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RAMS, Inc.
HISTORY & PROFILE
RAMS History: Through the Years
RAMS, Inc. (Richmond Area Multi-Services) is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian & Pacific Islander Americans. Founded in San Francisco's Richmond District in 1974 by the Richmond Asian Caucus and originally named "Richmond Maxi-Center", our agency offers comprehensive services that aim to meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area with special focus on the Asian & Pacific Islander American and Russian-speaking populations.
Currently, RAMS offers over 30 programs that are integrated into 7 core clinical programs:
In addition, RAMS has partnered with eleven community-based programs for the Safety Network Program, which provides for community organizers to promote civic engagement, advocate & identify methods for improving public safety, and represent the interests of local community members and groups.
During the year, RAMS serves over 7,500 adults, children, and families and provides services in over 25 languages and dialects, including Asian languages – Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese, Taiwanese), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Malay, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese – and Russian.
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
RAMS, Inc. is committed to building partnerships with other service
organizations. This goal is achieved through three major activities:
1. Establishing collaborative agreements with other service projects to provide clinical, outreach and preventive services, such as:
· PAES Counseling & Pre-Vocational Services program is in partnership with SF Department of Human Services and funded by SF Department of Public Health to provide outpatient counseling and pre-vocational services as well as brief functional assessments and triage. Services are limited to participants of PAES (Personal Assisted Employment Services) and CAAP (County Adult Assistance Programs).
· Child, Youth & Family Services program offers mental health services at over 40 different sites throughout San Francisco. Also, the Wellness Centers are located at fifteen SF high schools and is a collaborative of SF Wellness Initiative, staffed by members of RAMS, SF Unified School District, and SF Department of Public Health. The Fu Yau Project is in collaboration with Chinatown Child Development Center to provide prevention and intervention mental health services and consultation to the childcare community for children ages 0-5.
· Hire-Ability Vocational Services program is a cooperative agreement with the California Department of Rehabilitation to provide vocational rehabilitation and training services.
· Broderick Street Adult Residential Facility is in partnership with the Housing & Urban Health (HUH) and Community Behavioral Health Services (CBHS) sections of SF Department of Public Health to provide residential services and outpatient behavioral health & medical support services.
Additional collaborative
partners include, but are not limited to:
NICOS Chinese Health Coalition ,
Asian
Pacific Islander Family Resources Network,
Westside
Community Services,
Richmond District Neighborhood Center,
Asian Women's
Resource Center, Chinese Community Health Plan, and
San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.
Past collaborative partners include: Bridge To Wellness (San Francisco
General Hospital), CalKids (Westside Community Services),
Rosa Parks/Benjamin Franklin Multi-Cultural Mental Health Collaborative, Work
Adjustment (California Department of Rehabilitation), Senior
Refugee Project (partnership with Jewish Family & Children Services and
International Institute of SF, and sponsored by Office of Refugee Resettlement)
to provide services to Russian and Vietnamese refugees; Asian Community
Partnership Program (funded through the California Endowment) to provide
outreach and mental health services for low-income, uninsured clients.
2. Establishing a community organizing component to build safer communities. RAMS is an active participant in a coalition of twelve community-based partners (fiscal agency being Japanese Community Youth Council) for the Safety Network Program, which organizes and engages local community members in developing and advocating for sustainable grassroots strategies to improve public safety, making San Francisco's neighborhoods safer places to live, work, and play. Each partner has a Community Organizer who works to support the public safety efforts of the local community by involving constituents (e.g. schools, police, community members/groups, youth, parents, faith based organizations, merchants, and service providers) to address issues that are the underlying cause of crime in the neighborhood (e.g. unemployment, poverty, racism, inequitable distribution of resources, and lack of coordination & collaboration among existing programs & resources) by working towards increasing meaningful participation in the community. RAMS a partner of the Safety Network that aims to build capacity, advocate for communities, increase public safety, and improve community access to services.
3.
Participating in other community coalitions. RAMS is an
active member of the
NICOS Chinese Health Coalition, a consortium of more than 35 agencies
serving the Asian American community in San Francisco. RAMS is also an active
participant and member of the
Human Services Network, Association of San Francisco Mental Health
Contractors,
Mental Health Association of SF, Asian Alliance Against Domestic Violence,
Westside Health Coalition, steering committee & current member of SF Asian & Pacific Islander Health Parity
Coalition, and Community Advisory Committee of SF Anthem Blue Cross State Sponsored
Business.
Also, RAMS participates in efforts to raise awareness about mental health issues
through active participation and involvement in community events. For example,
RAMS coordinated for the first-ever Chinese Community Resource Day (Richmond
District), engaged in sponsorship & active planning for and
participation of the Richmond Community Health Festival, Women’s Health Day,
Sunset District’s Autumn Moon Festival, and Asian American Psychological
Association Conference. In addition, RAMS continually participates in various
community efforts and events such as neighborhood health fairs, street fairs,
public resource gatherings, and Project Homeless Connect.
FUNDING SOURCES
A major portion of the funding for RAMS, Inc. is provided through SF Department
of Public Health and Community Behavioral Health Services and Housing & Urban
Health sections of SF Department of Public Health. Other sources include
California Department of Rehabilitation, SF Department of Human Services, SF
Unified School District, Mayor's Office of Criminal
Justice, state & local contracts and agreements, fee-for-services programs,
local business ventures, foundations, grants, and private contributions &
donations.
