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...helping people build skills,
self-confidence and support
Introduction
Following our deep commitment to reach out to communities
in need of mental health care, MHA has served the Antelope
Valley part of our county since 1988. Today, we continue
to be the only nonprofit mental health program for adults
and young adults with mental illness and homeless people
with mental illness.
In this community – often a needy but neglected part
of the county – collaboration is the cornerstone of
our work. We work closely with others – service systems,
elected officials, business and community leaders – to
create a cohesive community so the people we serve can find
an open, accepting environment and opportunities to achieve
their goals. We are fortunate to have a dynamic advisory
committee to guide us in these efforts.
Services
From our first self-help club, we have built a broad spectrum of
services:
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Integrated Services for Adults
In this program, we work one-to-one with adults who have mental illness. We customize a full range of services – mental health care, housing assistance, job training, substance abuse recovery, social skills training and money management – to each individual’s goals. This program includes our AB 34 project, named after state legislation to break the cycle between streets and jail for homeless people with mental illness. |
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Transition Age Youth Program
We help young people with mental
illness ages 17 to 25, many coming from foster care,
make a safe and secure transition to adult life. We assist
them in locating housing and provide training in daily
living skills. We link them to education and help them
train for work and find jobs. |
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Homeless Assistance Program
MHA offers the valley’s
only service for homeless people with mental illness,
including those who have substance abuse problems. Services
at our drop-in center meet immediate needs for showers,
laundry, clothes, and links to food and shelter. Our
long-term assistance in finding housing, learning living
skills, and receiving health and mental health treatment
is the key to helping individuals move to safety and
stability off the streets. |
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Housing
“Housing Plus” pairs our care with housing certificates for low-income, disabled people. We help individuals
apply for the certificates, find apartments in the community,
move in and be successful in their new homes. My Front
Door, another MHA program, is a lease-to-own program
that matches individuals with condominiums and loan programs
for low-income people. |
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Homeless Solutions Access
Center
To respond to a community-wide
need, we are lead agency for the valley’s first
Access Center, which is an entryway to services for all
homeless people. Serving individuals and families, our
20-agency collaborative helps them with basic needs right
away and links them to the housing and services they
need to put a permanent end to their homelessness. With
partners on site and in the community, the center tailors
its help to meet mental health, health, substance abuse
recovery, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS service needs. |
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Project Return:
The Next Step Discovery Center
Part
of the peer support network we sponsor, this is the valley’s
first center run by and for people with mental illness.
It offers education classes, recovery
group meetings, life and work skills training, a resource
library, get-togethers at the center and social activities
in the community. |
Honors
In recognition of our contributions to the community, United Way
of Los Angeles’ Antelope Valley Region named us “charity
of the year” for 1997 and 2001, the same year our valley services
director was named “volunteer of the year.” In 2002,
we were “charity of the year” specifically for work
with the Access Center.
Our Antelope Valley director has been recognized for her leadership. She is the valley’s 2003 “Athena Award” winner for professional excellence, community service and mentoring. In 2000, she received special recognition for lifetime achievement from the “Welcome Back Awards,” a national program sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company to recognize excellence in individuals’ work on behalf of people with depression. The National Mental Health Association honored her with the Clifford Beers Award, its highest honor, in 1996.
Funding
Our services are supported by contributions from the community
and contracts with government. We have received support from the
Boeing Company, Lancaster West Rotary, Lockheed Martin and Northrop
Grumman Corporation. Our services are funded by the Los Angeles
County Department of Mental Health, California Department of Mental
Health, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Contact Us
We serve the Antelope Valley at three sites. The best way to reach
us is to contact our main office, located at 43423 Division St.,
Suite 107, Lancaster, CA 93535. Its phone number is 661-726-2850.
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