Mission & History

 

Mission:

The mission of Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement, Inc. (the Foundation) is to build a community that is empowered, clean, safe, and healthy.

Our Vision:

We envision a future where every individual served will have the opportunity for growth, recovery, and inclusion in their community; access to culturally competent services and supports of their choice; and enjoy a quality of life that includes family, friends, and community engagement. Together, we join with the individuals we serve on their self-determined and holistic path to recovery.

Founding Members
Founding members of the Foundation circa 1971

Our Values:

We Value People
We believe people should be treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and consideration in environments that are safe and comfortable and that support individual advancement.

We Value Growth
We believe that personal growth is promoted through attention to present strengths and not past weaknesses. The development of community supports and resources enhances the quality of life.

We Value Diversity
We believe that an atmosphere of mutual respect for each other’s differences adds quality to our services and is essential to the rehabilitation process.

We Value Shared Ideas
We believe that listening is a crucial part of effective communication and that consumers should actively participate in their service planning.

We Value Advocacy
We believe that everyone is responsible for bringing about the change necessary to benefit those we serve to the fullest extent.

. . .and believe services must be available as long as they are needed.

Strategic Priorities:

 

  • Provide health, social, and human services.
  • Maintains and improves the quality of services provided.
  • Responsive and responsible voice for the community.
  • An organizer, collaborator, convener, and developer of the community.

At Bayview Hunters Point Foundation, we take a holistic approach to the care and treatment of each person we serve. A forerunner in the field of community-based treatment and rehabilitation, we combine recovery with integrated approaches that address an individual’s psychiatric, medical, and behavioral health needs. Our interdisciplinary teams apply their experience and expertise to address a wide range of treatment and rehabilitation issues in a coordinated, comprehensive, and continuous manner.

The overarching goal of our interventions is to support, to the fullest extent possible, a person-first philosophy that encourages the individual’s active membership and participation in his or her recovery and rehabilitation.

 

Our History:

The Foundation was founded in 1971 by Ernest Mitchell, Jr., a long-time Bayview Hunters Point resident, in response to the problem of neighborhood crime. Our first program, Community Defenders, helped address the less-than-adequate legal representation of poor, African American men in San Francisco. When many early clients became involved with drugs and had trouble with the law, The Foundation quickly recognized that the community needed help addressing substance abuse and addiction. So throughout the 1970s, it launched services including methadone maintenance for drug users and other outpatient services for addiction. In the 1980s and 1990s, recognizing that substance abuse and mental health issues often go hand-in-hand, The Foundation began to develop a continuum of mental health services for people of all ages. Our staff also realized that due to a historical distrust of “the system,” many residents could not effectively meet the conditions of probation and parole. In response, The Foundation began to partner more closely with the probation and parole departments to serve as a “bridge” between the community and these systems. Over time, The Foundation expanded its response to the needs of Bayview Hunters Point residents by providing services to address HIV/AIDS; the needs of the African American LGBTQ community; and the need for quality education, vocational support and health care for residents of southeast San Francisco. Today, The Foundation’s continuum of services includes adult and child mental health, methadone treatment for heroin addiction, substance abuse treatment, and prevention services for youth, and services for juvenile offenders. We partner with schools, health care centers, vocational programs, and many others to ensure that every client receives the services they need to achieve optimal well-being. To learn more about our history click here: History of Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement, Inc. For a copy of our 20th ANNIVERSARY click here.

Our Commitment to the Community:

Since its founding by dedicated citizens 49 years ago, The Foundation has been driven by an interpretation of social justice that demands active engagement in the day-to-day life of people who live in the community, and a pledge to a continuing improvement in their quality of life.

The Foundation is committed to finding and implementing ways to stabilize the community with significant participation by African Americans and other people of color. We are particularly committed to equipping young people to become full participants in the educational, economic, cultural, political and social systems of San Francisco. Today, pivotal changes in our city and community require this responsiveness more than ever.

Recent years have seen significant opportunities for heightened response. For example, the Affordable Care Act has opened up treatment to many more people, but also requires that The Foundation partner with other providers through the San Francisco Health Network. This collaboration ensures that every client receives the type and level of care needed.

Like most nonprofit organizations, we must maintain continuous funding for services. While the majority of the Foundation’s funding comes from local and state governments, the infusion of funding from technology and other corporations in San Francisco presents an opportunity.

The Foundation balances its response to opportunities with an unshakable commitment to addressing the needs and wants of southeastern San Francisco residents.

We continue to be at the forefront of social service response, working to fill identified gaps in the public health system, and serving as an anchor for a community in the midst of change.