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County committee hears pleas to preserve Allcove youth center as budget cuts loom
Summary
Dozens of youth, clinicians and local officials told the Santa Clara County Health & Hospital Committee that Allcove Palo Alto provides low‑barrier, youth‑led services that have saved lives; the committee requested an interim update on alternative operating models in February and staff confirmed current county funding runs through June 30, 2026.
Dozens of young people, clinicians and local officials urged the Santa Clara County Health & Hospital Committee on Tuesday to preserve Allcove Palo Alto — the county‑supported, youth‑led drop‑in center that offers counseling, peer support and connections to clinical care — as supervisors and staff weigh program changes amid a severe county budget shortfall.
"Alcove saved my life," said Tess, who identified herself in public comment as a former participant, crediting the center with counseling and career support. Clinicians and school mental‑health staff backed the young speakers: "Alcove is not just a mental‑health clinic. It's youth‑led, designed with youth for youth," said Shashank Joshi, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford who addressed the committee by Zoom.
The hourlong public comment period included accounts from…
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