School-Based Programs
Comprehensive Multicultural and Multilingual Continuum of Care
The Hume Center’s comprehensive multicultural and multilingual continuum of care operates nine service departments out of two main, and three satellite, clinics as well as relevant on site services provided in the community and local schools. Our services are primarily performed in the Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, with some clinical services also available in the greater Bay Area.
We value professional and accessible services. Our clinicians are licensed in the state of California, and we have great pride in being able to provide services in multiple languages. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Please let our staff know if your preferred language is not English, as we currently have staff and trainee fluency in: English, Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu.
School-Based Program
A student’s social, emotional and academic development is successfully accomplished when there is a partnership between the persons involved in the student’s life. When the people who interact with the student (i.e. administrator, teaching staff, and caregivers) have a common understanding of the student’s needs and strengths, and what is necessary for the student to achieve success, they can begin to reinforce the student in a manner that will ensure the positive and healthy development of the student’s social, emotional and academic goals.
The School-Based Program looks to create optimal learning environments for students, staff, and administrators by increasing open communication, clarifying roles, promoting teamwork and collaboration, and organizational development of psychological support. Our consultative model promotes empowerment to administrators to improve their work-functioning within their roles and to help districts manage crises when they arise. We also seek to help students and families develop both internal and external resources needed to handle stressors.
Empowering Underserved Students and Families with Essential Support Services
We identify the importance of providing services to the underserved students and families of the community, who encounter barriers to accessing traditional social emotional support. Here is a list of the services we offer. Please click each service for more detailed information:
Administrative Consultation
In a school system, every principal knows how to manage the school for the benefit of the students. It is the organizational/system pressures and interpersonal tensions among the staff, parents, and students that are hard to deal with. The purpose of Organizational development and Mental Health Consultation is to strengthen the structure, processes and procedures of the school system in order to strengthen the organizational functioning and to understand the dynamics of problematic situations or interactions between people and to develop a response that will alleviate negative outcomes.
Mental Health Consultation to Teachers
The Mental Health Consultant tries to understand the psychological significance of the student’s behavior in collaboration with the teacher. They come up with a response that will help manage the student in the classroom. Thus the student is able to continue his/her mental and emotional progress which allows the teacher to instruct more effectively because he/she will spend less time dealing with disruptive behavior. This results in more effective use of administrative and counseling time as students are not referred to those offices as often. The student also develops better self-esteem by being able to function more effectively in the class.
Peer Consultation Groups
The Mental Health Consultant is available to create and facilitate a peer consultation group for teachers, principals, and counseling staff. The purpose of such a group is to present a student who manifests problematic behavior in order to develop a common understanding of the psychological significance of their behavior and develop a response to deal with the presenting behavior. The advantage of such consultation is that everybody who deals with the student is on the same page regarding how to respond to the student and to the people who have a stake in the well-being of the student. It also helps in team building and boosting school morale.
Caregiver Peer Consultation Groups
Those of us who are parents, or have any understanding of the trials and tribulations of parenting, know that parenting is a very complex process. Each parenting situation is unique to a particular parent-child relationship. In this group, the Mental Health Consultant creates a safe environment where parents can learn from understanding the behavior of their own children and promote a supportive network among the parents. Individual forums are also available.
Student Peer Consultation Groups
In these groups, the Mental Health Consultant creates a safe environment where the students can learn communication and friendship skills in a supportive environment among their peers or to develop ideas and interests while at school.
Early Intervention Services
No matter how much we try to resolve problematic behavioral situations through Mental Health Consultation, there will be students who need more help to deal with their experiences. Through early case findings and collaboration with primary and secondary caregivers we offer brief treatment and crisis intervention services for those students who do not meet medical necessity or who may need services in order to prevent prolonged suffering.
Summer Services
Summer services are creative methods in providing services to students and families that are designed to be preventative. Services can be conducted individually or in group settings and are offered only to students of the schools we serve. These services can be on campus (if space), at the clinic, in the community or via telehealth.
Caregiver, Student, and Staff Workshops
Workshops and training are designed to provide participants with presentations or workshops or groups focused on aspects relevant to their role. This can range from providing information regarding child development, learning coping skills, improving relationship dynamics, helping with stress management, strengthening communications skills, and providing psychoeducation and resources related to various social emotional challenges.
Outreach and Education Events
Clinicians utilize outreach and education events to share information regarding services that are available on-site whether they are individual or group services for students or parents. Outreach and education events are also designed to provide information that will reduce the stigma around mental illness or provide information regarding skills or tools that can be shared with a population for preventative measures.
