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Our —
Mission & Practice Philosophy
HCN works to decrease the impact of trauma and to empower families. Our comprehensive clinical services enable us to work closely with each family to understand their needs and to connect them to HCN's internal resources and our external partners. We form a trusted relationship and follow our clients over time, providing security and stability that allows them to become more stable and confident, raise healthy and emotionally independent children, and develop skills and training that will help lift them out of the cycle of homelessness.
"When you touch one thing with deep awareness,
you touch everything."
- Lao Tzu
Our Partners
HCN works with a collaborative of over 52 service providers across the bay area to promote and maintain a standard of care. They include emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, transitional housing programs, single-room occupancy hotels, permanent supportive housing sites, schools, and other organizations serving homeless families throughout the city. We host monthly meetings and our staff provides training and consultation to member organizations, strengthening our network of relationships throughout the city.
Our Impact
30+
years serving the community
Homeless Children’s Network (HCN) works to address two needs: first, the traumatic effects of homelessness and violence in the lives of young children and their families; and second, to establish a “standard of care” across a variety of shelters and housing programs. Working directly with the community, we help children and families address the root traumas that helped shape their worldviews, explore healthier perspectives, and learn practical non-violent skill sets for managing stress. We do this through comprehensive mental health services, case management, family education and support services, and community leadership.
24+
hundred individuals served per year
52+
community partner collaborators
Our Programs
HCN is a 501c non-profit organization that provides comprehensive consultation support, mental health services, case management, family education and support services, violence prevention services, community & youth leadership and advocacy training to homeless and formerly homeless children and youth ages 0-25 years old and their families. The strength of our team, decades of experience, and our network of city-wide relationships provide groundbreaking services and programs for the families we serve. HCN has been widely recognized as having an unmatched expertise developing innovative treatment models.
Mental Health Therapy
HCN provides direct mental health services and case management for homeless children, youth, and their families or guardians, including transition age youth and young people from the LGBTQQI community. Our services include trauma-informed mental health care, therapeutic interventions, and parent and family education.
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Consultation is a collaborative effort between a mental health clinician and the care providers of young children (0-5) with the goal to recognize, interpret, and support the emotional and behavioral health care needs of the children and their families.
Ma'at Program
The Ma'at Program provides mental health and wellness support for Black/African American families. The approach utilizes a supportive holistic therapeutic community, in which we center and work with African American/Black Families in San Francisco.
Youth Leadership
This initiative builds skills by creating and offering positive leadership opportunities for displaced kids. Activities include group and individual outreach to service agencies; monthly leadership and planning activities; creating and administering a needs assessment survey; updating survey; updating the assessment; and developing, refining, and distributing a Youth Leadership curriculum to city-wide agencies serving youth.
HCN nos ayudó mucho en apoyarnos con la aucensia del papá de la familia. En un momento en que me sentí sola y sin ayuda. HCN me dió apoyo para ser fuerte y saludable en un momento de crisis.
HCN has been very helpful in supporting us when the father was absent from the family. In a moment when I felt alone and without help, HCN gave me support to be strong and healthy in such a moment of crisis.
Parent of 6 year old client
Country of Origin: Bolivia
Get Involved
Relationships are indispensable to our collaborative approach. Building relationship is the lifeblood of continuous health and well-being for HCN, its staff, and its clients. Relationships at HCN function like a heart that pumps blood throughout the organizational body powering all the work we do. There are many ways to get involved with the Homeless Children's Network and become part of our ever growing community.