Los Angeles County is home to a plethora of mental health and wellness resources, designed to help people of all ages stay healthy. From on-site and field mental health doctors providing psychiatric care to community interventions in collaboration with the criminal justice system, there are many ways to access the help you need. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) has implemented wellness initiatives in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. These initiatives include the Healthy Activities Program (HAP), which provides 6-8 sessions on the principles of behavioral activation, and LA-HOP, which helps homeless people in Los Angeles County with outreach services.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is also advocating for Congress to fund mental health crisis services. NAMI has a long history of working with law enforcement to train first responders and promote rules on judicial system policies and practices. In California, 988 will connect callers to mobile crisis support teams comprised of mental health professionals and trained peers 24 hours a day. In addition, California's legal model for developing an advance health care instructions form includes health-related information, such as decisions about end of life and pain relief, as well as questions related specifically to mental health care.
To ensure that communities of color and other underrepresented communities have access to the help they need, the Administration must work closely with these communities to ensure that CARE courts serve as an example of health equity in action. Overall, there are many ways for people living in Los Angeles County to stay healthy through mental activities. From accessing psychiatric care to participating in community interventions, there are plenty of resources available to help you stay healthy.
