RAMS, Inc. is a non-profit mental health organization that is committed to advocating for and providing community-based, culturally competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services since 1974. Utilizing innovative and transformative strategies, RAMS impacts the lives of over 10,000 residents of San Francisco and Alameda County annually. To do this RAMS offers comprehensive services that aim to meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area with expertise in serving the Asian & Pacific Islander American and Russian-speaking populations. Given the diverse nature of services, employees reflect the populations they serve providing services in 30 languages.
Nothing is as meaningful to me as seeing the impact of my work on those whom I support in my role. As my students go on to pursue work and further education in the field I am grateful to have been a part of their journey. But all that would not be worth it without the support of my colleagues and supervisors. They role model to me how to work with human beings above all, not just clients or employees or data points, and they extend this treatment to me as well, which makes this work sustainable and ever-enriching.
– Ida Poberezovsky, RAMS Program Manager, Peer-Based Services Division
RAMS History
RAMS was founded in 1974 by the Richmond Asian Caucus with a vision to address the needs of the mono/bilingual Asian speaking population in the Richmond District of San Francisco. At its advent, RAMS served the population by providing multilingual and culturally competent services. Housed in a humble two-story, wood-paneled storefront situated next to the historic Balboa Theatre, the non-profit organization was the only Asian focused mental health services center in a neighborhood district that was in the midst of rapid expansion of the Asian American population. In the first five years of operation, RAMS had only 35 staff, interns, and trainees.
RAMS’ services were reflective of the times during which the agency was founded, with steadily rising immigration from Asia to the United States following the passage of various laws and amendments. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, immigration patterns continued to change, with each new group bearing different needs. The agency’s service capacity grew as the community’s needs evolved.
RAMS has continued to assess the community’s changing needs and enhance the programming structure and services to reflect these needs. In the first two decades of RAMS’ existence, the number of programs that RAMS offered increased from four to over 20. Today, the number of employees has grown to just shy of 400.
RAMS, inc envisions mental wellness for all