The Edgewood Institute hosted its first-ever Youth Mental Healthcare Summit at the Vicente location on September 19. The event brought together leaders in education and youth mental health to strengthen the support system surrounding San Francisco Bay Area youth.
More than 30 guidance counselors and educators from nearly 50 private elementary and high schools across San Francisco, Marin, and the Peninsula participated in this groundbreaking summit.
A Collaborative Space for Understanding
Led by Edgewood CEO Lynn Dolce, the expert panel explored early signs of mental health challenges impacting today’s students. These include everything from academic stress and social pressures to the complex effects of technology, social media, and evolving gender identities.
The summit created a safe space for school professionals to share perspectives, ask questions, and learn strategies for early intervention. Panelists included key members of Edgewood’s clinical leadership team moderated by Lisa Lau Aquino:
- Moderator: Lisa Lau Aquino, High School and College Admissions Consultant
- Panelist: Lynn Dolce, CEO, Edgewood
- Panelist: Dr. Lisa Oefinger, Director of Counseling & Psychological Services, Edgewood
- Panelist: Justine King, Director of the Crisis Stabilization Unit, Edgewood
- Panelist: Alyssa Kianidehkian, Director of Acute Intensive Services, Edgewood
Together, they offered practical tools for recognizing student distress and building stronger bridges between schools and mental health providers.
Strengthening Schools Through Partnership
Lisa Lau Aquino, a high school and college admissions consultant who helped organize the event, reflected on how essential this kind of collaboration has become.
“Independent schools are deeply committed to integrating social-emotional learning while prioritizing student well-being. We know that when a child is struggling emotionally, they cannot fully engage in learning.”
-Lisa Lau Aquino, High School and College Admissions Consultant
The summit underscored a shared mission for educators and clinicians alike: to ensure that every young person has access to the help they need in the moment that they need it.
Building a Community of Care
For Edgewood CEO Lynn Dolce, the summit marked more than an event; it represented a movement toward a more connected, compassionate system of youth care.
“Addressing the mental health needs of young people requires a collective effort. No single school, counselor, or organization can do this work alone. By convening educators and mental health leaders, Edgewood is helping build a stronger community of care. We want to ensure every student has a path to emotional health and academic success.”
-Lynn Dolce, CEO, Edgewood
Dolce emphasized that collaborating, listening, and learning from one another will help create a more effective, empathetic system that truly can help students thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
At Edgewood, the people, place, and paths come together to make that vision of a community of care possible for San Francisco Bay Area youth.