Policy and Advocacy
Seneca is committed to informing and improving the local, state, and federal systems that serve children and families. For decades, Seneca has drawn upon lessons learned in providing Unconditional Care to children and families to drive public policy change at the local, state, and, at times, federal levels. Our advocacy work takes many forms, from attending county Board of Supervisors meetings, sponsoring state legislation, participating in state-level advisory councils and workgroups, and participating in advocacy coalitions.
Seneca’s long history and proven commitment to the children and families in our programs, paired with our extensive geographic reach, gives us a “seat at the table” in many policy advocacy conversations about reforming family-serving care systems. However, we are, first and foremost, a direct care agency committed to supporting families through the most difficult times in their lives. Our policy advocacy work seeks to achieve reforms that will best support the children and families we serve and our program staff, who are doing the critical work of providing unconditional care. Our efforts to inform public policy should always be substantively informed by the voice, experience, and need of the dedicated program staff working across Seneca sites, and the youth and families in our programs.
Click on the following links to learn more about our:
Current Projects & Policy Resources
Advocating in Partnership
Seneca leverages our policy impact by working in coalition with other nonprofit care providers. In California, Seneca is a member of two advocacy organizations: California Alliance for Child and Family Services and California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies. On the national level, Seneca advocates as a part of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.
If you are an employee of Seneca, you are also a member of these three advocacy organizations. Check out their websites for updated information on state and federal reform work related to Seneca programs!
If you are a Seneca staff person or a current or past program participant, and would like to connect about our policy work, please find our policy teams’ contact information below. We hope to hear from you!
- Esperanza Ocegueda, Policy Advocate, at [email protected]
- Patricia Gish, Policy Analyst, at [email protected]
- Emily Allison, Chief Strategy Officer, at [email protected]