¶ … Friend in Need
Santa Clara has a wealth of free resources of people in need of counseling, support, and even a place to stay. Many of the service centers have websites and 24-hour crisis hotlines. The Santa Clara Mental Health Department's Suicide and Crisis Service mission is "To provide immediate and confidential emotional support and crisis intervention to person in life-threatening situations and to educate the community about suicide and suicide prevention." Their number is. People can call toll free in the North County, and in the South County. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their website is located at http://www.sccsacs.org/site/0,4760,sid=13450,00.html.
One website, sponsored by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, specializes in listing resources for teens in Santa Clara. The website is located at http://www.pamf.org/teen/santaclara.html#suicide.Teens who are considering running away from an unhealthy family situation can call Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) has a 24-hour hotline at. SAY offers family counseling services and short-term living arrangements.
Because the friend is turning towards alcohol, the Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) might be helpful. Their website is located at http://www.acs-teens.org/.They offer counseling services for young people struggling with addiction problems. In addition to ACS, Twelve-Step meetings offer support and guidance for people with addiction problems. All Twelve-Step groups are free of charge. A list of numbers can be found on the Palo Alto Medical Foundation website under "Smoking, Alcohol, and Addiction."
Because of the plethora of counseling and help services available in Santa Clara and its surroundings, the friend has an excellent chance of finding some support. If she decides that she can afford to see a professional psychologist or a psychiatrist if she needs anti-anxiety or anti-depressive medications, then she can also visit the comprehensive Santa Clara County Psychological Association website at http://www.psychsite.org/for a listing of local therapists.
