
Jennifer Wu, Psy.D.
Division Director - Behavioral Health Care Services
Alameda Family Services
2325 Clement Avenue, Suite A
Alameda, CA 94501
Intensive Care Coordination
Intensive Care Coordination (ICC) is a targeted case management service that assists families and youth under the age of 21 in locating, accessing and monitoring services such as medical, educational, mental health, social services, and other vital resources to enhance their wellbeing. Child & Family Team meetings (known as CFTs) are held with the family, youth, as well as the youth’s supporters and providers to determine what services are needed. The family and supporters of the youth are encouraged to have their voices heard. Intensive care coordination is for referred clients with eligible Alameda County Medi-Cal. Referrals are typically made internally from the therapist to our ICC team. We also accept external referral from the County and other providers. Referrals need to already have an existing therapist in order to qualify for services.
ICC also provides an ICC Coordinator who:
Ensures that medically necessary services are accessed, coordinated, and delivered in a strength-based, individualized, client-driven, and culturally and linguistically competent manner.
Ensures that services and supports are guided by the needs of the child.
Facilitates a collaborative relationship among the child, their family, and systems involved in providing services to them.
Supports the parent or caregiver in meeting their child’s needs.
Helps establish the CFT and provides ongoing support.
Organizes and matches care across providers and child serving systems to allow the child to be served in their community.