Posts by Mental Health America of Los Angeles
Honoring Our Heroes
MHALA honors the lives and legacies of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the Rev. C. T. Vivian, and James Charles Evers. As young men, these giants of the Civil Rights Movement may have not realized that decades later, upon their passing, their fight would still not be over. Yet as catalysts for change and justice, they…
Read MoreHow Traumatic Images Impact Us, for Better and for Worse
The striking image of a lone man standing before a fleet of tanks in Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989 brought worldwide attention to the plight of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing. Now, 21 years later, a nearly 9-minute video of George Floyd, a black man, being suffocated by a white police officer in Minneapolis has led…
Read MoreCollective Trauma in Our Communities
The mental wellbeing of our entire community has been severely hurt by the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer. For our African American community members, who live with the daily fear that their children, their family members or they themselves could be killed, the pain of this situation is beyond describable. This…
Read More‘TAY Has Helped Me Come Out of My Shell’
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Los Angeles County, Julian attended weekly group meetings at the Transition-Age Youth Academy in Long Beach. Every Friday, he and the other TAY students would come together to enjoy food, talk about community issues, and play games. Every so often they would enjoy outings to area attractions like Knotts Berry…
Read MoreReinventing Mental Health Services in a Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis has impacted the mental health of our entire community. It’s hard to find anyone who does not feel some degree of anxiety and unease. But for those dealing with mental health concerns before the crisis, and those most vulnerable and at risk, there are special challenges to meet the need. Read more in…
Read MoreCoronavirus Brings Toughest Mental Health Month In Memory
May has been Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949. May 2020 may well be the most stressful in the last 71 years, Long Beach experts say. “It’s impacting the whole population,” Christina Miller, president and CEO of Mental Health America of Los Angeles (MHALA), said. She was speaking of the coronavirus pandemic and the forced…
Read MoreWith Pandemic Heaped on Crisis, Homeless Services Are in Triage Mode
About 10 people live in the Dominguez Gap homeless camp along the edge of North Long Beach. Some are older—one woman just turned 81—and many have been there for years. “They’re a real community,” says Laurie Ramey, a homeless-outreach director. “They really look out for each other.” So when one man at the camp came…
Read MoreTop Women Leaders in Health Care
MHALA’s President & CEO, Dr. Christina Miller, is one of Los Angeles Business Journal’s women health care leaders, chosen for their “exceptional stewardship and achievement.” Continue reading
Read More‘My Job Brought Back the Fire in My Heart’
Jordan enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school, serving as a supply specialist. While in the military, he learned “the value of bonds.” “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, the color of your skin … you’re out there with people who have your back — and you have their…
Read More‘This Is Where My Miracle Happened’
My name is Rennie and there’s not enough time in a day to tell you of all the trauma, poor decisions, impaired judgement, all the different things that set my life on a self-destructive path from age 8 to age 47. I have been all over this country wreaking havoc and running through people’s lives…
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