Dear Friends,

I hope this message finds you well and thriving. As we begin a new fiscal year here at StarVista, I am very pleased to share some exciting agency updates.

Starting July 16, the StarVista Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Center will begin taking 988 calls at our call center. 988 is a federal initiative launching nationwide that aims to improve the crisis response system nationwide. In 2020, Congress designated the new 988 dialing code to be operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), which is composed of more than 200 local and state-funded Crisis Centers throughout the country.

Calls to the Lifeline are forwarded to the nearest Crisis Center based on the area code of the caller. The StarVista Crisis Center is a participating call center that operates the 24/7 Crisis Hotline 650-579-0350 in San Mateo County. Most local calls to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline with the 650-area code are forwarded to the StarVista Crisis Center. Learn more in our FAQ Blog Post Here.

Our Children’s Place program will be hosting Kids Kamp in person this summer in Redwood City! Every year, children living in families with alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health issues are given the opportunity to leave the constant stressors they face at home and learn ways to advocate for their own health and wellbeing at our Kids Kamp program.

Led by our School-Based Services staff and volunteers, Kids Kamp is a culmination of the education and support that our School-based programming offers and is provided at no cost to our families thanks to incredible donors like you. You can help a child build their resilience this summer by sponsoring a Kamper or making a donation on our Kids Kamp donor page here.

Sincerely,

Sara Larios Mitchell, Ph.D., MACP

CEO