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.
