In the crucible of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire , she became the head of the social service efforts to restore the life of the people of the city and developed innovative solutions that are common practice today . She created the first employment agency in the United States , developed mental health counseling to deal with the traumatized , became an advocate for foster care , and by combining private and public funds made it possible for widowed and single mothers to remain at home with their children . She also was responsible for emptying the refugee camps and finding placements for the dispossessed , all of which she accomplished within one year . These innovations became known as the " San Francisco Model " by 1907 . Felton drafted nearly all of the State 's early legislation covering welfare and relief according to the Proceedings of the National Conference of Social Work , Volume 13 , 1901 . In 1928 , with the help of her friend architect Bernard Maybeck , she built what is today the office building of Family Service Agency at 1010 Gough Street in San Francisco
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Katharine Felton