North County Collaborative for Mental Health

“The long-term opportunity is to create a North County where families don’t have to be expert system navigators in order to get their child help—that service organizations should know how to find one another, and the systems should do more of that work for the family.”

— Annya Shapiro, Executive Director of YouthPoint Health, the lead agency for the North County Collaborative for Mental Health

Life’s toughest challenges do not exist in isolation. And neither do the solutions.

This idea is central to the innovative work of the North County Collaborative for Mental Health (NCCMH), a partnership between YouthPoint Health (YPH), Daly City Partnership, and Asian American Recovery Services.

“The collaborative’s motto is that young people don’t experience their lives in silos, so we can’t serve them in silos,” says Annya Shapiro, Executive Director of YPH, the lead agency for the nonprofit collaborative. “Young people do better when adults, organizations, schools, and systems around them are connected. And we’ve found that we’re a lot stronger working together.”

With multi-year funding through Sand Hill Foundation’s Wellness Partnership initiative, NCCMH works to integrate and expand access to mental health support for young people across North San Mateo County, one of the most underserved regions of the county, and Silicon Valley as a whole.

As Annya explains, the partnership arose out of a different way of thinking about how nonprofits serve their community, pivoting from a mindset of “What can my organization provide?” to asking “What does the community need, and how can we collectively respond to the needs of our community?”

The young people and families that NCCMH serves are highly diverse, and many are navigating multiple systems at once—from school, healthcare, and behavioral health to public benefits, the immigration system, and more. Many families are also simultaneously navigating language and cultural barriers, along with the common challenges of housing pressure and economic instability.

“What we hear repeatedly is that families don’t need another disconnected resource—they need support that is accessible, trusted, culturally responsive, and easier to navigate,” Annya shares. “The long-term opportunity is to create a North County where families don’t have to be expert system navigators in order to get their child help—that service organizations should know how to find one another, and the systems should do more of that work for the family.”

NCCMH’s collective approach to building a holistic service ecosystem that meets young people and families where they are not only requires a different mindset from nonprofits—it takes special understanding and investment from funders.

“Sand Hill Foundation has been one of our longest supporters, and they understand that meaningful collaboration takes time and infrastructure.” Annya shares. “It’s one thing to find funding for a specific program but it’s not so easy to secure funding for the relationship building, the coordination, the trust, and shared planning that allows organizations to work differently together. Sand Hill Foundation’s investment in us gave us the opportunity to do that deeper work, and we’ve been able to have greater and more impactful reach within our collective community, especially when it comes to accessing and supporting youth who would otherwise likely fall through the cracks.”

The funder’s role doesn’t need to stop at core programming either. As Annya shares, the collaborative has been strengthened through additional investment in the wellbeing and relationships of the people doing the work—the nonprofit staff members who are often the first to prescribe wellness activities to others, but the last to engage in it themselves.

“Sand Hill surprised us by giving us this pot of wellness funds specifically targeted at getting our staff together and supporting them through an activity that takes care of them,” Annya shares. “Every year we do something fun together; we break bread, and this is where the real meaningful relationships occur. And now the kind of collaboration we see is completely different. People constantly think of one another when it’s time to connect their community members with resources—we can just message each other and it happens, because we have that infrastructure built.”

As Annya reflects on the impact of Sand Hill Foundation’s 10+ year investment, she shares a message for fellow funders: “I would like for them to know we need them to invest for the long term and to fund the infrastructure that makes collaboration possible. Communities don’t transform on a one-year grant cycle. The opportunity that we see now is that we’ve already built something that is often the hardest thing to create: the trusted relationships across our organizations. Now we can deepen those relationships and bring youth and family voices more directly into the structure and build something that can last far beyond one single grant.”

The collaborative’s next effort aims to accomplish exactly that: putting the young people of North County at the center of not just service but the design-making and outreach process itself.

“One milestone that I’m particularly excited about is building a strong youth advisory group, across the partner organizations, that gives young people a meaningful, compensated role in shaping priorities,” Annya says. “They’re going to be the ambassadors of spreading the word, ambassadors of mental health, and helping us to increase access across our community. That is really an important evolution—from organizations collaborating on behalf of young people to creating structures where young people themselves guide the collaboration.”

