 The
San Francisco Adolesescent Provider's Guide provides the kind of information youth
workers, case managers, nurses, and teachers should always have on hand.
The
bulk of the book is an extensive directory of youth-serving agencies in San Francisco,
sorted by service, language, and neighborhood. Just as valuable is a compact Info-to-Know
section, containing basic information on how to support young people. We provide
information on the San Francisco Unified School District, how to recognize suicide,
providing support in the wake of violence and abuse, and what you need to know
to help a young person navigate the juvenile justice system. In addition, we publish
a list of hotlines that could prove crucial in working with a youth in crisis.
Excerpts from the San Francisco Adolescent
Provider's Guide: 2003-2004 
Overview of the Juvenile Justice System
Hotlines
Overview
of the Juvenile Justice System The juvenile justice system
deals with young people accused of breaking laws. Youth can end up in the juvenile
justice system for committing "status offenses," i.e., acts that are
illegal for youth to do but not illegal for adults, such as school truancy or
alcohol use, or they can end up in the system for breaking laws that are illegal
for everyone to break. When a youth gets arrested, the police
usually refer the youth to the juvenile probation department. The Probation Department
has the authority to detain the youth in juvenile hall if they think the youth
may be a risk to the community or him- or herself. San Francisco's Juvenile Hall
is at the Youth Guidance Center. Juvenile Hall is a pre-trial detention center.
Probation may also release the youth to his or her home and give the youth a date
to return to court. All young people who are accused
of breaking the law have the right to an attorney. If the youth cannot afford
a private lawyer, the government is obligated to provide a lawyer. In San Francisco,
the Juvenile Division of the Public Defenders Office provides lawyers to youth
who do not have private attorneys. Public defenders' job is to defend the youth
to the best of their ability. It is crucial that accused youth talk frankly and
share information with their public defender to make sure he or she can prepare
a defense and advocate for the youth's needs. The District
Attorney's office is responsible for prosecuting cases against youth charged with
breaking the law. The Probation Department is responsible for managing cases,
which means they assign a probation officer to each youth's case, and that officer
investigates both the circumstances of the case and what is going on in the youth's
life at home and school. The probation officer writes a report to the court that
includes recommendations as to what the judge should do to resolve the case. These
recommendations are taken very seriously. After hearing from the public defender,
the district attorney, and the probation officer, a juvenile court judge makes
the final decision as to what should happen in each case. The
juvenile justice system is different from the adult criminal justice system in
part because it is obligated to provide rehabilitation and education services
to youth, not simply punishment. So the juvenile court judge is supposed to be
concerned not only about whether the youth broke the law, but also about the needs
of the youth and what options are available to address those needs. Juvenile
Justice Resources Books Not Bars Family
Advocacy Project
Call the Books Not Bars Family Advocacy Project to
receive a copy of "Your Child and the Juvenile Justice System: Tips On How
To Advocate For Your Child In The Juvenile Justice System." This project
also has workshops available on the juvenile justice system and provides support
to families with youth involved in the system.
Call Lenore at 415-951-4844
x230. Center
For Young Women's Development
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 700
San
Francisco, CA 94103
415-703-8800
fax: 415-703-8818
www.cywd.org
Their mission is to provide gender-specific, peer-based opportunities for
high-risk, low- and no-income young women to build healthier lives and healthier
communities. Coleman Advocates For
Youth
459 Vienna Street
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-239-0161
fax: 415-239-0584
www.colemanadvocates.org
Coleman Advocates for Youth is committed to community empowerment, culturally
sensitive services, program models that focus on the strengths of families, and
policies that reduce child poverty and ensure that all children have their basic
needs met. Special Thanks: Most of this section was written by Lenore Ellison
from the Ella Baker Center. Thanks also to Rocio Nieves at The Youth Empowerment
Center in Oakland, and N'tanya Lee at Coleman Advocates For Youth. Hotlines AIDS/HIV
Nightline
415-434-AIDS
800-273-AIDS
A late-night hotline focusing
on HIV concerns and suicide, support, referrals, and information. (English and
Spanish) California AIDS Hotline
415-863-AIDS
800-367-AIDS
TDD: 888-225-2437
Provides referrals,
information, and emotional support for all issues related to HIV and AIDS. Services
also available in Spanish and Filipino languages. California
Youth Crisis Line
800-843-5200
A crisis intervention line for
youth. Services also available in Spanish. Child
Abuse Reporting Hotline
415-558-2650
800-856-5553
Documents
reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, parent-child conflict or child abandonment
in San Francisco County. For violent or otherwise volatile situations, call the
police first. Children of the Night
Line
800-551-1300
A national crisis intervention line for children
ages 11-17 who are coerced into prostitution and/or pornography. (Services also
available in Spanish) Community United
Against Violence (CUAV)
415-333-HELP
A 24-hour crisis line for gay and lesbian victims of domestic
violence and hate crimes. Drug Line
415-362-3400
Provides referrals to substance use/abuse support and treatment
services. Emergency Contraception Hotline
800-584-9911
Provides locations of places to get emergency contraception.
