Almaden Valley Counseling Services

Almaden Valley Counseling Services (AVCS) was established in 1980. The community was concerned about the unavailability of counseling services for its children, and this group included a powerful force that included mothers who blamed schools for not having school counselors despite the schools receiving money for those services. The school counselors had been removed from the school campuses because of Proposition 13. However, the final move that led to our establishment was three teenager suicides within six weeks in the community. AVCS emerged in the basement of Joint Ventures Church with a part-time director/counselor. AVCS established its current headquarters in 1985, located on Crown Street. AVCS was initially known as almaden valley youngsters counseling service (avycs). In 1999, the AVCS was adopted as its new name (Almaden Valley Counseling Service, 1997). AVCS has nine directors who have advocated for youth, adults, families, and couples by offering counseling and support to high-risk children and teenagers. It also offers family strengthening, parenting classes, couples in crisis, onsite school-based therapy (in over 40 schools), elderly people with loss, and other mental health needs