For almost three decades, the Teen Van has bridged geographic, social, and financial barriers to provide thousands of youth with the care they need. Every visit to this mobile clinic can drastically change the trajectory of a patient’s life. Many receive their first ever mental health checkup, for example, or get counseling around reproductive and sexual health.
Most patients suffer from multiple health-related problems and require ongoing care, at which point the Van’s staff helps connect kids to resources and clinics. The bilingual, multidisciplinary team includes adolescent medicine expert Dr. Arash Anoshiravani, a nurse practitioner, a social worker, and a nutritionist.
Opportunity for Impact
The need for the Van’s services is increasingly urgent. In recent years, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms have only escalated among our adolescent patients. Donor support is crucial to sustaining accessible health care for hundreds of young people annually. Your partnership can:
Support the Teen Van’s highest needs.
As patient care evolves, gifts to the Medical Director Discretionary Fund would allow Dr. Anoshiravani the flexibility to direct resources to the areas of greatest demand and opportunity, including staff training and professional development
Endow a fund for operational expenses.
An endowed fund for the Teen Van’s operational expenses would safeguard its success in perpetuity. Your gift would ensure the Van always has the resources to provide quality health care to young people in need throughout the Bay Area.
Help ease food insecurity.
The Van addresses many determinants of health, including when patients face limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. Our nutritionist and social worker provide nonperishable food packages and free home delivery of groceries to patients and their families who are experiencing food insecurity. Your generosity would support the continuation of this critical service.
In 2022, almost 3,000 visits took place with the Teen Van’s doctor, nurse practitioner, and social worker.
Adolescents and young adults are some of the most medically underserved populations in the Bay Area. The Teen Van specialists strive to address the often-complex needs of their patients, identifying areas of concern as soon as possible.
Every dollar invested in the Teen Van leads to a savings of $10 in community health care costs, thanks to its success in prevention and early treatment. Those who depend on its crucial services can receive:
- medical exams
- vaccinations
- laboratory work
- nutrition counseling
- psychosocial/mental health counseling
Your gift will help to keep this essential community resource rolling.
The Teen Van crew relies entirely on philanthropy to travel regularly to high schools, community colleges, and nonprofit organizations. For these patients, they offer health and hope at a pivotal time in their lives.
Contact us today to find out more about the Teen Van program and how you can help.