The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health celebrated three new beginnings recently with the groundbreaking for Wesley Health Centers in Skid Row on Sept. 19, the grand opening of the Las Palmas apartments in Wilmington on Sept. 27, and a groundbreaking for the North Hollywood Health Center on Oct. 7.
Wesley Health Centers broke ground on its new adult residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facility and wellness center for people experiencing homelessness and/or mental health issues. The SUD treatment facility will house 38 beds while the community wellness center will serve 3,258 individuals.
LACDMH Director Dr. Lisa H. Wong spoke alongside the Office of First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis; Libby Boyce, Deputy Director of the L.A. Department of Health Services, Housing for Health; and more. The project was jointly created by Wesley Health Centers and the California Department of Health Care Services.
The Las Palmas supportive housing complex is an adaptive-reuse project in Wilmington for 53 residents. The former grocery store features studio and one-bedroom apartments built into the existing structure. LACDMH’s Carrie Esparza, a Mental Health Program Manager IV, attended the event on behalf of the Department and spoke alongside L.A. County Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn.
The project was co-developed and co-owned by Brilliant Corners and The Richman Group. Brilliant Corners is providing on-site wrap-around supportive services and The Richman Group is managing the property.
Dr. Wong spoke alongside L.A. County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger at the North Hollywood Health Center groundbreaking. The 50,000-square-foot facility is due to be completed in 2026 and will provide an integrated care model, including medical, mental health and wellness services.
Located on Tujunga Avenue in the heart of North Hollywood, the state-of-the-art health center is located a few blocks from Metro’s North Hollywood station. The three-story building will include examination rooms, phlebotomy stations, a wellness center, a laboratory, outdoor community gardens and a demonstration kitchen.
The event also featured Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health; Quentin O’Brien, CEO of Ambulatory Care Network for the L.A. County Department of Health Services; and Mark Pestrella, Director of L.A. County Public Works.