Glide Memorial Crisis Center
415-674-6030
A crisis intervention and referral line primarily for the homeless
population. Huckleberry House Youth
Crisis 24-hour Hotline
415-621-2929
A 24-hour support, information,
and referral line for youth ages 1-17, parents, caretakers and providers regarding
youth crises and youth at-risk issues; including abuse and/or neglect, substance
use/abuse, school problems, family dysfunction, suicidal ideation, sexual victimization,
delinquency, and homelessness. La Casa
de Las Madres
415-503-0500
A 24-hour crisis intervention line that
offers referrals and information to battered women. Services also available in
Spanish. After 5:00pm this line rolls over to Woman, Inc. Men's
Hotline
415-924-1070
A crisis line for battered men. Services also
available in Spanish. National AIDS/HIV
Hotline
800-342-2437 Nationwide
Abortion Information (NAF) Hotline
800-772-9100
Spanish: 800-344-7432
TTY: 800-243-7889
Provides callers with factual information about abortion.
Services also available in Spanish. National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children
800-843-5678
TDD: 800-826-7653
A reporting line and referral service. National
Child Abuse Hotline: Child Help USA
800-422-4453
A reporting line
and referral service. National Crisis
Hotline
800-999-9999
A crisis intervention and referral line for
teenagers and their families. Services also available in Spanish. National
Domestic Violence
800-799-7233
TDD: 800-787-3224
A crisis intervention
line for partner and spousal abuse. (Services also available in Spanish) National
Eating Disorders Referral Line
800-931-2237
Provides
support services, help, and guidance to individuals struggling with disordered
eating, their loved ones, and families. National
Herpes Hotline
919-361-8488
Provides information and referrals
to callers concerned about herpes. Trained specialists are available to address
questions related to transmission, prevention, and treatment of herpes. The hotline
also provides support for emotional issues related to herpes. Open from noon to
9:00pm, Monday through Friday. National
Runaway Switchboard
800-621-4000
TDD: 800-621-0394
A crisis
intervention and referral line for runaway youth. National
STD Hotline
800-227-8922
Spanish: 800-344-7432
Information
and referrals to free and low-cost public clinics. Operators can answer general
questions on prevention, symptoms, transmission, and treatment of sexually transmitted
diseases. Open 11:00am to 2:00am, Monday through Friday. National
Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-HOPE (4673) Poison
Center Hotline
800-876-4766
Advice and referrals for exposure
to and ingestion of toxins, pesticides, and poisons, including legal and illegal
drugs. Interpreting services available in more than 144 languages. Relapse
Line
415-834-1144
Provides support to individuals experience or
at risk of drug and alcohol relapse. Rosalie
House
415-831-3535
A 24-hour crisis intervention and referral line
for survivors of domestic violence and abuse. After 5:00pm this line rolls over
to Woman, Inc. San Francisco
Suicide Prevention
415-781-0500
Spanish: (800) 989-5212
TDD:
415-781-5212
A 24-hour crisis intervention line.
San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR)
415-647-7273
A 24-hour crisis intervention line for women survivors, their
significant others, and family and friends. Provides phone and in-person crisis
counseling, advocacy, practical support, and group counseling. TALK
Line: Telephone Aid in Living with Kids
415-441-KIDS
A child abuse
crisis intervention, prevention, and referral line for parents or caregivers of
minor children. Also provides drop-in services to relieve parental stress and
reduce the risk of child abuse or neglect. Woman,
Inc.
415-864-4722
A 24-hour crisis intervention line for battered
women and adolescents dealing with domestic and dating violence. Youth
Crisis Hotline
800-HIT-HOME (448-4663)
| 
San
Francisco, CA - Health Initiatives For Youth (HIFY) is proud to announce the release
of its long-awaited book, the “Alameda County Adolescent Provider’s
Guide (APG).” 