We offer peer-to-peer support for parents whose teens and young adults are dealing with mental health issues. Attend one of our three monthly virtual meetings and discover a caring and comforting community.
Upcoming Support Groups
Parents of Teens and Tweens
Monthly Parent Support Groups
​​Saturdays: 2:00PM - 4:00PM (Virtual)​
Next Meeting Dates (click dates to register):
May 16 Jun 13
Parents of Older Teens and Young Adults (18 to 38 years)
Monthly Parent Support Groups
Tuesdays: 7:00PM - 9:00PM (Virtual)
Next Meeting Dates (click date to register):
May 19 Jun 16
We usually suggest a $10 donation for Family Sanity Meetings to help cover our administrative costs. Please contact founder Lisa Scimens to request financial assistance lisascimens@gmail.com.
​
Family Sanity is truly a volunteer run organization. Our facilitators, our parent coach, and our founder all work without compensation. Our operating costs have increased dramatically this year, so please donate whatever you can.
​
To donate via check, contact founder Lisa Scimens at lisascimens@gmail.com for the mailing address.
From Our Founder
Hello Everyone,
​
Springtime has me in a good mood. I hope it does the same for you.
I am enjoying being outside. I’ve planted my summer veggies and cannot wait to have tomatoes! I spent most of last week outside at a huge music festival with my husband John and some friends. We heard dozens of fantastic bands at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This is a fabulous experience for anyone into music, not just jazz. If you can handle large crowds, I encourage you to check it out.
Speaking of being outdoors, We are hearing from more of our members that they are enjoying meeting in-person. Our event at the Berkeley Marina has inspired us to do another outdoor event–Sunday, June 7 from 11am-2pm. We will meet at Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto. We will walk for an hour or so and then have a casual lunch at Zareen’s which is nearby. The gathering will be a great opportunity to meet face to face. Many of us have only met online.
All Family Sanity parents are encouraged to attend no matter how young or old your child is.
(btw…this is a Free event.)
Hope to see you,
Lisa
Bay Area Parent Support Group Forum
​
If you would like to communicate with parents like you about special programs,RTC’s, schools, etc. in between our Family Sanity meetings, there is a San Francisco-based group that provides a listserv that is very helpful. It is run by Lisa Eltinge (lisaeltinge@aol.com) and it is tied to NAMI. Just click on this link http://www.tinyurl.com/Bay-Area-Parent-Forum" or use the following QR Code to sign up:
Parenting Blogs
High Anxiety
by Lisa Scimens
As a child, I was anxious. But as an adult, I am not.
I had tummy aches in elementary school about going to school and then I was at school. They started in kindergarten.
When I look back, noise seemed to be a big contributor to my childhood anxiety. In pre-school, I preferred the “quiet room” vs. the “noisy room.” I liked playing with a small group, coloring, or playing with dolls.
By about third grade, the noisy cafeteria, combined with my picky eating, made it so I ended up going home for lunch through sixth grade.
​​​​
New! Mentoring Services
If you did not make it to our recent special event on Mentoring, you may want to visit our new Mentoring Services page in our Resources. The two mentors who presented at the event are listed along with a plethora of other ones. Some are Bay Area oriented and others work virtually with teens and young adults across the nation. A few actually mentor parents, as well. To find out more about mentoring, which is a very valuable service for many people, click here to visit this Family Sanity resource.
Special Event!
Free In-Person Meeting
June 7th, 11AM - 2PM​​
This June, another Parent Support Group will be held in-person and open to all Family Sanity Parents to attend!
​
Please join us for a walk through the gardens followed by a casual lunch at Zareen's nearby.
​
Location: Gamble Gardens, 1431 Waverly Street, Palo Alto, California 94301​
​​
Date/Time: Sunday, June 7, 11AM - 2PM
​​
Please register for this meeting by 6/6/2026 to save a spot.
​
We look forward to seeing you!​
Testimonials
"Family Sanity has been a lifesaver for me raising 2 teenagers and now young adults as a single mom. I don’t have a great support system, and my siblings / acquaintances really have no idea about raising neuro-divergent kids."