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‘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 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…
Read More‘I Took My Weakness and Made it a Strength’
“I’m an immigrant. I came here when I was seven and was raised by a single mom.” Karen’s mom was abusive when she was growing up. Her family would occasionally intervene but most of the time it was just the two of them. One day, her mother hit her as her neighbor watched. Karen was…
Read More‘MHALA Loved Me Back to Life’
It was the promise of a hot shower that convinced Roxanne to visit Mental Health America of Los Angeles. Roxanne was a copywriter at a radio station before her world came slowly crashing down. A back injury, depression after a failed marriage, and lapsed health insurance banded together to pull her into a downward spiral.…
Read MoreFor Some of Long Beach’s Homeless With Mental Illness, the Path to Recovery Can Lead Through the Alley
April marks the two-year anniversary of the establishment of Alleybusters, a partnership between the non-profit Mental Health America of Los Angeles (MHALA) and the DLBA. The program, which started in the alleys of the Willmore District, was created to provide an avenue of employment and connectedness for persons experiencing homelessness and a history of mental…
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