Behavioral Health Services

Addressing the needs of the whole child

Behavioral Health Services is an essential component of our holistic approach to youth development.

Socioemotional health is a priority across all Clubs. Significant funding has allowed us to expand our BHS team.

Learn about joining our BHS team!
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Behavioral Health Specialists
Clubhouses have a Behavioral Health Services Specialist who serves as a liaison, meeting with staff teams to discuss successes and challenges that Club members are experiencing. This close collaboration allows us to create a comprehensive support system to support youth in the most effective way possible.
Behavioral Health Specialists support BGCSF’s commitment to cultivating caring and supportive communities by:
  • Prioritizing wellness activities, regular mental health check-ins, and early interventions
  • Providing individual and family therapy
  • Leading behavioral health training for all Club staff
  • Developing coping strategies that advance BGCSF’s commitment to building self esteem and a sense of agency across all areas of youth development

Meet The Behavioral Health Services Team!

Debby Machold

MA, MSW, LCSW
Debby Machold joined BGCSF in 2004 as the Citywide Director of Behavioral Health Services. Debby..

Debby Machold joined BGCSF in 2004 as the Citywide Director of Behavioral Health Services. Debby is responsible for ensuring the social and emotional health of our Club members in the city and at Camp Mendocino. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and oversees the clinical team, who provide individual, group and family therapy to Club members along with case management services. Prior to joining BGCSF, Debby was a clinician specializing in addictions, sexual trauma, and crisis intervention. Debby also served as a Program Director and Interim Unit Director for a Boys & Girls Club on the east coast. Debby holds dual Masters degrees – a Masters of Social Work from University of South Carolina and a Masters of Science in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University.

In her role, Debby strives to embed support into daily programming and works to reduce the stigma associated with mental health services. By building a culture of nurturing and support, she strives to reduce the impacts of trauma and increase resilience of our Club members. Additional responsibilities include supporting overall risk management, minimizing the effects of trauma, violence prevention and intervention, supporting staff development and wellness, and infusing the developmental assets throughout BGCSF. "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."- Reverend Desmond Tutu

Patty Cartagena

MA, ASW
Patricia completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at San Francisco State University followed...

Patricia completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at San Francisco State University followed by her Master’s degree in Social Work from California State University East Bay with an emphasis in children, youth and families.

Patricia is a Clubhouse Alumna and has been a member of BGCSF since she attended the Columbia Park Club as a youth in 1999. She has worked in many Clubhouses and held multiple positions while earning her degrees over the past 8 years.

Patricia provides therapeutic and assessment services for members at Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale Clubhouses while using an integrated, holistic approach tailored to the unique needs of specific members.

Skky Foster

MSW
Skky has experience in education, health-focused community-based organization and outpatient...

Skky has experience in education, health-focused community-based organization and outpatient clinic settings and providing therapy to clients of all ages.  She holds an Associates degree in Clinical Social Work and received her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University with a focus on mental health, health and disabilities.

Skky's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion can be seen in her work with schools, clinics, nonprofits and higher education. She has had the privilege of providing direct supportive services, case management and group programming to youth in the Bay Area and New York City.

When working with marginalized youth, Skky hopes to empower young people and their families to improve their outcomes. She takes a trauma-informed, strengths-based and youth-centered approach to the engagement, assessment and intervention process. She believes that an integral part of the practice when working with youth is building rapport, agency and trust. As a result of her experiences in the field , she approaches youth development and mental health in a holistic and collaborative manner.

One of Skky’s focus areas is to study the impact of intergenerational trauma and its effect on the Black community with hopes to provide modalities in her practice that are culturally responsive and healing.

Megan E. Hamilton

MA, AMFT
Megan is a systemic trauma informed therapist, with over a decade of experience as an educator, facilitator, director and supervisor in the non...

Megan is a systemic trauma informed therapist, with over a decade of experience as an educator, facilitator, director and supervisor in the non-profit sector with a focus on gender specific programming, emotional health in adolescent youth development, community activism engagement, and violence prevention.

Megan brings an emphasis on holistic staff and youth development and healing that is responsive to the larger cultural and political climate, informed by anti-racist, queer affirmative, body positive, sex positive, and intersectional feminist lens.

Megan is passionate about working with people to deepen self awareness, and to cultivate and develop a sense of connection and belonging with communities that nourish their growth and well being. She has extensive experience in adolescent youth development, addiction recovery, program design, leadership development, group facilitation, and therapeutic counseling.

Karla V. Sarantopulos

MSW, ASW
Karla completed her master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Southern California. She first joined Boys & Girls Clubs of San...

Karla completed her master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Southern California. She first joined Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF) in 2019 when she was completing her internship for her master's degree. After her internship, she became the Behavioral Health Specialist for our Mission Clubhouse. In 2022 Karla rejoined the BGCSF family and is now the Behavioral Health Specialist for Excelsior Clubhouse. For Karla, youth always comes first, and is always available to our families, especially if they have questions regarding their child's mental health and their social and emotional well-being.

Karla assists our members with assessments, case management, and linkage to other community services, and she also assists our families with support when they need assistance with the school district. She also provides therapeutic services for our youth, such as CBT, Problem Solving, Mindfulness, and Play Therapy. 

Check out our flyer for more information on BGCSF's Behavioral Health Services.