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.
