Crisis Support Services of Alameda County

Our Life Saving Mission

To reach out and offer support to people of all ages and backgrounds during times of crisis, to work to prevent the suicide of those who are actively suicidal, and to offer hope and caring during times of hopelessness.

Founded in 1966, Crisis Support Services of Alameda County offers a broad range of counseling, education and prevention services in a safe environment. CSS’ 24-hour crisis hotline responds to more than 65,000 calls each year. Services include on-going therapy groups, school-based counseling, supportive services for seniors, suicide prevention for youth; and community education.

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County recognizes and understands the impact of trauma including the challenge of accessing supportive services. Our mission is to provide a welcoming and safe environment, rooted in the belief that through collaboration with clients at every stage of service healing is possible.​

Our Values Statement

We care, from the inside out. With open hearts and minds, we build connections and remain committed to growth to be the best for the people we serve.

Care, From the Inside Out

We are here because we care — for our clients, for our community and for each other. We do what we can and we accept our limitations. We treat ourselves and our organization with the same care and consideration we provide for our clients. Because caring for ourselves is critical to taking care of others.

Open Hearts and Minds

There is intrinsic value in each person that comes through our door. We welcome differences of opinion, background and experience. We recognize that everyone has highs and lows and we aren’t afraid of the lows. Through our open hearts and minds we work to educate others and end stigmas.

Build Connections

We all need a space to be seen and be heard. To connect. It is through listening and sharing, crying and laughing, that we form vital connections with each other and our community.

Committed to Growth

We are committed to learning. We acknowledge that no one is perfect, ourselves included. So we reflect, we lean on each other and we never stop learning. We look for opportunities to stretch, to grow, to teach and to train. To be the best for the people we serve.

Our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

The mission of Crisis Support Services of Alameda County (CSS) is “to reach out and offer support to people of all ages and backgrounds during times of crisis, to work to prevent the suicide of those who are actively suicidal, and to offer hope and caring during times of hopelessness.” This commitment to suicide prevention includes acknowledging the ways in which trauma from racism, discrimination, and white supremacy continue to impact the mental health of many communities in Alameda County, which is located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ohlone peoples.

CSS acknowledges that this agency, as a part of larger mental health and suicide prevention systems, participates in practices that can cause harm to marginalized communities and that systemic racism continues to influence the field by limiting the range of interventions available, including an over-reliance on law enforcement as a part of crisis intervention. The American Association of Suicidology states that “Systemic racism not only affects how we understand and provide access to mental health care and crisis support, it frames how suicide and mental health are conceptualized, how resources including funding get allocated, and what questions are deemed worthy of research funding.”

CSS works toward the elimination of the tragic experience of suicide in Alameda County and this cannot be accomplished without the elimination of racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of oppression in our community. We acknowledge that dismantling systems of oppression requires active engagement and constant effort. In order to better serve the diverse communities of Alameda County, address the above inequities, and elevate voices and experiences of those directly impacted by suicidal thinking or behaviors.

CSS commits to:

• Encourage and support education, self-reflection, and both personal and professional development for all levels of CSS workforce and governance.
• Develop and provide services that incorporate the wisdom of the communities that CSS serves.
• Advocate for and promote policies that serve the mental health needs of diverse communities within Alameda County with the goal of creating a more robust crisis continuum that is not dependent on law enforcement and correctional facilities.
• Openly request, receive, and utilize feedback provided by community members and partner agencies to develop policies and processes.
• Continuously and critically review CSS policies, practices, and performance to demonstrate adherence to these diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments.

Learn more about us:

• Agency Programs. Learn about the crisis line, grief counseling, community education, senior in-home counseling, stress counseling, and disaster support.
• Our newsletters. Read interviews with volunteers and staff. Learn about upcoming events. Sign up for email notices or to receive a subscription to our free newsletter.
• How to Help. Volunteers keep our agency going strong whether on the crisis line, in the classrooms, or in the community. Learn how you can help.