Company Profile
Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc.
Company Overview
RAMS, Inc. (Richmond Area Multi-Services) is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services.
RAMS believes in serving clients in their primary or preferred language(s) of treatment, supporting consumer choice & empowerment, and advocating for the accessibility to services. Annually, the agency serves and outreaches to about 18,000 adults, children, youth, and families and provide services in over 30 languages, including Asian languages – Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese, Taiwanese), Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese – Russian and Spanish. To meet the diverse community needs, RAMS offers over 30 clinical programs in over 90 sites citywide.
Services include:
• Adult & Older Adult and Children, Youth & Family Outpatient Services
• Behavioral Health & Consultation Services at schools, youth centers, and childcare sites
• Peer Counseling, Outreach, and Training Services
• Adult Residential and Integrated Behavioral Health & Medical Support Services
• Vocational Training and Employment Services
• Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Adult and Youth Workforce Development & Career Pathways and Education
• Clinical, Cultural, and Organizational Consultation
• Outreach and Community Organizing Activities
Comprised of approximately 350 employees, 25 interns/trainees and many volunteers, RAMS staff appropriately reflects the multicultural and multilingual diversity of our communities. Many staff are immigrants and/or refugees and have expertise and training in specific areas such as cross-cultural counseling, child & adolescent mental health, chemical dependency, vocational rehabilitation, art therapy, refugee trauma, family therapy, and elderly care. The multi-disciplinary provider team includes psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, marriage & family therapists, vocational rehabilitation counselors, employment consultants, certified nurse assistants, peer counselors, and mental health workers.
Company History
RAMS YESTERDAY
RAMS, Inc. 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 through providing multi-lingual and culturally competent services. Housed in a humble two-story wood-paneled storefront situated next door to the historic Balboa Theatre, this non-profit organization was the only Asian focused mental health services center in a neighborhood district that was in the midst of an ethnic population expansion. In the first five years of operation, the annual budget was approximately $750,000 with a combined workforce of about 35 staff, interns, and trainees.
The services provided by RAMS were certainly 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 group having its own unique circumstances. As such, RAMS continued to assess the community’s changing needs and enhance the programming structure & services to reflect these needs; the agency’s service capacity also expanded to the Russian-speaking population of the Richmond District and beyond. From 1989 to 1999, the number of programs that RAMS offered increased from four to over 20, the number of staff grew by 236%, and the annual budget of RAMS dramatically increased over 626%.
RAMS TODAY
RAMS, Inc. continues to be a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian & Pacific Islander Americans. The agency 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 special focus on the Asian & Pacific Islander American (APIA) and Russian-speaking populations.
Since its inception over 40 years ago, RAMS continues to effectively develop, expand, and transition to meet the changing needs of our local and cultural communities by offering a wide range of clinical program services, engaging in collaborative projects, and contributing to the next generation of clinicians by offering extensive training and educational opportunities specializing in culturally competent practice.
The annual budget of RAMS has grown well over 1,900%, since the first five years of operation.
In 2015, half of the agency's clients are of Asian & Pacific Islander American ethnicity, and over 32% indicate an Asian or Pacific Islander language as their primary or preferred language for treatment and services. Approximately 6% of clients indicate Spanish and 3% of our clients designate Russian as their primary or preferred language for treatment and services.
RAMS TOMORROW
RAMS remains committed to providing the highest quality, clinically sound, and compassionate care to the residents of the San Francisco Area. We know that to recognize the face of need, one must look beyond appearances to gain a deeper understanding of realities that are not always seen at first glance. Our responsibility and commitment to mental health care quality and education extends beyond our own walls to reach people of all ages and backgrounds in our community through outreach and serving them in their own environments. This philosophy of care has always been central to our approach at RAMS.
As we move forward, our sights are set on further enhancing services with innovative programs that reflect the integration of treatment models and systems-of-care. RAMS continues to further develop and expand upon collaborative efforts, consumer involvement & empowerment programs, and workforce development, education, and training. As part of the larger community, RAMS works toward improving & advocating for increased accessibility to resources and a more inclusive and holistic means of treatment so that those in need can lead satisfying and productive lives. With great excitement and optimism, RAMS invites you join us in this new decade of services to our community, and in upholding our commitment to excellence for many more decades to come!
When we all work together for a common purpose in serving the community, it is truly amazing what we are able to accomplish!
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
RAMS is recognized by the local and national social service community as having expertise in providing culturally competent mental health services to the underserved, with expertise in working with the Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) and Russian-speaking populations. The agency has received numerous awards for culturally competent service delivery, clinical training, employment of people with disability, and community leadership. RAMS is licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services and is a certified Medi-Cal provider; RAMS Hire-Ability has maintained its accreditation by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) for Employment Services (most recent review 2014). Also, the National Asian American Psychology Training Center receives regular APA accreditation visits, and has been accredited continuously since 1980.
RAMS engages in innovative programming and collaborative agreements with community partners, including San Francisco Department of Public Health – Behavioral Health Services and Housing & Urban Health sections, SF Department of Human Services, California Department of Rehabilitation, Asian Pacific Islander Family Resources Network, San Francisco Unified School District, SF Suicide Prevention, SF Asian & Pacific Islander Health Parity Coalition, San Francisco Human Services Network, Kearny Street Workshop, and various human service, healthcare, and Asian Pacific Islander focused organizations in San Francisco. RAMS was also the lead organization in founding Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day, first established on May 10, 2010 and observed annually thereafter on May 10 statewide.
Visit us at www.ramsinc.org and www.ramsinc.blogspot.com
Benefits
RAMS was awarded & honored by the Mental Health Board of San Francisco for its Exceptional Programs and People, for creating and fostering a healthy workplace for employees.
Benefits that are available to eligible RAMS employees include:
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage
Life/AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability
Supplemental insurance coverage
Flexible Spending Account
Dependent Care Spending Account
Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
10 Paid Holidays
Paid Bereavement & Jury Duty leave
Eligibility for PTO Donation Program in event of catastrophic illness or injury
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Training, in-service, and educational opportunities presented in-house
Paid Educational Leave & Professional Development Leave
401(k) Retirement Plan
Commuter Check to deduct transit expenses on a pre-tax basis
RAMS-sponsored monthly "for fun" activities
Group discount programs
Employee awards recognition program
Plus all leaves (FMLA, CFRA, PDL) & employee benefit programs (SDI, PFL, etc) as per federal, state, and city/county requirements.