2026 Celebrating Heritage and Cultural Inclusion Milestones
As we welcome 2026, we find ourselves at a remarkable intersection of celebration. This New Year coincides not only with the 250-year anniversary of the United States (and other significant celebratory days) but also marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Week, an initiative launched by Dr. Carter G. Woodson (known as the father of Black History Month). These milestones present us with profound opportunities to honor inclusion and celebrate Black culture while reflecting on our shared history.
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is commemorated nationally, reminds us of the critical importance of individual purpose and belonging in our professional and local communities. His vision of unity resonates deeply as we acknowledge the struggles and achievements of Black Americans throughout history. As we move forward, we recognize the beautiful mosaic of cultural colors that define our individual identities yet unify our humanity.
This year, let us embrace the spirit of celebration with enthusiasm. We can commemorate our shared humanity through song, music, dance — all vital expressions of belonging. The Black National Anthem serves as a powerful reminder of resilience and hope, uniting us in a shared commitment to anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion.
As we unite in celebrations, let us acknowledge our individual and collective milestones — birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and holidays — while honoring contributions that have shaped this nation. Together, we can foster lasting commitments to inclusion/belonging, supporting all voices and celebrating our diversity. In our celebration of 2026, we affirm our dedication to building positive relationships for a united future grounded in respect and unity.
In the New Year, let’s not just celebrate our differences, but also remember the rich heritage that binds us together as a human race.
Submitted in Solidarity,
Treva Blackwell, ARISE SAC Co-Chair
References
- Woodson, Carter G.,The Mis-Education of the Negro, 1933. View search results for this book on the L.A. County Library site.
- Why We Celebrate: artsandculture.google.com/story/why-we-celebrate/VQUxoBzSfges-w?hl=en
- Knowing the Past Opens the Door to the Future: The Continuing Importance of Black History Month: nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/knowing-past-opens-door-future-continuing-importance-black-history-month
- Black National Anthem – Lift Every Voice: youtu.be/KVoNTGTkTbE
LACDMH Continues Offering Mental Health Support to Fire-impacted Residents Through State Partnership
LACDMH, in collaboration with the California Department of Health Care Services’ CalHOPE Program, has received a SAMHSA Emergency Response Grant to provide mental health and supportive services through June 2026 for residents and communities affected by last year’s wildfires. These services will support people experiencing trauma and crisis; people with adjustment disorders due to fire-related losses or disruptions; and people who need mental health support during the recovery process.
To address the wellbeing needs of fire-impacted residents and communities, LACDMH will operate two walk-in centers: the Eaton Fire Collaborative (540 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena 91001) and the Palisades Fire Collaborative (15247 La Cruz Drive, Los Angeles 90272). At both locations, a broad range of services will be offered by LACDMH and its partners, including: individual and family counseling, crisis stabilization, support groups, case management, wellness activities, and linkage to additional resources.
Both centers will initially be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Hours of operation will be adjusted as needed to meet community demand.
Residents may also call the LACDMH-run Fire Support Line at (833) 659-0600 to speak to a mental health professional about mental health-related challenges or concerns.
County residents can also get 24/7 support by calling the Los Angeles County Help Line for Mental Health & Substance Use Services at (800) 854-7771; calling or texting the CalHOPE Warm Line at (833) 317-HOPE (4673); or calling or texting SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline at (800) 985-5990. These and additional resources are posted at dmh.lacounty.gov/disaster-resources.
View photos of Eaton Fire Collaborative here.
Check Out The Q4 2025 Issue of Our Quarterly Stakeholder Newsletter
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) and its Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Solidarity and Empowerment(ARISE) Division, are excited to share Issue #5 of the Quarterly Stakeholder newsletter, designed specifically for you — our stakeholders, partners, and most importantly, individuals with lived experience. Whether you identify as a mental health consumer, advocate, peer supporter, or ally, this newsletter is a space for your voices, stories, and experiences to be shared and celebrated. We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to continuing to highlight your original content in future editions.
To read the newsletter, follow this link.
Para leer su Newsletter en español, siga este enlace.
한국어로 된 뉴스레터를 읽으려면 이 링크를 따르십시오.
