The drop-in mental health center on Middlefield Road where Palo Alto teens can walk in without an appointment or parental permission secured state funding in California's 2026-27 budget.
Assembly member Marc Berman, a former Palo Alto City Council member, helped secure $5 million for allcove centers, according to a press release issued Wednesday, July 1. Berman partnered with Assembly member Gail Pellerin, who plans to use part of the funds to open a new allcove center in Half Moon Bay. Sen. Josh Becker also supported the appropriation.
On Tuesday, May 19, over 70 youth and staff from all 11 open or emerging allcove centers traveled to the state Capitol to advocate for the budget allocation.
The money arrives after Santa Clara County slashed its annual allcove contribution from $4 million to $1.75 million spread over three years. The county is grappling with roughly $800 million in budget reductions and a net loss of 464 employees, driven in part by federal spending cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which reduced healthcare and social-services funding to states. California also withheld a portion of the county's suicide prevention funding to centralize mental health resources in Sacramento.
Staff have not yet determined how much of the $5 million allcove Palo Alto will receive. County behavioral health officials estimated it costs approximately $3.4 million to operate the Palo Alto center for the current fiscal year.
Why it matters here
Palo Alto Online reported in an April 29 investigation that the city is experiencing its third youth suicide cluster. Eleven young people have died by suicide since 2018, eight on railroad crossings.
A 2024 Palo Alto Youth Council survey of 227 students found that 50% struggled with mental health, but only 27% said they received help. Just 37% reported using school-sponsored resources.
"Help only works if people feel comfortable seeking it," PAUSD student board representative Dylan Chen said.
Allcove Palo Alto, which opened in 2021, was designed to feel less clinical than a therapist's office. Local youth picked out the pillows and floor plans. The center offers free mental health care, physical health services, substance use counseling, peer support, and career coaching to anyone ages 12 to 25. According to center staff, youth travel from across the Bay Area to visit.
Shashank Joshi, Stanford's director of school mental health, said in a written statement that the funding "gives a 12-year-old or a 22-year-old a place to walk in and be met with care, not a waitlist."
What's still unresolved
The $5 million covers multiple allcove centers statewide, and it remains unclear whether the allocation is one-time or recurring. Stakeholders are still working on a long-term funding model for the Palo Alto location. In February, the county Health and Hospital Committee recommended that Alum Rock Counseling Center take over as lead agency for allcove Palo Alto.
How to access allcove Palo Alto
The center is at 2741 Middlefield Road, Suite 102. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phone: (650) 798-6330. Services are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. Free rides are available through Palo Alto Link. The crisis line is (800) 704-0900, or call/text 988 anytime.
