River Oak Center for Children: Riveroak FAQ's

Q: What does River Oak Center for Children do?
A: River Oak helps children at risk, troubled teens, and families through mental health services, social services, behavioral therapy, and family counseling. Learn more about us.

Q: Who is eligible to receive services from River Oak?
A: River Oak's programs serve children, teens, and youth ages birth to 21 and their families in the Greater Sacramento area (Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo Counties). Most families are low-income, and 90% are Medi-Cal eligible. All clients receiving services through River Oak are referred by the Sacramento County Child Access Team at 916-875-9980.

Q: What age groups does River Oak serve?
A: River Oak serves children and youth ranging in age from newborns to 21 year olds. River Oak includes families in the treatment process and provides many family support services to promote healing and success.

Q: Who pays for River Oak services?
A: River Oak's mental health programs and services are paid through reimbursement agreements with Sacramento County Department of Behavioral Health Services, Division of Mental Health. Our effective parenting curriculum (DARE To Be You, Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities, and Make Parenting a Pleasure) at the Family Resource Center are funded through the First 5 Sacramento Commission.

Still, many services we consider important - such as family and grandparent support groups, youth development activities, and emergency food and housing assistance - are not supported by public funds. Individual, foundation, and corporate donors make it possible for us to offer these programs through our Helping Hand Fund and our Activity/Scholarship Fund. Help us by making a donation today!

Q: Is River Oak a nonprofit organization?
A: River Oak Center for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Our tax identification number is 94-2519001.

Q: What's so important about research-based practices, also known as evidence-based?
A: According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an evidence-based practice is defined as "Approaches to prevention or treatment that are based in theory and have undergone scientific evaluation. 'Evidence-based' stands in contrast to approaches that are based on tradition, convention, belief, or anecdotal evidence."

River Oak has taken a leadership position among other nonprofits in the Greater Sacramento area in implementing research-based practices because we are committed to providing only the highest quality and most effective treatment and services to the children, teens, and families we serve. We are the only local agency to offer as many as eight research-based practices: The Incredible Years, Multisystemic Therapy, Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, Functional Family Therapy, Teaching Prosocial Skills, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Armstrong Substance Misuse, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Q: Is River Oak accredited?
A: River Oak is accredited by the Joint Commission, an agency that monitors the quality of patient care at hospitals and health-care organizations, in recognition of River Oak's continuous efforts to offer the best quality of care to children and their families. The agency was first accredited in 2003 and was re-accredited in 2006 and 2009. Only a few non-profit organizations not affiliated with large hospital systems have been given such recognition.

In addition, River Oak is a member of the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, and the Alliance for Children and Families.

Q: Is it possible to volunteer at River Oak?
A: Due to confidentiality reasons, River Oak offers limited opportunities for direct volunteer involvement with our children and teens.

Most volunteer opportunities center around agency or community events with staff and family members present. We especially look for help during the winter holiday season with activities such as toy drives, giving trees, holiday baskets, and Santa's workshop event in December. Rarely, we have painting and other facilities maintenance projects for volunteers, but these come up irregularly and need to be coordinated well in advance.

If you would like to volunteer with River Oak, please contact Alice Gentry at agentry@riveroak.org or 916-609-5129.

Q: Does River Oak need in-kind donations?
A: Yes! River Oak is always in need of items for our kids and families. Throughout the year, individuals and businesses generously donate backpacks and back-to-school supplies; hygiene supplies, diapers, formula, bedding, cookware, and other basic items to our Helping Hand Fund; books; toys for toy drives and giving trees; holiday baskets; and much more. To make an in-kind donation, please contact Alice Gentry at agentry@riveroak.org or 916-609-5129.

Q: How can people donate to River Oak?
A: Thank you for your interest in donating to River Oak! There are several easy ways to make a donation. You can make a secure financial donation online or, if you prefer, you can download our donation form and mail it with your credit card information or your check to: River Oak Center for Children, 5030 El Camino Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608 ATTN: Accounting Department. Financial donations can also be made through the United Way. Another way to donate to River Oak is by making an in-kind contribution. Please contact Alice Gentry at agentry@riveroak.org or 916-609-5129 to donate a needed item today!

Q: How do I find out about employment opportunities?
A: You can learn about current openings at River Oak by visiting our career page.

Q: Can I donate to River Oak through United Way?
A: River Oak is proud to be a United Way Certified Agency Partner, which means that our agency has met strict guidelines to ensure that all donations received through the United Way are used in the most efficient and responsible manner. If you would like to give to River Oak through the United Way, or through your employer's United Way campaign, please make sure to indicate our agency's number (3088) on the donation form.

Q: How much of each donated dollar goes to overhead?
A: River Oak Center for Children strives for efficient and responsible fund development and is mandated by the Board of Directors' By-Laws to allocate 85% of all funding received to direct program costs. In reality, River Oak goes beyond that mandate and allocates $0.88 of every dollar received to Program Services, $0.02 to Fundraising, and $0.10 to Administrative Services (overhead).