LACDMH Celebrates Grand Opening of Dean’s Place in South Los Angeles
On March 27, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) joined L.A. County’s 2nd District Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Development Authority, Coalition for Responsible Community Development, and Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) to celebrate the grand opening of Dean’s Place, a 57-unit permanent housing community in South Los Angeles. Named after late LTSC executive director Dean Matsubayashi, Dean’s Place will provide housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness so they can heal, recover, and thrive in a community setting.
Watch this video to check out that day’s festivities, including remarks from our Service Area 8 District Chief Jennifer Bailey Hernandez. Learn more about Dean’s Place on this LTSC webpage.
Service Area 2 Hosts 8th Annual Armenian Genocide Transgenerational Effects & Healing Remembrance Event
LACDMH Service Area 2 hosted the Eighth Annual Armenian Genocide: Transgenerational Effects & Healing remembrance event on Saturday, April 11, at ACF Beshir Mardirossian Burbank Youth Center. This year’s theme was Healing & Coping.
The event brought together community members, mental health clinicians and Burbank elected officials to discuss the transgenerational trauma caused by the Armenian genocide.
Opening remarks were given by Mariam Nahapetyan; Rima Safaryan; Service Area 2 Chief Antonio Banuelos, LCSW; Jorge Partida Del Toro, Psy.D.; Burbank City Mayor Tamala Takahashi, LMFT; and Burbank Councilmember Konstantine Anthony. It also featured a keynote presentation by Christina Soibatian, Ph.D., Carrying Our Stories, Reclaiming Our Strength: Healing Across Generations.
Fred Sarkisyan from Veterans of Armenia gave a brief presentation on the organization’s efforts in Armenia.
The event showcased several cultural performances by R. Mat Dance Studio, songs by Peter Haig and a Kanun performance by Nairi Achabahian. Attendees were treated to a traditional Armenian catered lunch.
The program concluded with clinician-led small group discussions focused on healing among third-and fourth-generation descendants. Participants shared common experiences of anxiety and belonging, while emphasizing resilience and the enduring influence of culture through stories, food, music and media.
LACDMH and Partners Break Ground to Create LA County Care Community in Norwalk
On March 6, LACDMH joined Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, State Senator Bob Archuleta and our state, local and community partners, to break ground on Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk to transform its vacant buildings into the LA County Care Community that will provide housing and mental health services. Once completed, this project will provide 162 beds across multiple levels of care for people experiencing serious mental illness and homelessness.
The LA County Care Community is made possible by Senate Bill 1336, authored by Senator Archuleta, which allows California to lease the State-owned site and buildings to L.A. County to renovate and repurpose for this first-of-its-kind coordinated care setting. The project is also made possible with $65 million in funding from Proposition 1, which finances behavioral health treatment infrastructure, including housing facilities. Additional State and County funds finance an additional $41 million for this project.
Components of LA County Care Community include:
- Two Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers for young adults (ages 18 to 25) with acute mental health needs requiring intensive clinical care in a secure setting.
- One Interim Housing Facility for young adults who are more stabilized but still require short-term housing and mental health services.
- Two Permanent Supportive Housing Facilities for adults experiencing mental illness and homelessness who need stable, long-term housing with access to ongoing care.
- A multipurpose building that provides wellness, case management and communal spaces to support residents’ wellbeing needs, along with property management and administrative offices for Care Community operations.
- Outdoor spaces offering recreational and therapeutic opportunities to promote healing and recovery.
“This campus brings together permanent supportive housing, interim housing, subacute care, and psychiatric health services together in one location where we are creating a true continuum of care — meeting people where they are and walking alongside them on their path to stability and recovery,” said LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., who spoke and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. “We are deeply grateful for the support of our Board of Supervisors, and specifically Supervisor Janice Hahn, for championing this special project and helping bring this vision to life.”
The first phase of the remodeling is expected to be completed by late 2027.
To watch the video, click here or see below:
Local News Stations Highlight Drumming for Your Life Programming
Los Angeles news stations CBS Los Angeles, ABC 7 and Spectrum News 1 joined the Service Area 4 Peer Resource Center and Long Beach Mental Health for Drumming for Your Life sessions to highlight DMH programming. During March and April, the news stations visited to film staff and participants, highlighting how drumming is helping our clients.
As a DMH partner, the Drumming for Your Life Institute is a local nonprofit that uses the power of rhythm to help children, youth and adults in developing emotional, academic and social skills necessary to succeed. The two specific programs featured in the news stories were the Life Skills Drumming Program and Reading & Rhythm.
The Life Skills Drumming Program helps relieve stress and develop decision-making and problem-solving skills through drumming. The program also helps build emotional intelligence, community and self-confidence. The Reading & Rhythm program uses repetitive drumbeats to improve fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, word recognition and more.
The Service Area 4 Peer Resource Center was featured by CBS LA and Spectrum News 1, while Long Beach Mental Health was featured on ABC 7. View the CBS LA feature here. The rest were not made available online for viewing.
Take Action for Mental Health in May!
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) is excited to announce the 2026 edition of the Take Action for Mental Health L.A. County campaign in May which is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s campaign features nine Department events, including a County-wide kick-off event at Magic Johnson Park from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 and one event in each of LACDMH’s service areas.
This year’s campaign also features 84 local community-based organizations that will host 137 grant-funded, in-person and online events throughout May to encourage people to take action for mental health for themselves and for others.
Take Action community events are free and include wellness activities such as meditation, sound bath, art activities, community resources and much more. LACDMH is also partnering with high-profile social impact partners, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), the Los Angeles Lakers, Meruelo Media and Univision, to de-stigmatize mental health and encourage residents to seek help.
This year’s Department-hosted events are in communities near you:
LACDMH Helps Paint Picture of Wellbeing with A Portrait of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) DMH leadership took part in the launch event for A Portrait of Los Angeles County 2026, which took an in-depth look into wellbeing and opportunity in Los Angeles County. The launch event on March 11 featured remarks from Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., and Kalene Gilbert, BHSA Coordinator, and took place at the Alliance for Children’s Rights.
A Portrait of Los Angeles County is the follow-up to a 2017 report of the same name, which assessed people by place, gender and race. The report uses the American Human Development Index to measure data on health, education and income and showed modestly improved results, with significant gains in educational attainment and meaningful increases in median personal earnings.
The project also researched what matters most to County residents. Through in-person and virtual data walks, County residents shared they care most about education, community resources, health, work and wages. The project also allowed residents to voice key concerns and suggest recommendations for improvement based on lived experiences and unique perspectives.
LACDMH was a key funder for this project, which also included support from the James Irvine Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Cedars-Sinai and First 5 LA. You can read the press release and discover all the project’s findings on its website.
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.
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.
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About This Blog
“Connecting Our Community” is LACDMH’s blog highlighting our department’s news, updates, and resources for Los Angeles County residents and communities. We hope you find these articles useful for learning about our services and resources to promote your and your community’s wellbeing. If you have questions, feedback, or story ideas for this blog, feel free to contact us.