Edgewood joined forces with UCSF’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship in 1999 with a simple yet powerful goal to give future psychiatrists real-world experience caring for young people navigating serious mental health challenges.
More than two decades later, that vision has grown into a groundbreaking partnership that continues to define what exceptional youth mental healthcare looks like in practice.
A Learning Ground for Healing
UCSF psychiatry fellows step onto Edgewood’s Vicente campus each year and become part of the therapeutic heartbeat of our Acute Intensive Services programs.
In the Residential and Partial Hospitalization programs, fellows provide direct psychiatric care to youth ages 12 to 17. They learn not just to diagnose and treat complex disorders, but to truly understand the young people and families behind each case.
“From day one, residents step into the clinical role. They complete assessments, make diagnostic formulations, start medication trials, and follow progress. This immersive, hands-on work bridges education and empathy.”
—Dr. Robin Randall, Medical Director, Edgewood
Through this vital training program, Edgewood is preparing emerging psychiatrists to meet young people wherever they are on their path to stability, hope, and growth.
Teamwork in Action
Collaboration is a cornerstone of care at Edgewood. Fellows don’t learn in isolation. Their training occurs within a multidisciplinary team that reflects Edgewood’s holistic approach. Psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, marriage and family therapists, teachers, and counselors all join together to support each youth.
Weekly one-on-one supervision with attending psychiatrists ensures customized mentorship, while interdisciplinary meetings give fellows the chance to present cases, exchange ideas, and translate medical insight into language that resonates with families and non-medical staff.
Through these experiences, residents see that the best mental healthcare is built not only on skill, but also on shared understanding and teamwork.
Diversity That Deepens Understanding
Edgewood’s youth reflect the vibrant cultural and ethnic diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. Patients bring unique stories shaped by different backgrounds, including African American, Asian, Latino, Native American, and Caucasian, along with a wide range of mental health diagnoses, including mood, anxiety, behavioral, and psychotic disorders.
“For fellows, caring for such a diverse population expands both their medical expertise and their cultural humility. They learn that every diagnosis has a story, and every path to healing is influenced by family, community, and culture.”
—Lynn Dolce, CEO, Edgewood
Through their time at Edgewood, UCSF child psychiatry fellows gain more than clinical knowledge. They also gain perspective and leave the program as physicians who blend knowledge with compassion. Edgewood’s UCSF fellows are ready to guide young people toward brighter futures.
Together, Edgewood and UCSF are building the next generation of mental healthcare leaders who are equipped with a deep understanding of the people, place, and paths it takes to truly transform lives.