The Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc. is a
free health care service provider serving more than 34,000 people in
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
.
Overview
The organization was founded by Dr.
David E. Smith in
Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California
Haight-Ashbury () is a district of San Francisco, California, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. It is also called The Haight and The Upper Haight. The neighborhood is known as one of the main centers of the counterculture ...
on June 7, 1967, during the
counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s was an anti-establishment cultural phenomenon that developed throughout much of the Western world in the 1960s and has been ongoing to the present day. The aggregate movement gained momentum as the civil rights mo ...
. As thousands of youth arrived in the city, many were in need of
substance abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
treatment,
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
service, and medical attention. The clinic became the model for the modern form of the free clinic. The Clinics are currently composed of four core programs:
* Medical clinics
* Substance abuse treatment services
* Jail psychiatric services
* Rock medicine: on-site medical services for public events and concerts
* Treasure Island Job Corp Wellness Center
The clinics merged in 2011 with Walden House an addiction treatment organization; in 2012 they adopted a new name: HealthRIGHT 360.
See also
*
Berkeley Free Clinic
The Berkeley Free Clinic is a non-profit community clinic located in Berkeley, California, US. It is operated as a worker-run collective by more than 100 volunteers. It has provided free medical care since opening in 1969.
History
The Berkeley F ...
References
*
How a 'Hippie Clinic' in the Haight-Ashbury Started a Medical Revolution Carrie Feibel. The California Report. Aug 11, 2017.
KQED
Further reading
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External links
Haight Ashbury Free Clinics- HealthRIGHT 360
Haight Ashbury Free Clinics website2007 40th anniversary archive
{{Hippies
Clinics in California
Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco
Healthcare in San Francisco
Addiction organizations in the United States
Hippie movement
Organizations based in San Francisco
Organizations established in 1967
1967 establishments in California
Mental health organizations in California