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

“It means so much to me to have a champion making it possible to enhance our already excellent care even further, and to reach even more families in need.”

— Dr. Yasser El-Sayed, Ford Family Endowed Obstetrician-in-Chief

From the beginning, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has stood out as a leading pediatric and obstetric health system. When it opened in 1991, it was one of only a few hospitals in the nation to integrate pediatrics plus labor and delivery within a children’s hospital. In San Mateo County, Packard Children’s is the primary provider of Medi-Cal-covered obstetrics because the County’s one public hospital is not equipped to offer these services.

Sand Hill Foundation’s longstanding support, totaling over $20 million, has played a vital role in ensuring that the hospital remains a leader in pediatric care and research, benefiting children and families throughout the Bay Area and far beyond. Under Susan Ford Dorsey’s leadership, the foundation has endowed both the hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief and Obstetrician-in-Chief, as well as provided two major capital gifts. The first was for surgical suites in the Main building which opened in 2017 and the second is for the forthcoming transformation of the Atrium Garden in the main entrance. This serene space will offer a peaceful environment for families and children, promoting healing and well-being in nature.

Sand Hill Foundation was also an early supporter of allcove, a groundbreaking mental health initiative for youth and teens led by Packard Children’s, through the Wellness Partnership initiative. With locations across California and plans to expand nationally, allcove is a network of integrated mental health centers designed with, by, and for youth that reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, and provide access to culturally responsive services.

“The idea that no child or family would be turned away for their inability to pay is at the center of the hospital’s mission,” Ford Dorsey said about her passion for the cause. “That was important at the beginning, and it continues to be important today.” Click here to see Ford Dorsey in conversation with Dr. Yasser El-Sayed, Ford Family Endowed Obstetrician-in-Chief.

Children’s Health Council

“With a shared vision and strong mission alignment, we are forging a pathway toward more equitable access to mental healthcare, fostering deep community partnerships, and driving systemic change to improve the health and well-being of local youth and families.”

— Ramsey Khasho, PsyD, Chief Clinical Officer

One in five adolescents have a mental health condition, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24. The stigma surrounding mental health, lack of awareness, and limited access to mental health services have contributed to the inadequate treatment of mental health issues among teens.

Children’s Health Council was founded in 1953, based on the vision of pediatrician Dr. Esther B. Clark, to establish a place where children and families in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties could access therapy services from caring experts, regardless of cost. Since its founding, the organization has served over one million children, teens, and young adults across the Peninsula and throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

With the help of multi-year funding over the last decade from Sand Hill Foundation, Children’s Health Council has expanded equitable access to mental health services through the Teen Mental Health Initiative and the Ravenswood Wellness Partnership. As part of these efforts, the agency has leveraged its skills, expertise, and network to bring together therapists, educators, parents, nonprofits, hospitals, social workers, and youth to develop a web of mental health support throughout the region. The expansion has increased the affordability and availability of culturally appropriate, evidence-based therapeutic services, developed school partnerships to establish mental wellness programs and increase referrals for care, and helped remove stigma through community-wide education and collaboration. In honor of CHC’s 70th Anniversary in 2023, Sand Hill Foundation committed $1.5 million toward subsidized services for families living with low-income who would not otherwise be able to access mental health support.

Sand Hill Foundation’s longtime partnership with Children’s Health Council strives to meet the wellness needs of adolescents, young adults, and their families throughout our community—building resilience, hope, and healing.

Nuestra Casa

“Nuestra Casa’s collaboration with Sand Hill Foundation embodies a shared commitment to environmental justice and community empowerment. Through the Foundation’s support, we have provided tangible improvements in residential air quality for our families and deepened our community’s understanding of critical environmental issues”

— Miriam Yupanqui, Executive Director

Founded by local community members in 2002, Nuestra Casa began as a safety net service provider for low-income communities in East Palo Alto as the community welcomed an influx of new Spanish-speaking residents. Ever since, Nuestra Casa has helped community members access critical services and flex their inherent leadership. Nuestra Casa brings this mission to life through community education, leadership development, and community-driven advocacy.

