Janet Rao Helps Parents Navigate Substance Abuse, Mental Health

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Without community leaders, South San Francisco wouldn’t hum along nearly as smoothly as it does. We’d miss their contributions in big and small ways.

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to recognize these often unsung community leaders and celebrate their contributions.

This submission comes from Sarah MacKay Lynch, a South San Francisco reader who nominated Janet Rao.

How do you know this community leader?

I joined her free support groups for parents — I now volunteer with the organization.

What does this community leader do?

Jan tirelessly devotes her time to offering free support groups for parents of teens and young adults. It's so important — these parents are struggling themselves, and they feel alone.

Why do you believe the community leader should be recognized or honored?

Jan should be honored because for over 15 years (I believe), she has provided free monthly groups and phone support for parents whose teens are in crisis (mental health and substance abuse). She started Willows in the Wind with another parent in 2007. Her own daughter had just returned from residential treatment. Being a parent in this position is very isolating, and by creating a community of parents (Los Altos, Oakland and San Rafael) that met in person before the pandemic and now meets online, Jan has helped them break the aloneness. No one knows how frightening it is to have a teen or young adult descend into substance abuse or depression, suicidal ideation, crippling anxiety etc. Willows gives parents a place to go to tell their story, to get peer to peer support, and to learn about resources. It's vital and deserves to be lifted up, in my opinion.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the community hero?

Jan could put the challenging story of her own daughter — now in her 30s — behind her. She's a new grandmother and retired. Instead of relaxing, she continues to train and support new meeting facilitators and jumps on the phone to help struggling parents line up resources to navigate the often confusing and expensive mental health care system.

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