The Behavioral Health
Collaborative
of Alameda County
Leslie Preston Memorial Scholarship
Leslie Preston was the Director of Behavioral Health for 19 years at La Clinica de la Raza, a Collaborative member agency. Leslie worked tirelessly to oversee programs that provided critical prevention and treatment services for thousands of vulnerable East Bay residents. She committed herself to mentoring and teaching the younger generation of behavioral health professionals. She brought numerous young people into the profession through her partnership with the FACES Pathways Program. In memory of Leslie Preston, the Collaborative honors her through an annual scholarship for a FACES student who has demonstrated passion in pursuing a career in the mental/behavioral health field.
"Leslie Preston was a staunch community advocate working in the field of mental and behavioral health who always brought mission to the forefront of every conversation. Director of Behavioral Health at La Clinica de La Raza in Oakland, CA, Leslie was a partner in building a FACES program in the Fruitvale neighborhood; focused solely on supporting youth into community based careers in behavioral health. Leslie was passionate about her work, her family and equity. She was the kind of person who drove those around her to want to be better, and yet she did this with compassion and heart. We lost Leslie this year to breast cancer and we will miss her partnership and spirit very much. We can think of no better way to celebrate her life than to support a young person who is pursuing a career in mental health."
Brooke Briggance, Deputy Director, FACES for the Future Coalition