VISIBLE: Creating a Safe Space Where LGBTQ+ Youth Can Truly Be Seen
Safe spaces save lives. For LGBTQ+ youth at Seneca, our Visible program is proof that hope can be built intentionally and thoughtfully, one affirming space at a time.
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Staff Highlight: Katerina Catania
How long have you been with Seneca?
I have been with Seneca for almost 5 years now. I started in July 2021.What led you to your current position?
I ask myself this question every single day, which I’m sure is relatable to every clinician trying to make a living in the bay area within a capitalist society. -
Bringing the F.U.N. Back to Work: How One Committee is Transforming Our Program Culture
Let’s be honest—when you work in a field that supports others through complex, emotionally demanding experiences, it’s easy for work to take center stage and for balance to quietly slip to the sidelines. That’s why, this year, one of our big program goals was simple but powerful: help our staff build a better work-life balance. Enter the real MVPs: the F.U.N. Committee.
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Listening Corner: The Hidden Cost of Separating “Emotionally Disturbed” Students
One of the foundational values of Seneca’s Unconditional Education Model is that children with emotional and behavioral struggles should remain connected to their mainstream, neighborhood schools whenever possible. Rather than isolating students, the model emphasizes belonging, relationship-building, trauma-informed care, and wraparound support that helps young people succeed within their communities.
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UE Rooted to Rise Program has a New Partnership with Life Academy!
While Life Academy already partners with several service providers, it is deepening its commitment to healing and well-being by establishing a new mental health partnership with Seneca that integrates clinical support directly into its student-centered environment. This aligns with the Oakland Unified School District’s broader strategic goal to provide wraparound supports for students, ensuring that mental health is a fundamental pillar of academic and professional success.
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Staff Highlight: Alejandra Rodriguez
How long have you been with Seneca?
I have been with Seneca for almost 4 years now. I started in June 2022. How/why did you start working at Seneca?
I learned about Seneca during an internship fair at my University. Dawn Henson happened to be the one representing Seneca. -
Utilizing Slime in the Therapeutic Space
Slime can be described as a malleable, mixture of household items that come together to form a polymer substance ranging in consistency, and solidity depending on ingredients used, pressure applied and speed it’s stretched or pulled.
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What Has Life Taught You Lately? Reflections on Clinical Growth, Collective Wisdom & What Holds Us Together
We recently asked each other a simple question: What has life taught you lately?
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Meet the ERMHS Team!
The Mosaic/Pathways Program partners with various school districts across Alameda County to support students’ mental health and academic success. One of our partnerships is with the San Lorenzo Unified School District (SLZUSD), where our team provides Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) to students receiving special education services and those with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)….
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Beyond Attendance: Inside Seneca’s Compass Care Program
When people think about school attendance, it’s often framed as a simple question: Is a student showing up or not? But for many families, this is rarely about motivation or “not caring”. It’s about unseen barriers like housing instability, unmet mental health needs, economic stress, lack of transportation, or systems that have historically failed to meet families where they are.
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