Peer support for parents of teens and young adults coping with mental health issues.
Stay Connected with Online Support Meetings
​​Parents of Teens: In-Person Parent Support Group
Should we do more?
Our first in-person parent group since COVID was a big success!
Despite the rainy skies, we filled the conference table at the Palo Alto Museum of American Heritage on Sunday, February 2. We had several new folks join the discussion. Most people had never met one another in-person, so there were hugs amongst us.
There will be three other in-person meetings for the Peninsula parent group this year. The next one will be Sunday, May 4 at the same location. You will be able to sign-up right here in a few weeks.
Many thanks to our dedicated Peninsula facilitators Lie-Yea Cheng and Mary Vincent for setting up and coordinating this special event.
Do you think Family Sanity should hold more in-person groups? If so, send an email to our Founder, Lisa Scimens at lisascimens@gmail.com, and let her know where you live and which group you attend (Teen or Young Adult and location.)
Upcoming Support Groups
Parents of Teens (10 to 18 years)
Monthly Peninsula Parent Support Group
Sundays: 1:00PM - 3:00PM
Virtual (online)
Next Meeting Dates (click date to register):
Monthly East & North Bay Parent Support Group
Saturdays: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Virtual (online)
Next Meeting Dates (click date to register):
Parents of Older Teens and Young Adults (18 to 38 years)
Monthly Greater Bay Area Parent Support Group
Tuesdays: 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Virtual (online)
Next Meeting Dates (click date to register):
We 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.
Our Family Sanity Partner also offers monthly meetings you may want to attend:​​
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SF Parent Support Virtual Support Group
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More info on groups at namisf.org
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To sign up for a support group, go to namisf.org/familysupport
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For a link to meetings, as well as to join their online parent community forum, please contact: lisaeltinge@aol.com.
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From our Founder
Some Exciting News!
Family Sanity is growing! Our long-time partners at Willows in the Wind are joining us under our Family Sanity umbrella. Willows Founder and Executive Director Jan Rao is retiring. She created this important parent support organization 17 years ago.
Family Sanity now has three monthly meetings. One will remain focused on young adults and two will help parents of teens. We will continue to offer the services of certified parent coach Sarah MacKay Lynch.
Meetings for all three groups will be Free for the month of January. So if you haven’t attended one of our meetings yet, but are on the edge of trying one, now is the time to sign up. Meeting dates and schedules are posted in the column to the left.
Look forward to seeing you at a meeting,
Lisa Scimens
Family Sanity Founder
Next Chapter Book Club
with Parent Coach Sarah MacKay Lynch
Tired of picking up parenting books and wondering how you'll ever implement the author's ideas?
There are so many good books out there on parenting and mental health. But how do you really absorb them? The Next Chapter Book Club is designed to help you get the most out of your reading experience. You'll receive a summary of weekly reading and have a chance to discuss the book with other parents whose kids have similar mental health issues.
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IInterested? Visit sarahmackaycoaching.com to learn more about the book club. It will meet regularly on Zoom in 2025.
To find out more, please email Sarah at sarahmackaycoaching@gmail.com.
In The News
Family Sanity supports parents of children facing mental health challenges
"Family Sanity, which supports parents whose teens and young adults are facing mental health challenges, has relocated to Sonoma" (read the article)