Established in 2018, the Ravenswood Wellness Partnership (RWP) was created to help youth and families in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park access quality, comprehensive care – including mental health services. As a collaborative of mental health and community organizations, RWP improves coordination among providers and expands capacity and access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services—leading to earlier intervention and better outcomes. 

Children’s Health Council Ravenswood proudly serves as the central hub for Ravenswood Wellness Partnership services, coordinating collaboration among schools, community partners, and behavioral health providers so families can experience a more connected, seamless system of care. 

This year, CHC expanded its high-quality, evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) services to help youth strengthen emotional regulation and relationship skills. In partnership with programs such as Child Mind Institute (CMI), CHC now offers trauma-informed DBT groups at school sites, and outpatient DBT skills groups are available at the Ravenswood clinic. Spanish-speaking families are also supported through parent groups and related services that provide information on children’s developmental needs and connect families to mental health resources. 

CHC Ravenswood continues to serve Medi-Cal families referred through Health Plan of San Mateo. Plus, teens with Medi-Cal in San Mateo County now have access to CHC’s RISE Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for teens struggling with self-harm.  

The RWP program has been awarded a number of grants to strengthen the integration of community and school-linked services, improve data tracking and outcomes measurement, and deepen coordination across Ravenswood Wellness partners. Additionally, a newly awarded Stanford Community Investment grant will help offset RWP training consortium leadership and supervision costs to expand workforce capacity across agencies in San Mateo County. 

Looking ahead, CHC priorities include supporting Ravenswood Wellness Partner The Primary School (TPS) students and families, increasing caregiver and educator supports, expanding the training consortium, and launching a new resource and referral webpage. 

Together, this collective effort continues to build a stronger, more responsive mental health system for Ravenswood youth and families. Learn more about Ravenswood Wellness Partnership here.

By Carlina Ramirez Wheeler, Ph.D., HSP, Director of Training, Children’s Health Council.