About

Our History

Our crisis hotline was founded in 1966 by suicide prevention pioneer Charlotte Ross. It was the third crisis line founded in the state of California, with the goal of providing emergency assistance to people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Under her direction, the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Intervention Center of San Mateo County gained an international reputation for excellent service and innovative methods of dealing with life crises. However, with an alarming rise in adolescent suicide, Charlotte knew more work needed to be done. It was then that she created programming to educate school personnel to recognize and respond to suicidal youth.

Though our name has changed, our purpose remains the same. For over half a century, the StarVista Crisis Center has continued to innovate and expand crisis intervention and suicide prevention work in San Mateo County through 24/7 crisis hotline support, school and community-based suicide prevention training, state-wide advocacy, and post-crisis stabilization services.

Our Philosophy

While our services have expanded, many of Charlotte’s tenets and philosophy still applies. We believe that “crisis” is a normal part of life that an individual can experience. Sometimes, that crisis is too overwhelming for that person to handle alone. The purpose of our services is to help support that individual in the short-term, and empower them to find long-term support and solutions.

We recognize suicide can be preventable. We work to prevent suicides in the following ways:

  1. Stigma reduction and non-judgmental support

  2. Short-term support to connect those in crisis to longer-term supports

  3. Emphasis on least invasive interventions and collaboration with those in crisis

  4. Intentionality with community partnerships

  5. Community education and empowerment

  6. State and national advocacy efforts

Our Funders and Supporters

The Crisis Center is grateful for the support of county partners, philanthropic organizations, and generous donors that help us deliver our high-impact services to the community.