La Cheim creates an array of individual treatment and educational programs for children and adults, with a clear goal of engaging our clients and students, providing effective interventions, and establishing community and family alliances to support growth and future success. Discover our programs.
For over 40 years, La Cheim has built a robust continuum of care to help kids and adults that no one else could reach. We have adapted to the needs of the communities we serve with a breadth of services across the life spectrum.
For over 40 years, La Cheim has built a robust continuum of care to help kids and adults that no one else could reach. We have adapted to the needs of the communities we serve with a breadth of services across the life spectrum.
Services
La Cheim's Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), Browning House, provides a safe, nurturing, and trauma-informed environment for emotionally challenged, male-identified youth ages 12-18 whose circumstances do not permit them to live with their families or guardians.
Clinical staff facilitates daily groups and activities that are designed to enhance social, emotional and behavioral skills in support of each resident's treatment plan, happiness, future goals, and recovery from trauma.We emphasize outdoor activities. La Cheim manages a nonpublic school for the Western Contra Costa and Alameda County Area, directed by Karen Jackson.
Clinical staff facilitates daily groups and activities that are designed to enhance social, emotional and behavioral skills in support of each resident's treatment plan, happiness, future goals, and recovery from trauma.We emphasize outdoor activities. La Cheim manages a nonpublic school for the Western Contra Costa and Alameda County Area, directed by Karen Jackson.
La Cheim Behavioral Health Services is a nonprofit organization that provides a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to the Bay Area community. Our day treatment offerings are named the "Valfer Life Renewal Program" after our founder, Dr. Ernst Valfer, who first opened the clinic in 1993.
Our STRTP is located in a spacious home in the beautiful Richmond Hills, adjacent to one of the Bay Area's largest regional parks. We offer a variety of outdoor experiences in which clients can connect therapeutically and recreationally to the natural world around them. We serve adolescent, male-identified clients from a trauma-informed and strength-based perspective.
La Cheim School is a nonpublic, nonsectarian program providing integrated intensive special education services for students who have experienced failures and rejection in their earlier school placements. La Cheim's School provides a caring, compassionate, and successful educational experience for all our students.
Your contribution to La Cheim allows us to provide children and adults in the Bay Area with the full spectrum of support they need to be their resilient selves. La Cheim is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible. We appreciate donations for our ongoing needs, ranging from backpacks to household items, from toiletries to professional services.
Reviews (12)
Christy L.
Nov 06, 2021
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I have mixed feelings about La Cheim. One thing I'm really grateful for is that they allowed me to attend their program. I had done intakes with all the other programs in the area and they wouldn't take me for one reason or another. La Cheim can be a little loose with some boundaries, which can be good in some ways, but not so great as well. They encourage patients to be friends and do things together outside of program. Some people I met there, one patient in particular, I had very traumatic experiences with. On the bright side, I did end up making a couple of good friends there that
Cynthia Mitchell
Apr 27, 2021
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Nick R.
Sep 16, 2020
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Maureen K.
Dec 30, 2019
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Confirming another reviewer - many unlicenced, untrained and incompetent therapists. Groups are hit & miss with some unskilled group leaders who just let the same talkative and/or manic patients interrupt others and monopolize group time. Food is discusting. I sustained a severe back injury, in part as a result of their negligence and asked for an ADA Accommodation which they completely ignored. When my initial 10 days insurance was up, they booted me out while I was still severely depressed without even requesting additional days (which is almost always approved by insurance). I am
Maureen Kilmurray
Dec 23, 2019
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70% of their staff are either UNLICENSED or in- training therapist trying to get their required clinical hours. Their inexperience often shows up as as incompetent individual therapy and unskilled group
therapy management where the talkative or manic patients are allowed to monopolize group time. The provided lunch is such cheap food, it is discusting.
therapy management where the talkative or manic patients are allowed to monopolize group time. The provided lunch is such cheap food, it is discusting.
Lee L.
Jun 14, 2019
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First the positive. Brad, Noam, Lisa, and Allison . All Very compassionate, and educated therapists, and or DR's. Always . DIdn't have enough groups run by Brad or Allison ! The client's. A very eclectic group of people. Always enjoyed conversation with most of the clients. Met some very cool people there. Just sorry i couldn't get their contact information before being booted out. After being there for two and a half months, i was told three days in advance that i would be "graduating" from the program. The people in charge blamed my insurance coverage, But i called
R. L.
Feb 02, 2019
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I really wanted to get something out of my time at Le Cheim, but was ultimately very disappointed. First of all, my individual therapist was unreliable and would grab me for maybe a 15 minute talk while he ate his lunch every week. Beyond that, he didn't seem to listen to what I was actually saying and decided to pursue avenues of therapy that were not helpful. It ended up being an exercise for me in trying to get his attention back to what I actually needed to talk about.
The group sessions are hit and miss. Usually all of the time is monopolized by 1-2 people. A lot of the time you end
The group sessions are hit and miss. Usually all of the time is monopolized by 1-2 people. A lot of the time you end
Toni Twin
Oct 13, 2018
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E. J.
Aug 23, 2018
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I have severe PTSD and went through a period a few years ago where I was hospitalized several times, went to three residential programs, and attended three different partial hospitalization programs. La Cheim was by far the best program I attended. What really stood out to me is the respect all of the clients received. Having a mental illness as an adult can be an exercise in losing all self respect, and it wasn't until I attended La Cheim that I started feeling like having PTSD wasn't my fault. I am very thankful to Michal, Natasha, and other providers for helping me start to find my
Aaron Keating
Jun 26, 2018
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John Whitty
Dec 04, 2016
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I am a case manager and love La Cheim. The feel in the building is one of calm and welcoming. The staff are extremely competent and professional and definitely go above and beyond to care for their clients. La Cheim also had transport for pick up and drop off which can be a huge help for many. Their clinical approaches seem valuable and to inspire a comfortable and easy environment. My client's have many good things to say about their program. I have always felt very helped by La Cheim and am pleased whenever I go there. Thank you.
Rose Jones
Feb 03, 2015
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