Larkin Street Youth Services

Larkin Street's aim is not to simply interrupt youth homelessness, but rather to end its cycle permanently for those in our care. We set a high bar for youth and ensure that they are fully equipped to achieve stability and independence through our programs. To that end, Larkin Street strives to help youth reach the following four outcomes one year after completing our programs:

• Safe and stable housing, indicated by:
o Sustained housing for 12 months post-exit from services
• Self-sustaining employment, indicated by:
o Full-time employment earning a minimum of $17/hour; or
o Full-time career track employment; or
o Part-time employment and engagement in post-secondary education; or
o Career track internship position.
• Two years of post-secondary education, indicated by:
o Attainment of an Associate's degree; or
o Completion of two years of non-developmental college credits towards a Bachelor's degree; or
o Attainment of a post-secondary certificate.
• Physical and emotional well-being, indicated by:
o Ability to manage their physical health; and
o Ability to maintain behavioral, emotional, and social health

Larkin Street's goal is to end youth homelessness – for the youth in our care, for our city, and for our nation – and our results are significant. Consistently, 9 out of 10 youth who complete our transitional living programs make a successful exit to stable housing. Additionally, the impact of Larkin Street's work extends far beyond the lives of the youth we serve directly. Under our current strategic plan, we have invested in our policy and advocacy work, in order to truly move the needle on ending youth homelessness. Larkin Street is a determined advocate for sound policies at the local, state, and national levels that address the unique needs of our young people; and we work to authentically engage young people in the policy-making that directly impact their lives.

Ultimately, our work saves money as well as lives. For every dollar invested in ending youth homelessness, society sees $8 in social benefits and saved costs (Bain & Co., 2009).

Larkin Street's services empower young people experiencing homelessness, ages 12-24, to lead their fullest lives and successfully transition into independent adulthood. The young people who come through our doors represent every race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. While no two young people are alike, histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, disrupted schooling, and family fragmentation are common among our youth.

To help youth progress toward our four outcomes, Larkin Street engages them through our Core Services, which include:
• Engagement Services: Street outreach, two drop-in centers, two emergency shelters, a medical clinic, and an HIV Prevention program, all of which help youth engage in Larkin Street's care and resolve immediate crises in their lives. From our Engagement Services, Larkin Street connects young people with more intensive, bundled services that include housing, education, employment, behavioral health, and primary medical care.
• Housing & Support Services: a variety of housing programs that provide two years or more of stable housing offered alongside individualized case management, education, and employment services, which ensure that youth have the resources and support needed to achieve sustainable independence.
• Behavioral Health and Training: Agency-wide case management, coordinated staff training, and mental health and substance abuse counseling.
• Larkin Street Academy: Engagement and advanced-level education and employment programs that empower youth to complete their high school education or GED, enroll and persist in post-secondary education, develop life skills and workforce skills, and secure career track employment. Coupled with the supports in our housing and health services, Larkin Street Academy is the crux of helping youth build the foundation to achieve personal and financial independence.

Background and Qualifications of Key Team Members
Sherilyn Adams, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer
Duration of Employment: 2003 – Present

For nearly 35 years, Sherilyn Adams, Larkin Street's Executive Director has dedicated her career to the nonprofit sector, focusing on issues of child abuse and neglect, family violence, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness. Sherilyn's experience enables her to attack entrenched problems from all angles, and her commitment to evidence-based, replicable service models is helping elevate the field. At Larkin Street, she has led the agency through tremendous growth, nearly tripling the number of housing beds for youth over the past ten years and putting Larkin Street at the vanguard of the field for its innovative multi-service model to resolve youth homelessness.

An active participant in local, state, and national advocacy and policy work, Sherilyn's accomplishments are significant. In Sacramento, she launched a comprehensive outpatient treatment program for pregnant and parenting women with children under age 5, as well as a child abuse prevention program in seven school districts. In San Francisco, she helped expand community-based housing and supportive services for dually- and triply-diagnosed adults. Additionally, at the state level, Sherilyn is the chair of the California Coalition for Youth, which successfully advocated for the first-ever expansion of Homeless Youth & Exploitation funding since the legislation was first passed in the 1980s.

The accolades Sherilyn has collected over the years are a testament to her impact on the field. Locally, she has been celebrated as one of the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs and Most Influential Women in Business. In 2012, the White House honored her as a “Champion for Change in the Fight Against Youth Homelessness." In 2015, Mayor Lee honored Sherilyn as one of the courageous leaders changing the lives of San Franciscans.

Candice Thomas, Chief of Programs
Duration of Employment: 2005 – Present


Candice has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years. Her experience in overseeing programs extends across various counties, including Placer, El Dorado, and Solano County where she made meaningful impact through her work. Prior to joining Larkin Street, Candice was the director for the Coordinated Entry System serving Solano County. However, most of her career has been dedicated to developing quality housing programs for youth and young adults. From 2009 to 2019, Candice worked for a San Jose based non-profit providing housing and supportive services to current and former foster youth and families. Throughout her tenure, Candice served in various direct service and leadership roles, with a focus in residential treatment, transitional housing, compliance, and risk management. She was instrumental in developing multiple residential and transitional housing programs for the organization, as well as the policies and procedures supporting the programs.

Larkin Street is a leader in the movement to prevent and end youth homelessness at the local, statewide, and national levels. With more than three decades' experience in helping young people exit homelessness, Larkin Street's expertise and impact has elevated the entire field of services for homeless youth. Under our current strategic plan, which guides our work from 2020 through 2023, Larkin Street's key achievements include:

PROGRAM SERVICES
• Quadruple the number of youth receiving housing subsidies
• Optimize education, employment, and mental health services
• Strengthen prevention, diversion, and outreach services
SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP
• Provide leadership and structure for area-wide partnership
• Set local and regional policy priorities
• Center youth as leaders and experts
ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY
• Model equity and inclusion across programs and operations
• Sustain our workforce through increased staff support
• Strengthen our financial foundation to protect from external challenges