Life upcountry in Calaveras County and surrounding areas is about caring for each-other, and we know how hard it can be to find what you need in our area. Our intern services including therapy and support groups are FREE and focused on what YOU need!
Check out our partnerships with community resources and intern-provided services below!
We wish our 2024-2025 clinical intern social worker, Jill Walter a wonderful graduation as she wraps up her services with her clients and gets ready to become our colleague in social work!
Jill Walter, a master-level social worker intern based in Calaveras County, CA, brings a compassionate and empathetic approach to mental health, specializing in mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). With a rich background in education, hospice care, and Buddhism with special training and certifications in various mindfulness and meditation practices, Jill excels as an active listener and creative problem solver. Her experience spans diverse environments, including special education, parenting, writing, and community engagement through ancient philosophy, showcasing her adaptability and commitment to holistic well-being. Jill offers a supportive and innovative therapeutic experience tailored to meet your unique needs.
Jill is accepting new clients until late March 2025.
“Interning with Pilar Majors at Foothills Mental Health has been an enriching, inspiring, and truly enjoyable experience. As a field instructor, she exemplifies exceptional leadership, seamlessly blending guidance with autonomy to foster professional growth and innovation. She brings depth and meaning to social work tasks, encouraging exploration and creativity in therapeutic approaches. Pilar’s authenticity and willingness to model fallibility create a workplace culture rooted in trust, vulnerability, and continuous learning—where you feel safe, valued, and respected. If you aspire to become an outstanding therapist, this is the ideal place to intern. Pilar is not only a credit to the mental health profession but also a wealth of wisdom and expertise, making her an invaluable mentor. ”
Our FREE Groups
FREE LGBTQIA+ Youth and Families Support Group
Foothills Mental Health Licensed Clinical Social Worker PC and our cohosts, CalPride Sierras, hosts a support group for local youth ages 13+ and their caregivers who share love or identity that is not traditionally female/male gender roles or expression, and relationships that fall within and outside straight/heterosexual norms. Growing up in a rural community can make you feel very isolated—even more so when you may not think, feel, look, or act within the traditional norms expressed by your families and community. We welcome all LGBTQIA+ youth, especially those who are living in less supportive communities or families in an effort to provide respectful, healthy, supportive peer connections and resources as they discover who they are and how they want to be seen, navigate their first romantic relationships, explore their spirituality or religious beliefs, and support them along their coming-out journeys, including partners of LGBTQIA+ youth, youth who’s interests fall outside of gender norms, queer-identifying kids, kids who may be exploring transgender identities, bisexual and gay youth, and asexual youth who may feel left out of traditional coming-of-age norms focused on dating and sexuality. We often have an activity to do (usually a game or artwork), provide free food and drinks, strive to provide a relaxing environment where all feel welcome and comfortable, and we try to encourage our youth to choose the topics they are interested in that day.
We also welcome parents supporting their LGBTQIA+ kids in a complex world, including parents, grandparents, teachers, babysitters, aunts, uncles, and neighbors who are concerned for a child’s development, safety, spirituality, or ability to live within their family culture, but may not be sure where to start, what to ask or say, and want real-life advice and support. We will often split off into our own group where parents can listen, offer helpful resources, discuss online and device safety, encourage other parents to offer their experience, help navigate discussions with educators and medical providers, and we will never tell you or your child who they are or how they should live. We hope to empower YOU to make the best decisions for you and your child. Please reach out to us today if you’d like to join, ask questions, share resources or concerns, or just find out more!
Meetings are currently the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm at our office, we hope to see you there!
