Division of Community Services

Division Director: David Fariello, MD

Division Administrator: Constance S. Revore

The Division of Community Services is comprised of the Community Focus Program and Citywide Case Management Program.

Community Focus

Medical Director: Anna Spielvogel, MD

Community Focus is an intensive assertive case management program with an emphasis on psychosocial rehabilitation that serves as the single point of responsibility for clients, their families, support systems, and service providers. In the first two years of operations, this  program reduced the hospitalization rate of its clients by 80%. Community Focus consists of three teams, focusing on several specialized areas. Adelante focuses on Asian/Pacific Islanders and Latino clients, offering culturally and linguistically competent services. Cross Currants focuses on the particular treatment needs of women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV seropositive clients. The Kujichagulia Project, the longest established Community Focus team, provides services specific to African-American patients. Clients may participate in recreational and artistic activities and attend spiritual support groups. There is an emphasis on supported and independent housing. Some clients may earn stipends in job training positions in the program. Community Focus has a wide range of clinicians including psychiatrists, clinical social workers, psychiatry residents, nurses, psychiatric   technicians, peer counselors, and administrators. Many staff members have special areas of knowledge and skill in treatment of the subpopulations mentioned in the program description. Community Focus offers psychiatric assessment, outpatient psychotherapy (individual and group), case management, and clinical pharmacology services. The program provides a 7-day/week, 24 hour /day availability of staff and flexible, off-site services. Funding for Community Focus is through a contract with the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Citywide Case Management

Medical Director: Alyson Goodwin, MD

Citywide Case Management clinicians work with clients who repeatedly require psychiatric emergency and/or acute inpatient treatment. The program has been in operation since 1981. The average yearly reduction of acute inpatient days by registered clients is 17%. The CWCM office is located downtown at Market and 5th Streets. A case manager also works at the Psychiatric Emergency Services for clients who need to be seen in a more secure setting, and can then receive ongoing   treatment in the community. The program offers 7-day/week coverage, seeing clients as long as intensive outpatient services are needed. The Citywide Case Management Team, made up of psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric technicians, a and peer case manager, offers case management services, pharmacological management, crisis intervention, individual, group, and family therapy. The multidisciplinary staff members speak Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, and Mandarin.  A subgroup of CWCM, the Forensic Case Management team, in collaboration with the Jail Psychiatric Services, began working with offenders with major psychiatric illnesses in 1992. In 2002 the program expanded in l999-2000 with a California Board of Correction grant. In 2002 the Forensic Team was one of the collaborators creating the San Francisco Behavioral health Court focus diverting severely mentally ill offenders out of the criminal justice system The Forensic Case Management team, made up of psychiatrists, social workers, a nurse and a peer case managers, offers case management services, pharmacological management, crisis intervention, individual, group, and family therapy. 

How to Make an Appointment

Citywide referrals are made by psychiatric inpatient staff. Citywide forensics referrals are made by Jail Aftercare services and the Behavioral Health court.