High Desert Mental Health Center Opens in Lancaster
High Desert Mental Health Center Opens in Lancaster
LACDMH’s Service Area 1 was proud to celebrate the opening of the High Desert Mental Health Center with Fifth District County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and other County departments on December 11 in Lancaster.
The new High Desert clinic features a Crisis Residential Treatment Program (CRTP), Crisis Stabilization Unit and Mental Health Hub to provide a broad range of supports in an integrated, wholistic setting for people experiencing mental health challenges. It’s a major milestone in Los Angeles County’s commitment to building a compassionate, modern and integrated system of care. The project was supported and funded from multiple sources, including County general funds and more than $43 million awarded from California’s Mental Health Services Act and the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program.
The Crisis Residential Treatment Program will be the first adult CRTP in the Antelope Valley and will house 16 beds and provide a short-term alternative to hospitalization, serving 275 to 400 adults annually. The Crisis Stabilization Unit will serve children and youth in Service Area 1, giving families a much closer resource for the nearly 3,000 expected child and youth visitors. The Mental Health Hub expands the programs already operating at the High Desert Regional Health Center, allowing LACDMH to hire additional staff and serve more people. Currently, the Regional Health Center sees 850 individuals per year, and this expansion is estimated to serve more than 2,600 people annually.
LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., spoke alongside Supervisor Barger; Kristin Sakoda, Director of the County Department of Arts & Culture; Miki Esposito, County Department of Public Works Assistant Director; Shari Doe, DHS Ambulatory Care Network CEO; Lancaster Councilmember Raj Malhi; and Palmdale Councilmember Eric Ohlsen.
Community Wellness is Unstoppable!
Community Wellness is Unstoppable!
Health Matters Clinic was awarded a capacity-building project of the Black and African Heritage (BAH) Underserved Cultural Community (UsCC). The Clinic designed, facilitated, and evaluated “Unstoppable: The Power of Healing and Growth,” a workshop series of dynamic, trauma-informed, culturally affirming mental health sessions. Clinic leaders created an accessible and safe space with Black community members to experience healing together at the Curtis Tucker Center for Community Wellness in Inglewood, Charles Drew University, and virtually.
Workshop participants gathered for guided discussions on mental health literacy, disability, building resilience, and navigating life transitions. Participants engaged in community walks, journaling, stress reduction, storytelling, and wellness planning activities, using the Workshop’s 45-page Unstoppable Digital Companion.
Erica Robinson, President of Health Matters Clinic, shared, “through community-derived wisdom, the workshop fosters an environment in which participants feel seen, heard, and validated. Many reported increased confidence in seeking support, greater comfort discussing mental health within their social networks, and a stronger understanding of movement as a healing practice. Participant feedback also noted improved mood, an increased sense of belonging, and reduced feelings of isolation.”
Health Matters Clinic continues to hold transformational events and wellness walks, showing that community wellness is indeed Unstoppable!
To access the Unstoppable Digital Companion, visit: healthmattersclinic.gumroad.com/l/unstoppable
For further information on Health Matters Clinic, and their schedule of Unstoppable events, visit: healthmatters.clinic
To learn about the Black and African Heritage UsCC, visit: Black and African Heritage (BAH) UsCC – Department of Mental Health
Submitted by ARISE Division.
LACDMH Launches Office of TAY to Address Wellbeing Needs of Teens and Young Adults
On Nov. 24, LACDMH officially launched the Office of Transition Age Youth to promote the wellbeing and mental health of young people between ages 16 and 25. By coordinating and centering services around this population’s specific needs, the Office of TAY will increase access to services, reduce stigma and barriers, and empower them to lead healthy, thriving lives.
The launch took place at LACDMH Headquarters and featured remarks from Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., LACDMH Director, Mary Barraza, Senior Deputy Director of Prevention and Child Wellbeing Services and Erica Reynoso, Ph.D., Countywide Chief for the Office of TAY, highlighting this program’s purpose and mission.
The event also included a screening of the “Cope Safely” short film featuring the voices of three youths and explores the realities of coping with mental health and substance use challenges. The film was made in partnership with UCLA’s Prevention Center of Excellence and Kids in the Spotlight, an organization that helps foster youth heal and grow from trauma through the power of storytelling and filmmaking
After the screening, Shailen Dawkins from Youth Creating Change and film director Joseph Roa moderated a Q&A session with youth experts who shared their lived experiences with human service systems. The launch event concluded with a call to action for LACDMH and its partners to strengthen their collaboration and to engage TAY in service planning and implementation.
