For years, mental health has been a top concern for Los Angeles youth, many of whom experience high-level stressors including housing insecurity, gun violence, and discrimination in and outside school. A commission surveyed 856 youth across five different districts of the county, and 524 of whom listed mental health as a top concern. The majority of youth who selected mental health as their main concern were Latino and system-impacted.
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Centers are expanding services through a new facility in Chinatown. The new location for the Gateways Child and Adolescent Outpatient Program (GCAOP) is expected to serve more than 230 youth annually. The facility provides therapy, medication management, and psychiatric care. “This place will provide the healing needed to prevent challenges from escalating into crises,” according to remarks made at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Centers are partnering with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to provide outpatient services to students, including individual and family therapy and psychiatric evaluations across more than 15 of the district’s campuses. “Our program is designed to meet young people where they are, whether that’s in school, at home, or here in the new Chinatown Service Center location,” said Charlotte Bautista, director of Gateways Child and Adolescent Outpatient Program. The expansion allows the program to reach more students and families with consistent, high-quality care while reducing waitlists and out-of-pocket costs. “We know early access to mental health care can change the trajectory of a child’s life, and we are providing a safe space where families can heal, grow and thrive together,” Bautista said.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/mental-health-program-80958150