Aspire

The need for mental health services for Silicon Valley youth and young adults experiencing depression, anxiety or other symptoms of a mental health condition became shockingly clear after the 2009 cluster of teen suicides in Palo Alto. El Camino Hospital responded with ASPIRE (After-School Program Interventions and Resiliency Education), a pioneering intensive outpatient therapy program that teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation – skills needed for managing the crises that inevitably occur throughout life.

ASPIRE’s initial launch was made possible by charitable gifts. Community donations to El Camino Hospital Foundation have since fueled its expansion from one track for high school students to five different programs in two locations, serving youth and young adults ages 11 to 25. They enable El Camino Hospital to treat patients without regard to financial circumstance and to provide services above and beyond the norm, including free assessments, training for parents, and follow-up care. The ASPIRE endowment ensures El Camino Hospital will be able to respond to the mental health needs of our community’s children now and in the future.

To learn how you can donate or get involved with El Camino Hospital’s unique and innovative mental health and addiction services, go to www.elcaminohospital.org/foundation.