Treatment Services
At times, there are individual needs that may require ongoing or long term treatment. Once a student is assessed and it is determined due to medical necessity that there is an apparent mental health condition, onsite treatment sessions are offered, contingent upon acceptable health insurance coverage and service authorization. Otherwise, referrals to providers and/or clinics in the community are provided.
School-Based Program Staff
Courtney Meier, PsyD
Dir of Clinical Programs
Courtney Meier, PsyD
Background:
With over a decade of experience in behavioral health, Courtney has dedicated her career to providing services to children, families, and communities.
Career Progression:
Dr. Courtney Meier has been the Director of Clinical Programs, since 2020, where she oversees 3 of the Hume Center’s Alameda County Service Programs (School based services, Pleasanton OP Clinic and SACHPS). This promotion came after obtaining her licensure in 2019 and serving as the Program Manager overseeing School Based Services and the Pleasanton Outpatient Services at The Hume Center.
Courtney began her journey in behavioral health in 2008, initially working with children, families, and teaching professionals in home and school-based settings. She joined The Hume Center as a practicum trainee in the Behavioral Consultation Services (BCS) program, where she provided behavioral consultation services to individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Throughout her tenure at The Hume Center, Courtney progressed through various roles, including Pre-Doctoral Intern, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Supervisor, and Program Coordinator.
Notable Achievements and Interests:
Courtney has played a pivotal role in expanding School Based Services in the Tri-Valley and Tri-City areas. She also developed and provided specialized training to staff and clinicians on therapy for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. Courtney has actively promoted The Hume Center’s services in community events and established collaborative relationships with other agencies to better serve the populations in need.
Awards:
The Hume Center’s President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership in recognition of her contributions to staff training and leadership (2013)
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Santa Clara University
Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University San Francisco Bay Area
License:
Clinical Psychologist (2019)
Edna Olivares Gomez, LMFT
Clinical director
Edna Olivares Gomez, LMFT
Background:
I am committed to serving marginalized populations, particularly Spanish-speakers and immigrants, by developing and implementing programs aimed at supporting children, youth, and their families. I am dedicated to preparing clinicians who will make a meaningful impact on the lives of their clients.
Career Progression:
Edna Olivares Gómez serves as the Director of Training of the Master’s Program at the Hume Center. Originally from Mexico City, her professional journey began in 2007 working in clinics, schools, and private practice, primarily focusing on children, adolescents, and families. She joined the Hume Center in 2018 as a Bilingual Associate Mental Health Clinician, with a primary focus on serving the Spanish-speaking population in the Tri-Valley area. Edna has taken on various leadership roles within the Hume Center. She became the lead consultant for the School Based Program within the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, providing essential consultation to district administrators, while rolling out and strengthening new programs and services. Additionally, she has played a crucial role in quality assurance and supervision within the outpatient and school-based programs.
Notable Achievements / Areas of Interest:
Edna’s dedication to training and supervision led her to become a Licensed Clinical Supervisor in 2021, providing guidance to clinicians in Alameda and Contra Costa County programs. Recognizing her expertise and commitment, she was appointed to lead Hume’s clinical training for child and youth services in 2022. In 2023, she assumed the role of Director of Training of the Master’s Program.
Education:
Masters in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute (2018)
BA in Clinical Psychology from UDLA – Universidad de las Américas (2007)
Licenses:
LMFT – Marriage and Family Therapist (2018)
Licensed therapist in Mexico (2007)
Preet Sabharwal, PsyD
Clinical Community Program Manager
Preet Sabharwal, PsyD
Background:
Dr. Sabahrwal’s mission at the Hume Center is focused on implementing and expanding prevention early intervention services for unserved and underserved communities. Dr. Sabharwal is also interested in advocacy, social justice, equity, inclusion and representation within the field of psychology and emotional wellness.
Career Progression:
Dr. Sabharwal’s clinical expertise extends to providing therapy to individuals, families, and couples within the South Asian community in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. She has been actively involved in initiating conversations around emotional wellness within the Punjabi community in the Bay Area and facilitating healthier communication to foster stronger relationships. Her interests in psychology focus on breaking stigmas of mental health and increasing utilization of mental health services in the South Asian community through outreach, psychoeducation, and culturally based services.
She joined The Hume Center in 2013 as a practicum student, providing services in the South Asian Community Health Promotion Services (SACHPS) program. She continued as a Pre-doctoral intern in the Alameda County Child, Youth, & Adult Outpatient Services program, as then as a Post-Doc Mental Health Clinician/Quality Assurance Specialist in the Fremont clinic’s SACHPS program. She became the permanent Program Coordinator for the SACHPS program in 2019, and upon licensure in 2021, she became its Manager. In 2022, she initiated a School-Based program at Fremont Unified School District and became the lead for that program. Additionally, she took on a supervisory role for a newly created Mentored Internship Program for undergraduate students and expanded her role within the training department to mentor master’s interns and doctoral level practicum students in both the SACHPS program and the Fremont School-Based Services program.
