United for Health staff founded the Youth Suitcase Clinic in 2000 along with UC Berkeley Cal Corps and ASUC student members.  Our services target the 250 to 300 homeless youth who are living on the streets of Berkeley, ranging from ages 14 to 24. We offer the youth a safe, warm, youth-specific space and a wide variety of services to help them move their lives forward and improve their overall health.

At the Youth Suitcase Clinic, at-risk youth can get a healthy meal, food and laundry vouchers, full body acupuncture, and herbal and nutritional therapy. Primary medical care is given by volunteer doctors and medical students from the UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program. Appointments and referrals for dental and optometry services are also made for the youth with some of our community partner providers.

Suitcase Clinic
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA. 94704

The city of Berkeley is a frequent destination for disenfranchised and neglected youth, due to the city’s history of social activism and inclusiveness.  But few healthcare resources are accessed by homeless youth because of their reluctance to deal with bureaucratic intakes and rules of traditional institutions which offer adult services. These youth living on the street are extremely vulnerable to suicide, HIV/AIDS, MRSA, sexually transmitted infections, traumatic injuries, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, teenage pregnancy, asthma and infestations.

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