Located in a quiet, residential neighborhood in the hills of San Leandro,
James Baldwin Academy (JBA) serves up to 48 students in grades 5 through 12,
providing special education services to students with a variety of mental health needs.
In our four small classrooms, we provide individualized attention and
direct instruction in core areas to help our students make adequate yearly progress
on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals
while adhering to a general education standards-based curriculum.

As a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredited school,
we pair a rigorous course of study with a therapeutic milieu and a behavioral program.

Services Offered

Specialized Academic Instruction
Students are provided with 240 minutes of academic instruction daily, delivered by credentialed special educators. High school students are able to earn 30 credits per semester and an additional 15 credits during summer school toward high school graduation. James Baldwin Academy’s academic program combines a rigorous emphasis on increased achievement with the supports needed for students to realize success.

Individual Therapy
Every student meets with their therapist once a week. By building an alliance with student and continuously seeking their feedback and opinions, our therapists can tailor sessions to students’ individual needs and preferences while accessing well-researched therapeutic modalities that align with Seneca’s Unconditional Care model.

Family Therapy
We build active partnerships with our students’ families and encourage all families to participate in consistent family therapy, which can be offered on campus or at another location at the family’s request. By working closely together, we can best support and nurture our students.

Group Therapy
Group therapy provides a structured therapeutic environment for students to learn new skills, process situations, gain a better understanding of themselves, their families, and their communities. Restorative Justice practices enable students to build community and take responsibility for their impact on others.

Other Supports
A variety of additional services may be provided including:

• Speech and Language Therapy

• Psychiatric Evaluation and Support

History of JBA

James Baldwin Academy (JBA) has had a long and winding history filled with success, challenges, and the stories of thousands of youth and families that have been served through our school. JBA has always strived to affect positive change in the lives of those whom we serve, and the way in which we have done so has evolved over the years.

James Baldwin Academy first opened in 1987, however at this point it served the community in a different capacity and under a different name. When our parent organization, Seneca Family of Agencies, first leased this site, it was a residential facility called “Fairmont Terrace Site - Seneca”. This facility served as a refuge for youth whose needs could not be met by the traditional schooling system and social services system.

Years later, Fairmont Terrace Site evolved from a residential facility to a day treatment facility, aptly named “San Leandro Day Treatment”. In this iteration, the site continued to focus on providing crucial services to youth while also providing necessary support to families in order to increase chances of success. This transition was intended to align with one of Seneca’s main priorities of supporting family permanency.

Throughout this history, our site has known many great leaders who have devoted themselves to carrying out the values of unconditional care that Seneca has always prided itself in. Seneca’s founder, Ken Berrick, not only played a vital role in the creation of the non-profit organization, but also the creation of the site we call JBA today. He helped to instate Valerie Jeung, who led the Fairmont Terrace Site and with the help of many others, paved the way for James Baldwin Academy.

Although the name of this site, the strategies used to support our community, and the leadership of the site changed over the years, James Baldwin Academy continues to operate as a day treatment facility.  We strive to utilize the most up to date research and methods to support our community youth and families. We are devoted to tapping into their natural born power, love, and resiliency, in a strengths-based and equitable manner.

For more information about our parent agency, please visit the 

Seneca Family of Agencies website at:

https://senecafoa.org/