Notable Achievements / Areas of Interest:
Dr. Sabharwal has a passion for ongoing advocacy work that has led to her creating the South Asian Mental Health Consortium. This is an organization that hosts the yearly South Asian Mental Health Conference. Dr. Sabharwal has presented on South Asian Mental Health at conferences across the United States and received recognition from the Asian American Psychological Association for her outstanding contributions to Asian American Psychology. Dr. Sabharwal has also recently co-authored a chapter focused on working with South Asian youth. And, in addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Sabharwal is a proud mother of a vibrant and sassy 7-year-old who keeps her busy in her free time.
Affiliations:
Founder- South Asian Mental Health Consortium
Board Member – Sikh Family Center
APA member
CPA member
AAPA member
DoSAA member
Education:
Doctorate of Psychology
American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, 2016
License:
PSY32751
Jessica Martins, PsyD
Clinical Community Program Manager
Jessica Martins, PsyD
Background:
To work with early childhood, youth, families and schools
Career Progression:
Dr. Jessica Martins joined The Hume Center as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in August 2016, providing services in the Tri-Valley School Based Services program and Outpatient clinic in Pleasanton. Recognized for her dedication and commitment to her clients and the program, she was promoted to the role of Mental Health Clinician in August 2017. Jessica’s strengths in promoting the quality of clinical services and documentation led to her promotion to Mental Health/Quality Assurance Specialist in June 2018. She furthered her leadership role upon becoming licensed in November 2018, assuming a clinical supervisory position in the Pleasanton programs.
In July 2020, Jessica took on an acting role as a Clinical Program Manager, supporting the expansion of services across 9 additional school sites in the Tri-Valley School Based program. Her commitment to prevention and behavioral health promotion approaches has been evident throughout her tenure, as she has actively engaged with caregivers, school administrators, social workers, and other stakeholders to promote healthy functioning and social-emotional wellness within the community. Jessica possesses a special skill in coordinating and leading crisis services when needed to support districts during urgent situations.
In July 2022, Jessica was promoted to the role of Community Program Manager, Level II, furthering her commitment and leadership to the program’s trainees, staff, and the Tri-Valley schools and communities.
Notable Achievements / Areas of Interest:
5 year Service Recognition Award
Areas of interest are working with school systems / districts, children and youth, families and supervision
Education:
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Child and Family track) from Alliant International University in San Francisco, California
Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University of Santa Barbara
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lisbon, Portugal
License:
Clinical Psychologist, 2018
History of This Program
The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)
The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), also known as Prop 63, was passed by California voters in 2004. MHSA is funded by a 1% tax on personal incomes above a million dollars and is designed to expand and transform California’s community mental health services. Early case finding and intervention is a part of the Public Health approach . It reduces the duration and impact of mental disorders. Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) seeks to reduce risk factors and build protective factors which increase resiliency, interpersonal connections and raise the general level of health and well-being for individuals, families and community. The role of PEI is applicable through the lifespan from young childhood to older adulthood. In 2004 the county created a forum which assessed how the MHSA funding would be utilized, what the county needs to do to implement the funds and programs, and how to address those populations in the county.
School-Based Services Program
Although there were many steps involved in the creation of the School-Based Services Program in 2010, after the Hume Center was granted the proposal, work began with the administration of the four continuation schools in the area by conducting a needs assessment in order to understand what each school’s unique needs were given their locations. After the initial needs assessment was conducted, direct services to school districts began in the 2010-2011 academic year. The contract was awarded to The Hume Center and services were planned to start in July of 2010 in the Tri-Valley (Pleasanton Unified, Dublin Unified, and Livermore Valley Joint Unified School Districts). However, due to a high-profile student suicide in Pleasanton Unified School District, the district requested to begin services earlier than planned, in February of 2010. The services, which lasted through June 2010 included preparing leaders of the district to respond to students and parents and creating community support groups.
School-Based Program and
Pleasanton Outpatient Clinic
SBS Clinical Community Program Manager: Tri-Valley
To Contact This Program
SBS Clinical Community Program Manager: Tri-Cities
To Contact This Program
Languages
English and Spanish
This Service is Offered AT
School Districts in Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, Fremont, and at our Fremont and Pleasanton Outpatient Clinics.
Eligibility Criteria
Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medi-Medi. We offer private pay with Sliding Scale option with income verification. School based early intervention services can also be provided to students and families at select schools within the above school districts.
Services are Provided BY
Staff and trainees receiving supervision by licensed clinical psychologists and licensed marriage and family therapists.