Investing in the Well-Being of our Future
What We Do
UPAC’s outpatient Children & Adolescent Mental Health Program is designed to promote positive emotional and behavioral health through culturally responsive and comprehensive treatment services. We provide services to youth, ages 5 -20, who are experiencing challenges in their school, home and community. Children and youth encounter daily challenges that can impact their mental health. We model the old adage of “It Takes a Village” to foster the health of a child. As a team, we work with both the caregivers and the youth, honoring and maximizing the unique strengths of each young person while meeting the specific needs of the individual AND family. Our staff is committed to supporting youth and families in overcoming personal and community challenges.
Our programs provides:
- Mental Health Assessments
- Substance abuse education and treatment
- Medication evaluation and management
- Behavioral, Talk, Play and/or Art Therapy
- Individual, Family, and Group Therapy
- Collaboration with family, school and other relevant support givers
- Case Management
*COVID-19 Update: Our Children & Adolescent Programs are seeing clients face to face, following public health protocols, in our office clinic. We are also conducting low-risk community based services.
Who We Serve
CMH is open to children and transitional age youth, ages 5-20. Our staff represent diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and speak many languages. Interpreters are available, if needed. Services are provided on a sliding scale to those with no insurance, as well as those with Medi-Cal Insurance.
Referrals can be made by completing our CHM Services Referral Form. Self-referrals are accepted.
Services Locations – San Diego Schools
- Bell Middle (API Only)
- Boone Elementary
- Chollas/Mead Elementary
- Edison Elementary
- Fulton Elementary
- Gompers Prep Academy
- Horton Elementary
- Knox Middle
- Nye Elementary
- Paradise Hills Elementary
- Porter Elementary
- Valencia Park Elementary
Service Locations – North County Schools
- Lake Elementary
- Madison Middle Elementary
- Lincoln Middle
- El Camino High
Learn About Our Program:
Conozca nuestros programas:
Success Story
Sean and his father were referred to CMH after Sean’s hyperactive and inattentive behaviors started causing weekly phone calls home from teachers. At first, they were hesitant and believed that mental health services were just another punishment for his behavior. During his first session, his therapist asked Sean what his greatest strength was. He was unable to see anything in himself.
Over time in the program, the family worked together to see his creativity as a strength, his high energy as ideal for playing sports with his father, and his difficulty with attention as an opportunity to discover new ways to learn. Together, the family learned to embrace Sean’s challenges and find his bright spots through therapy.
* Names have been altered to protect client privacy.
Funded by the County of San Diego
Program Manager
Carmen Pat, LMFT
Carmen joined the UPAC family in 2015. She has served as therapist and program manager with both the CMH and MCC programs, where she has provided quality, compassionate care to youth and families with diverse backgrounds and needs. Carmen also provides education and training on topics related to mental health and cultural competence and engages in outreach to raise awareness of mental health needs among underserved communities. Carmen adopts a person-centered approach to her work and believes that healing and growth are always possible.
1031 25th St.
San Diego, CA. 92102
Tel: (619) 232-6454 ext. 816
Fax: (619) 235-4607
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
It can be found at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.