Expansion Funded By a $238,090 Grant from the County of San Diego

As San Diego’s children continue to experience an unprecedented need for mental health services, Episcopal Community Services (ECS) is expanding its Para Las Familias mental and behavioral health program to include access for children ages 6 to 12 and their families through a recent grant from the County of San Diego.

ECS has been awarded $238,090 toward its Para Las Families program, which initially provided services to children 5 years of age and younger, to expand services to children ages 6 to 12 and their families starting Sept. 1, 2022, through the county of San Diego’s K-12 Youth Services Community Grant Program. The need for expanded therapy services was highlighted during an expert panel discussion at ECS’ recent Annual Meeting in June by Dr. Willough Jenkins, inpatient medical director at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and assistant professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego. She shared that the pandemic added even more barriers to accessing mental health support and San Diego’s children are experiencing an increase in diagnosed mental health disorders.

“The data is showing mental health illness in children has risen during the pandemic, and we are seeing a record high number of children coming into the emergency room at Rady Children’s Hospital with a mental health crisis,” said Jenkins. “Wait times for services are longer than they’ve ever been, almost nine months to a year. The social-emotional effect of the pandemic has been huge on children and there is an unprecedented need right now.”

Established in 2000, Para Las Familias provides outpatient bicultural and bilingual therapy services to low-income children and their families in southern San Diego County and helps them to strengthen the foundational bonds that will set children on track for healthy relationships, self-confidence, and success in school and beyond. The program already serves 250 children and their families ages 0 to 5 years old annually.

“Being able to help a wider age range of children through Para Las Familias allows more children in our community to reach their unlimited potential,” said Elizabeth Fitzsimons, chief executive officer of ECS. “For every child we serve, we see the immediate impact in their family. From there, the ripple effect is exponential. Expanding access to quality and affordable mental and behavioral health therapies in our county will go a long way not only for our children’s well-being, but also for our community.”

Para Las Familias’ therapists provide screening, assessment, family and group therapy, school observation, and teacher/provider consultation at Para Las Familias’ offices, or in the child’s home or classroom. In addition, Para Las Familias also provides adult mental health services and weekly parenting groups to the caregivers of the children it serves. To learn more about Para Las Familias and how to access services, visit https://www.ecscalifornia.org/para-las-familias or call (619) 565-2650.

About Episcopal Community Services
For more than 97 years, ECS has been taking action to end generational cycles of hardship, advancing equity and opportunity across our region. The organization is focused on breaking barriers and empowering individuals to create a community where all can pursue an abundant life. Serving more than 6,000 individuals a year, ECS’ programs increase access to early childhood education and development services and strengthen the mental and behavioral health of individuals and families in our communities. For more information on ECS, visit https://www.ecscalifornia.org/.