EVALUATION EFFORTS AND RESULTS
RAMS, Inc. is committed to improving the quality of its services and to
enhancing desired outcomes of service delivery. The following evaluation efforts
are used to assess services:
1. Annual Program Reviews. RAMS programs that are contracted with SF Department of Public Health are evaluated on an annual basis. Program evaluation includes three major areas: program performance, program compliance, and client satisfaction. Consistently throughout the years, RAMS programs have received Commendable/Exceeding Standards or above the Acceptable/Meets Standards ratings in all areas.
Most recent reviews include: in 2008, the Adult Outpatient Services, Child, Youth & Family Services, PAES Counseling & Pre-Vocational Services, and Residential programs of RAMS received a score of 4.0 (on a 4-point scale) in all ratings categories (program performance, program compliance, and client satisfaction). Also, in 2005 (most recent review cycle), the California Department of Rehabilitation conducted a review on Hire-Ability Vocational Services, which resulted in the program being highly commended for its work.
2. Consumer Satisfaction Surveys and Outcome Studies. RAMS programs conduct consumer satisfaction surveys on at least an annual basis. Most recent survey results include:
In addition to satisfaction surveys, RAMS programs gain client feedback through activities such as community meetings, parent advisory meetings, client councils, and anonymous feedback/suggestion boxes. RAMS had also hired a group of consumer outcome consultants and community consultants for five Asian cultural groups to design a Consumer Report Card which was published in five languages.
3. Licensing and Accreditation Visits. In order to provide services to the community at varying levels of care, RAMS maintains licenses and accreditations with various oversight entities, such as:
Building on the legacy and helping shape the future of the mental health field
RAMS Yesterday
RAMS, Inc. was founded in 1974 by the Richmond Asian Caucus with a vision to address the needs of the mono/bilingual Asian-speaking population in the Richmond District of San Francisco through providing multi-lingual and culturally competent services. Housed in a humble two-story wood-paneled storefront situated next door to the historic Balboa Theatre, this non-profit organization was the only Asian focused mental health services center in a neighborhood district that was in the midst of an ethnic population expansion. In the first five years of operation, the annual budget was approximately $750,000 with a combined workforce of about 35 staff, interns, and trainees.
The services provided by RAMS were certainly reflective of the times during which the agency was founded, with steadily rising immigration from Asia to the United States following the passage of various laws and amendments. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, immigration patterns continued to change, with each group having its own unique circumstances. As such, RAMS continued to assess the community’s changing needs and enhance the programming structure & services to reflect these needs; the agency’s service capacity also expanded to the Russian-speaking population of the Richmond District and beyond. From 1989 to 1999, the number of programs that RAMS offered increased from four to over twenty, the number of staff grew by 236%, and the annual budget of RAMS dramatically increased over 626%.
RAMS Today
RAMS, Inc. is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian & Pacific Islander Americans. Our agency offers comprehensive services that aim to meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area with special focus on the Asian & Pacific Islander American (A&PIA) and Russian-speaking populations.
Since its inception over 30 years ago, RAMS continues to effectively develop, expand, and transition to meet the changing needs of our local and cultural communities by offering a wide range of clinical program services, engaging in collaborative projects, and contributing to the next generation of clinicians by offering extensive training and educational opportunities specializing in culturally competent practice. The agency has expanded from a single Outpatient / Day-Treatment mental health clinic in the Richmond District to a multi-service agency offering 30 programs integrated into 7 core clinical programs (services provided throughout San Francisco) with approximately 200 staff members and 18 interns/trainees providing services in over 25 languages and dialects, including Asian languages – Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese, Taiwanese), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Malay, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese – Russian, and Spanish.
The annual budget of RAMS has grown 1,400%, since the first five years of operation. In 2007, more than half of our clients are of Asian & Pacific Islander American ethnicity, and about 40% indicate an Asian or Pacific Islander language as their primary or preferred language for treatment and services. Approximately 6% of our clients designate Russian as their primary or preferred language for treatment and services; many are immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union.
RAMS Tomorrow
RAMS remains committed to providing the highest quality, clinically sound, and compassionate care to the residents of the San Francisco Area. We know that to recognize the face of need, one must look beyond appearances to gain a deeper understanding of realities that are not always seen at first glance. Our responsibility and commitment to mental health care quality and education extends beyond our own walls to reach people of all ages and backgrounds in our community through outreach and serving them in their own environments. This philosophy of care has always been central to our approach at RAMS.
As we move forward, our sights are set on further enhancing services with innovative programs that reflect the integration of treatment models and systems-of-care. RAMS continues to further develop and expand upon collaborative efforts as well as engaging consumer involvement. As part of the larger community, RAMS works toward improving & advocating for increased accessibility to resources and a more inclusive and holistic means of treatment so that those in need can lead satisfying and productive lives. With great excitement and optimism, RAMS invites you join us in this new decade of services to our community, and in upholding our commitment to excellence for many more decades to come!
When we all
work together for a common purpose in serving the community,
it is truly amazing what we are able to accomplish!