Adolescent Counseling Services

Adolescent Counseling Services

Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) was founded in 1975 by Dr. Philippe Rey, who later established the ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training, embedding a training function alongside direct clinical care. The organization operates from its headquarters in Redwood City and an additional office in Palo Alto, serving youth exclusively within two northern California counties. ACS deploys its resources across four core programs: On-Campus Counseling, the Outlet Program for LGBTQ+ youth, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, and Community Counseling. Unlike a conventional grantmaking foundation, ACS functions as a direct service provider, channeling grants and endowment income into program staff and facilities rather than external charities. Major operational funders include the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which granted $203,243 in 2025, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, which granted $100,000 in 2025. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has also been a recurring Community Fund Grant Partner from 2019 through 2025. The board is led by President Dave Kohn, CIO at Jewish Family and Children's Services, and Vice President Shana Farley, a director at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Dr. Douglas Styles was appointed Executive Director in April 2024, marking the most recent leadership transition. ACS maintains a small endowment fund and holds commercial property including its Woodside Road headquarters and the Cubberley Community Center office in Palo Alto. ACS's structural distinction lies in its integrated service model — combining direct teen counseling, professional psychotherapy training through the Dr. Philippe Rey Institute, and long-term real asset ownership to anchor its presence. This configuration creates operational resilience that decouples program continuity from short-term grant cycles, a governance design unusual among community-based service providers.