Frequently Asked Questions

- When did Friendship House first open it's doors?
- Where is Friendship House located?
- How many staff does Friendship House have?
- What is the ethnicity of the staff?
- How many members are on the volunteer Board of Directors?
- What is the agency's annual budget for fiscal year 2002-2003?
- Where does funding come from and how are funds being used?
- What is the ethnicity of Friendship House clients?
- Geographically, where do Friendship House clients come from?
- What is the average number of residential clients seen in a year?
- What is the condition of clients upon admission to the Residential Program?
- What are the primary problems that clients report?
- What is the condition of clients upon graduation from Friendship House?
- What is the American Indian population in FH's local service area?

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When did Friendship House first open it's doors?
Friendship House was founded in 1963 and began as a church sponsored drop-in center.
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Where is Friendship House located?
The Residential Program for men and women is located at 80 Julian Avenue in San Francisco. The American Indian Lodge Residential Program for women with their children is located at 1815 39th Avenue in Oakland. Programs such as Aftercare, Youth, Women's Health, Criminal Justice, and Administrative Support is located at 333 Valencia Street, Suite 400, in San Francisco.
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How many staff does Friendship House have?
Friendship House currently has 43 staff members.
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What is the ethnicity of the staff?
As of April 2003, 80% are American Indian and 20% represent other ethnic groups.
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How many members are on Friendship House's volunteer Board of Directors?
Friendship House has 8 board members, of which 7 are American Indian.
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What is the agency's annual budget for fiscal year 2002-2003?
3.5 million dollars.
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Where does Friendship House's funding come from and how are funds being used?
87% of Friendship House funding comes from federal, city, and local government. 13% of funding comes from private support.

These funds are distributed 37% to direct client services, 18% to administration, 15% to criminal justice advocacy, 14% to health education, 7% to fund raising, 7% to women's projects, and 2% to youth projects.
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What is the ethnicity of Friendship House clients?
95% of Friendship House clients are American Indian. 5% represent other ethnic groups.
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Geographically, where do Friendship House clients come from?
About 45% of our clients represent American Indian tribes of California and approximately 50% represent tribes from other geographic areas in the United States.
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What is the average number of residential clients seen in a year?
On average, Friendship House provides services to 150-165 clients per year. At the end of December 2002, the unique count for clients seen at Friendship House through the Residential, Aftercare, and Job Readiness Programs was 166, of which 84 were male and 82 were female.
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What is the condition of residential clients upon admission to Friendship House?
Since 1995, Friendship House has analyzed closely the condition of clients when they enter the Residential Treatment and Aftercare Support programs, as well as the transformations clients make during their participation in both programs. Clients enter the Residential programs with tremendous problems related to internalized stress, drug and/or alcohol addiction, physical health problems, family separation problems, legal problems, unemployment problems, and lack of support networks.
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What are the primary problems that clients report?
Of the top six primary problems that clients report: 92% report alcohol, 87% report drugs, 78% report legal problems, 75% report financial concerns, 75% report sobriety maintenance, and 71% report family breakdown as a primary problem.

145 clients reported their drug/alcohol use. For the top two drugs of choice: 54% of clients reported alcohol as their personal drug of choice. 41% reported amphetamines as their personal drug of choice.
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What is the condition of residential clients upon graduation from Friendship House?
When clients leave the Residential and Aftercare programs, their follow-up information reflects that they are committed to abstinence from drugs and alcohol use. The majority of them find gainful employment and resolve their legal problems. They report greater life satisfaction and are more likely to seek spiritual help as well as help from professionals and friends.

As far as internalized stress, they report less psychological distress, less depression, and fewer stressful events in their day-to-day lives. They have fewer somatic complaints and report less guilt. Finally, they report greater understanding of their American Indian heritage and culture, and acknowledge Friendship House's efforts in helping them to understand and feel connected to their tribal affiliations.

As the Residential Programs extend their services to one-year residential stay, we'll likely see stronger abstinence rates over time and greater rates of long-term success. This especially pertains to clients who choose to return to their previous environments where self-destructive patterns flourished in the past.
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What is the American Indian population in the Friendship House local service area?
Alameda County: 32,323
Contra Costa County: 20,756
San Francisco County: 12,429
Fresno County: 12,500
San Mateo County: 10,644
Marin County: 3,745
Total for 6 Bay Area Counties: 92,397
(this represents a 27% increase from 1990 to 2000 Census)
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