Support Us

Would you like to support FamilyPaths?

There are many ways for you to help support FamilyPaths and our mission. Please choose a support area on the left for details.

Become an Intern

Family Paths is a community-based agency serving a diverse population of children and families. Internships are available to 2nd year graduate students (trainees) in masters programs for counseling, psychology and social work as well as post-masters registered interns. It is preferable that interns have some previous experience with children and families as we serve an at-risk and challenging population of clients. Our internships are unpaid. However, we do offer a stipend ($1250/yr for registered Interns and $750/yr for trainees) towards relevant educational materials, conferences, etc. Our internship is for 15-20 hours per week and we ask for a commitment of one full year. Trainees see an average of 5 clients per week and registered interns see an average of 10 clients per week.

Interns/trainees work in our Counseling Program as members of our TIPS (Treatment Intervention and Prevention Services) team and can be based in our Oakland, Hayward or Fremont office. Interns/trainees receive one hour of individual supervision and two hours of group supervision weekly. They also participate in monthly grand rounds, monthly trainings through the Alameda Child Abuse Prevention Council in Hayward, monthly TIPS staff meetings, quarterly PSS intensive trainings and agency wide meetings that occur every other month. Interns/trainees are also expected to participate in a 30-hour Pre-service Training through our hotline program and to work a 4 hour shift on the hotline for a minimum of 3 months. Experience with our parent education classes is also available for interns depending on their interest.

We understand that interns/trainees have many demands on their time and strive to be flexible regarding each intern�s preferred hours. Basic requirements are for Monday mornings, when group supervision occurs (10am-noon) and Tuesday mornings (9am-noon) when trainings and staff meetings generally occur. We occasionally have trainings on Fridays. Client hours usually occur during the mid-afternoon into the early evening Monday through Friday, though some clients can come in earlier in the day.

FamilyPaths is a stimulating professional environment that offers a great opportunity for interns to develop their clinical expertise in a supportive and collegial setting. Interns work side by side with more experienced staff members as well as other interns.

For more information and to apply, please contact:

Nancy Morosohk, LCSW
Clinical Program Coordinator
TIPS Program
Phone: (510) 893-9230x217
Fax: (510) 893-2074
nmorosohk@familypaths.org

Become a Volunteer

Our Next Volunteer Training Starts Soon! Call Today to Join!

Volunteers make our work possible. You can make a difference in the lives of children and families throughout Alameda County by sharing your time and skills with us.

Become a Counselor on our Family Support and Resource Hotline: The Family Support and Resource Hotline offers training two times each year. This 30-hour training will prepare volunteers to assist our licensed professional staff in answering calls to our Family Support and Resource Hotline. Those who complete this state mandated training will be certified to answer calls from parents and caregivers who are seeking support around parenting issues, or who need access to resources in the community. Hotline volunteers also perform intake for the various services in the agency.

When you become a volunteer, you will be signing on for one four-hour hotline shift per week. Shifts are scheduled between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday, and are performed onsite in our Oakland location. We ask for a one-year commitment and many of our volunteers have stayed with us for multiple years.

Upcoming trainings
The Family Support Program staff is eagerly preparing for another invigorating and rewarding Pre-Service Training for community members seeking to volunteer as a hotline counselor at Family Paths.

This training will be held two weekends starting September 19, 2008. The dates for our next hotline training are:

Friday, September 19, 5:30pm-9:00pm
Saturday, September 20,9:00am- 3:30pm
Sunday, September 21, 9:00am-3:30pm

and

Friday, September 26, 5:30pm-9:00pm
Saturday, September 27, 9:00am-3:30pm
Sunday, September 28, 9:00am-3:30pm
Note all dates are mandatory
We do not require that you have any previous hotline, counseling, or parenting experience. The training will prepare you to confidently answer the line. It is important to have good communication skills, the capacity to listen openly and to respond non-judgmentally; as well as a strong interest in helping to support children and families. Volunteer phone counselors serve a minimum of 4 hours per week.

Our pre-service training prepares volunteers to provide callers the support and resources they need. Topics covered include: phone counseling, family dynamics, positive parenting, multiculturalism, substance abuse, domestic violence, crisis intervention, child abuse, alternative families, and more.

After successfully completing training, volunteers work one regularly-scheduled shift per week, in our Oakland office, between the hours of 9am and 9pm, Monday through Friday, and are asked for a minimum commitment of 9 months as a volunteer. Volunteers work as part of a team in a supportive environment including on-the-job mentoring and supervision.

If you are interested in joining us in September, please contact Vincenza Baldino to request an application. The application and an interview will help to ensure a good match between your interest and this opportunity. If you have further questions Vincenza can be reached at (510) 893-9230 ext. 244 or via email at vbaldino@familypaths.org Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Family Paths.

Other Volunteer Positions

FamilyPaths is always excited to welcome the support of additional volunteers in administrative and facilities maintenance roles. Currently, we are seeking volunteers in the following areas to help us on a regular or as-needed basis:
- Certified Electrician
- Gardener
- Computer technician
- Graphic Artist
- Database Specialist
- Clerical: Currently we have three volunteer openings for part time clerical support. Clerical support is needed in our headquarters location in Oakland as well as our offices in Hayward and Fremont.
If you are interested in volunteering at FamilyPaths, please contact:

Jennifer Funk
Development Associate
(510) 893.9230 Ext. 286
jfunk@familypaths.org

Make a Donation

A $100 donation can provide:
� On-site childcare for a Positive Parenting class series. Onsite childcare means that parents don't have to skip these important classes because they can't afford reliable childcare.
� 3 therapy sessions for a grandmother who has suddenly become the primary care provider for her grandchildren. Our counselors help kinship-care providers to cope with the stress of returning to motherhood at retirement age.

A $50 donation can provide:
�6 hours of emergency respite childcare for 2 children: This may be enough time for a caregiver to undergo a medical procedure, attend a court date or go on a job interview.
�3 sessions of a Positive Parenting class series for a new mother: In these classes, she may learn about age appropriate behavior, setting boundaries and self-care.

$30 Can Provide:
� Art supplies for use in our children�s therapy rooms: Young children use art as a way of expressing feelings and thoughts that they may not yet have the language to express in words.
� An hour of case management for a young parent who is struggling to balance parenting with work and school.
Your donation goes directly to supporting the services of Family Paths. Every dollar donated makes a difference and helps us fund critical programs. Click on the button below to donate now! It�s quick, secure and you can donate as much or as little as you like.