For more information about the Office of TAY’s programs, email AskTAY@dmh.lacounty.gov. Additional resources and services are also featured on our TAY Services webpage.
Hollywood 2.0 Celebrates November Open House
The Hollywood 2.0 program hosted its second open house of 2025 at the Preserve, an event and co-working space in Hollywood on November 11. LACDMH’s community-based, compassionate neighborhood care brought together the Hollywood community for food, fun and updates. The event was hosted by DMH and Hollywood 4WRD.
The November update provided new details on the program’s success. There have been 6,601 clients served through the mental health center; 126 members in the Fountain House Clubhouse; and 152 clients placed in interim housing with 89 more in A New Dawn and 86 others in project-based housing.
The highlight of the event was the segment, “Chatting with Carolyn,” which featured Carolyn Kaneko, Mental Health Program Manager II, and three clients, Hope, Mignon and Shandonna. The clients spoke about their journey into the Hollywood 2.0 program and how much they have grown through being housed, attending the clinic and other services like Fountain House, a community-based recovery clubhouse that supports its members.
The event also featured remarks from LACDMH’s Karla Bennett, Mental Health Program Manager II, program evaluation updates from RAND, IDEO’s new H2.0 engagement campaign, and an update on the community art project.
Hollywood Mental Health Cooperative Opens on New Space
The Hollywood Mental Health Cooperative team celebrated its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunset Boulevard on October 30 and was acknowledged with a certificate from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to mark the occasion. The event was emceed by Carolyn Kaneko, Mental Health Program Manager II, and Karla Bennett, Mental Health Program Manager II.
The event featured remarks from Third District County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath; Jazmine Garcia Delgadillo, Health Deputy for First District County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis; LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D.; and a client testimonial. Attendees were later treated to a tour around the new clinic space.
The cooperative provides a host of services, including mental health referral and assessment, crisis intervention, individual treatment, group therapy, case management, medication management and more. Services are provided in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Russian and Armenian. The clinic is also a part of the Hollywood 2.0 pilot program, which integrates outpatient clinic services, Full-Service Partnership teams and field-based care.
Mental Health & Public Health Departments Launch Webpage to Prepare Public for Conservatorship Law Changes in 2026
LACDMH and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) recently launched a webpage dedicated to providing more information to residents, clinicians, law enforcement, and other stakeholders about Senate Bill 43, a new law that expands the definition of “gravely disabled” under California’s Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act.
Considered the biggest change to California conservatorship law in more than 50 years, in addition to mental health disorders, the new definition of grave disability adds individuals with a severe substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder and severe substance use disorder who are unable to provide for their basic personal needs for food, clothing, shelter, and added considerations around personal safety or necessary medical care.
To collaboratively launch Senate Bill 43, LACDMH and DPH partnered to enhance and increase public awareness and education of the upcoming changes through downloadable materials, social media posts, and community outreach presentations. Materials are available in several threshold languages, including English, Spanish, Korean, Armenian, Tagalog, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
LACDMH and DPH are hosting community education events with Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), ADA support and ASL, Korean and Spanish translations. The sessions are hosted by LACDMH’s Service Area Leadership Teams (SALT) and Underserved Cultural Communities (UsCC). The public is invited to learn more about Senate Bill 43 and its impacts by attending any of these community meetings listed on the Senate Bill 43 website.
New Restorative Care Village Breaks Ground at LA General Medical Center
LACDMH Director Dr. Lisa H. Wong joined First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis on October 8 at the Los Angeles General Medical Center for a groundbreaking ceremony. The site will host the first phase of the Century Housing development at the medical center’s Restorative Care Village. The project will bring 146 supportive and affordable homes to the site and will include shared community spaces, a 12-bed peer respite facility, and on-site supportive services.
The larger Restorative Care Village at LA General Medical Center will feature new behavioral health facilities, including a mental health urgent care center, a residential withdrawal management unit, and a 128-bed mental health rehabilitation center. These efforts are a part of the County’s broader Restorative Care Village model, which integrates physical and behavioral health services in an integrated location.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado also attended the event; Emilio Salas, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority, and more.