Residents of communities disproportionately affected by climate change have historically been left out of environmental planning and advocacy efforts. Nuestra Casa is changing that dynamic by putting the community into the drivers’ seat of environmental justice efforts. Unincorporated North Fair Oaks suffers from a lack of tree canopy, causing unsafe summertime temperatures, sea water inundation due to its location below sea level on the Bay, and one of the highest pollution burdens in California. While Sand Hill Foundation has a long history of supporting environmental causes, a new focus in 2021 on local climate change solutions created room for new partnerships and investments.

Nuestra Casa received a multi-year grant in 2023 from Sand Hill Foundation to expand their environmentally-focused work from East Palo Alto into North Fair Oaks. The initial phase of the project involved understanding the magnitude of different environmental issues facing the community. That data was then used to create a community education program that included an annual Environmental Justice Academy. This multi-week course covers climate justice; water justice, including where local water is sourced from; air pollution, including what is in the air locally; and sea level rise and flooding mitigation practices and adaptation policies.

Since the inception of Nuestra Casa’s North Fair Oaks project, 1,800 community members have participated in policy and city planning discussions around climate change mitigation and environmental justice issues and 43 concerned community members enrolled in the Environmental Justice Academy in 2024.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

“Together with Sand Hill Foundation we’re supporting families on their journey to economic stability by ensuring the safety-net systems meant to help them are working.”

— M. Stacey Hawver, Executive Director

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (Legal Aid SMC) knows our entire community is stronger when everyone has a home, economic security, and essential public services. Legal Aid pursues this vision by using the law to enforce the legal rights of low-income residents in civil cases. From helping survivors of domestic abuse get legal protection against their abusers, to fielding thousands of calls annually from renters at risk of becoming homeless, Legal Aid SMC makes sure the law works for all local residents.

While the legal system is a bedrock of American democracy, the right to representation by a lawyer is limited to serious criminal matters. In California, this right is not guaranteed in many life-changing circumstances, from education and family conflicts to workers’ rights and housing disputes. In some instances, those with access to and knowledge of the legal system may prevail regardless of the facts of the case. This is where Legal Aid SMC evens the playing field by providing free legal education, training, and advice to low-income communities, as well as litigating on behalf of those communities when necessary.

Sand Hill Foundation’s first grant to Legal Aid SMC was in 1998 to support a domestic violence prevention program. This work formed the heart of the relationship for nearly a decade in keeping with Sand Hill Foundation’s goal to stabilize families facing hardship. In 2017, when San Mateo County’s immigrant community was facing rapidly evolving immigration policy and aggressive enforcement activity, the foundation stepped up to support essential legal services to immigrants. As the relationship grew and community needs evolved, Sand Hill Foundation recognized the deep need for representation in housing-related cases as the number of eviction cases in the county involving families with children escalated.

Many times, a call to Legal Aid SMC’s call center is enough to empower families to maintain their housing. However, sometimes more expertise is needed. Over the past year, Legal Aid served 663 families and provided full litigation support to 88 tenant households facing eviction with 72% of those clients winning their cases, enabling them to remain stably housed. For clients forced to move out, Legal Aid SMC supports them in rehousing and often is able to secure a relocation settlement from the landlord. Sand Hill Foundation is proud to support this crucial housing stability work so that all families can thrive in our home county.

Vida Verde Nature Education

“Sand Hill runs deep at Vida Verde. They’ve been solid partners for 14 years with sage advice, community connections, steady financial support, a lead capital gift, and most importantly being humans who we can rely on. We do it together with them…the heavy challenge and the richly successful outcomes.”

— Shawn Sears, Co-founder & Executive Director

In the natural splendor of the San Francisco Bay Area, students at low-income schools do not commonly have the opportunity to spend immersive time in nature, nor to see themselves as connected to or part of nature. Teachers in underserved schools often face a lack of resources, are overworked, and support kids from loving families who are extra-stretched – making it extremely difficult for their teachers to plan the deep enrichment and connection experiences that bring meaning and reality to classroom time.

Since 2001, Vida Verde has been nurturing Bay Area elementary and middle school students’ academic performance, social and emotional learning, and connection to the outdoors by providing free, overnight environmental learning experiences for students who don’t otherwise get the opportunity. Each class trip is a carefully crafted explosion of activities and experiences at the nature wonderland of Vida Verde, a 23 acre coastal farm, and nearby state parks and beaches on the San Mateo County Coastside.

