Introduction

By designing, demonstrating and disseminating models of mental health care, MHA helps people with mental illness recover to independent, integrated lives. With a focus on “quality of life” goals, we help people live, work and be involved in the community.

MHA serves people who have a mental illness such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive illness or depression, and many also have substance abuse problems. Many of the young adults we help have “aged out” of foster care. About two thirds of the people we serve also are homeless or have been homeless sometime during their lives.

We offer individuals a combination of treatment for their illness and rehabilitation services to gain skills essential to mainstream living. Our employment programs create opportunities for work, self-worth and self-reliance. MHA’s housing options give individuals affordable homes and chances for living independently. Through the self-help network we sponsor, individuals have peer support they can count on as they begin and grow in their recovery.

In California, MHA pioneered the “integrated services” model of mental health care, where individuals can find a comprehensive range of coordinated services in one place. Along with serving individuals using this innovative approach, we train mental health professionals and help them transfer our model to their own programs.

Services

		MHA Village blends all the parts of mental health recovery – treatment, rehabilitation, family and community support, and self-help – to provide the help adults with mental illness need for self-sufficient lives. Located in Long Beach, California, our program tailors services to each individual’s psychiatric, employment, housing, substance abuse recovery, financial and education needs. Recognized as an “exemplary practice” nationally and a “best practice” in California, the MHA Village is a model for changing mental health care.
		MHA Antelope Valley Services offer mental health recovery services for adults and young adults with mental illness in the Antelope Valley area of Los Angeles County. We customize a range of mental health care, housing assistance, job coaching, social skills training and money management to each individual’s needs. Its public education campaign seeks to improve awareness of the importance of good mental health practices and understanding of mental illness. MHA was honored as the United Way-Antelope Valley “Agency of the Year” for 1997, 2001 and 2002.
		Homeless Assistance Programs serve Long Beach and Antelope Valley with outreach and drop-in centers that offer showers, clothes and a safe haven from the streets. These programs work with MHA’s integrated services to provide long-term solutions to homelessness.
		Transition Age Youth Programs serve young adults with mental illness, many of whom are aging out of the foster care system or leaving the streets. We help these young people find housing, learn daily living skills, go back to school and enter the work world with the goal of productive lives as adults.
		Project Return Peer Support Network  is a self-help network run by and for people with mental illness. With more than 100 self-help clubs spanning Los Angeles County, PRPSN offers social activities, peer support and community involvement. Its two Discovery Centers offer classes for personal and professional growth, recovery groups and social activities. PRPSN’ toll-free telephone help line provides peer-to-peer support seven evenings a week.
		Wellness Centers help individuals grow in their well-being by blending mental and physical health strategies. Centers in South Los Angeles and Long Beach offer health assessment, education classes and support groups.
		Un Paso Mas serves the Latino community. It offers support, education groups and training to help families and individuals with mental health issues.
		Housing offers options to bring permanent, affordable homes to people with mental illness in our county. As a first step off the streets, MHA provides motel vouchers to homeless people with mental illness. We help individuals locate community apartments and learn skills to succeed in them. We partner with local governments to provide low-income housing certificates and services.
		Clifford Beers Housing is a nonprofit organization, started by and affiliated with MHA, that develops quality housing that is supportive of low and moderate income people, particularly those with mental illness. Its website is www.cbeershousing.org.
		The Art of Daybreak Multi-Arts Outreach Program reveals the creative potential and meets the specific needs of people with mental illness. Its mission is to enrich lives, encourage hope and goals, and eliminate stigma while increasing wellness and recovery through personal involvement and exposure to all the arts. This innovative program provides hands-on workshops in fine art, creative writing, improvisation, music and integrated movement to people served at mental health centers, Wellness Centers and homeless shelters throughout Los Angeles County.