LACDMH’s Speakers Bureau was implemented in 2020 as a resource to serve the community during COVID-19 times, it has remained a valuable departmental asset to offer mental health information that is up-to-date, reliable, and clinically-sound. The Speakers Bureau functions as a specialized public mental health communication conduit for the L A County community and the Department. It is comprised of approximately 70 LACDMH licensed clinicians with extensive media and public speaking experience. These highly skilled speakers come from various departmental programs. Their love and commitment to serve LA County communities led them to join the Speakers Bureau above and beyond the daily work responsibilities from their home programs. Collectively, the members provide extensive possibilities to deliver presentations in several mental health topics.
Speaker Bureau members are subject matter experts who are culturally sensitive and linguistically certified to provide services and interventions in many threshold languages of Los Angeles County and more. They identify with the underserved communities served by LACDMH because they are active, engaged members of these communities and thus reflect the concerns, culture and language of their respective communities. Additionally, Speakers Bureau members, being from and for the community, are uniquely qualified to facilitate participation and assist underserved communities as they identify and implement grassroots solutions to minimize service delivery gaps.
Available Cultural and Linguistic Expertise
Currently, the linguistic capabilities of the Speakers Bureau include:
– Arabic
– Armenian
– Cambodian
– Cantonese
– English
– Farsi
– Korean
– Mandarin
– Russian
– Spanish
– Tagalog
– Hindi
– Thai
– Urdu
The following are examples of cultural areas of expertise represented in the Speakers Bureau:
– African American
– American Indian and Alaska Native
– Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Two-Spirit Communities (LGBTQIA2S)
– Multi-Racial and Multi-Ethnic
– Older Adults
– Persons Experiencing Homelessness
– Persons with Physical Disabilities
– Spirituality and Faith-Based Communities
– Veteran and Military Communities
Services Offered by the Speakers Bureau
Speakers Bureau members engage in a variety of internal and public-facing interventions that address the clinical, cultural and linguistic mental health needs of the communities they serve and represent. Speakers Bureau activities include:
– Print, radio and television media interviews
– Recording of Public Service Announcements
– Presentations and training in the community
– Consultation services
– Mental health support for the community
– Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors press conferences
The Speakers Bureau is enriched by the inclusion and collaboration with the United Mental Health Promoters Program and other LACDMH specialized programs, which at times may best respond to presentation topic being requested.
To request Speakers Bureau services, complete the online form available at
LACDMH Speakers Bureau Request Form