The 5th grade trip provides the spark, when a teacher brings their class for three days. In high school, students return to the Summer Leadership Project for five days. And after that, the campers become the teachers when they get their job at Vida Verde as a counselor or come back as chaperone when their own child is in 5th grade. Vida Verde is a lifelong cycle.

Participating teacher surveys show that the three-day trip, packed with activities that address California state educational standards, has resulted in 89% improvement in students’ classroom learning and 95% improvement in personal responsibility and Teamwork.

Sand Hill Foundation has funded Vida Verde’s experiential learning programs since 2010. When Vida Verde launched its campaign to build a permanent home in San Gregorio, Sand Hill Foundation stepped up with an early capital gift to purchase land and build a new learning barn in addition to providing ongoing operating support.

Ayudando Latinos A Soñar

“We believe that culture inspires and heals the soul, opening doors for community wealth, leadership, activism, and engagement to flourish.”

— Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, Founder & Executive Director

The idea for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS) sparked during Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga’s therapy session with a young client who had been in and out of the ER with stomach pains. She sketched in crayon a large mama cat and small baby cat both with tears streaming. She marked a big black X over the mama cat and, crying, asked Dr. Belinda, “What will happen to the baby cat if her mama is taken away?” She had heard about ICE and deportations and worried every day that she could be separated from her family. Dr. Belinda knew this girl was not alone in struggling with the traumas of migration. She had a vision of creating a sacred place where people could feel welcomed and protected.

ALAS began with this vision in 2011, serving the San Mateo County coastside community of Spanish speakers and farm workers from its home base in Half Moon Bay. As a Latino-centered organization, the offerings at ALAS weave arts, culture and identity together in support of community well-being. Today, ALAS has expanded to provide comprehensive, wrap-around programs for children, youth, families, farmworkers, asylum seekers, seniors, and the general Coastside community – including bilingual mental health services, art and culture classes, healthy free food, supportive services brought to farm workers, and an entrepreneurship hub.

Sand Hill Foundation started supporting ALAS in 2019 when its budget was under $250,000. Since then, the foundation has funded the organization’s steady growth, providing capacity building grants for ALAS’ office expansion in Half Moon Bay, crisis response support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing funding for their youth mental health programs. Recently, the organization celebrated its 10-year anniversary, achieved a budget over $4 million, and was named the California Nonprofit of the Year in San Mateo County.

Peninsula Bridge

“Together with Sand Hill Foundation we are closing the achievement gap and propelling first-generation scholars to college and career success.”

— Randi Shafton, Chief Executive Officer

According to a 2021 article from the Pew Research Center, only 11% of students from the lowest-income quartile earn bachelor’s degrees within six years. For first-generation, low-income students, barriers to college access and completion have lasting implications for their ability to reach full economic potential. Peninsula Bridge recognizes this link between education and long-term career success, and helps students overcome systemic inequities at a critical time in their lives.

Peninsula Bridge equips students to thrive with a holistic, metrics-driven program grounded in long-term, wrap-around support from 4th grade through college graduation. The comprehensive 13+ year program model provides robust academics, socio-emotional learning, mental health counseling, parent education and college and career support. And, because students remain together as a cohort, they contribute to each other’s success. Currently 100% of Peninsula Bridge scholars graduate from high school and matriculate to college, with 97% on track to graduate in 4-6 years.

Sand Hill Foundation has partnered with Peninsula Bridge since 1996 to help create educational opportunity for high-achieving, low-income students. Grants have been provided for the middle school summer program, year-round after-school expansion, participation of the executive director in the Silicon Valley Out-of-School-Time Collaborative from 2010-2016, a merger in 2017, and significant growth capital as high school and college programs were launched.

A recent three-year grant from Sand Hill Foundation is helping Peninsula Bridge to strengthen and scale its successful model—adding school partners in high-need geographies, expanding the mental health wellness program to address a dramatic increase in need, and upleveling its college to career transition support.

Through our long-term partnership, we are elevating the lives of thousands of first-generation students upon college graduation, armed with the personal confidence, social capital and life/work skills to launch a successful future.