Press Releases

Ways You Can Help

Help our children get a fresh start at school. Mental Health Clinician Leslie Cost is coordinating a back-to-school drive for our clients. We are collecting school supplies like pencils, pens, colored pencils, paper, pencil case, erasers, highlighters, binders, notebooks, compass, among other things. So while you may be shopping for these items, consider picking up […]

Separation from parents has long lasting effects into adulthood

Opinion-Editorial By Maria G. Williams, a Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist and Clinical Supervisor at El Centro de Amistad How many new parents have experienced the anxiety, sadness, and fear when their child is attending their first day of school? Many questions come up at the time that makes us wonder if the experience will harm […]

What You Need to Know about Depression and Suicide

By Sara Pineda, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Program Director for El Centro de Amistad Most of us might have experienced feeling unhappy or feeling “down” at some point in our lives.  We might have experienced not getting the job we were hoping for, a break up, or not getting a good grade on an important […]

How One Man’s Breakdown Led to his Empowerment

Gary Nash, 42, is a survivor. After having had a nervous breakdown that stemmed from losing a job, getting a divorce, and attempting suicide twice, he found himself at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center on a 72-hour hold. He stayed admitted for two weeks and thereafter discharged with a list of places to call for mental […]

Ways You Can Help

Join us at our Community Mental Health Day on May 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at San Fernando Regional Pool 2nd floor Banquet Room, 300 Park Ave. in San Fernando. Consider donating to help individuals living with mental illness enjoy self-care activities, receive proper nutrition, and learn about financial literacy. For a $15 […]

Removing Barriers to Employment

It’s not easy wearing different hats every day yet Nicole Salazar, a CalWORKs employment specialist at El Centro de Amistad, manages her accessories well. Her role in this program is to meet with clients and help them progress toward their employment and educational goals. Nicole accomplishes this by removing mental health barriers in order for […]

Reporting Progress in Mental Health for Tens of Thousands of Residents

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents have experienced significant improvements in mental health and wellbeing—including measurable reductions in homelessness and gains in employment—as a direct result of California’s Mental Health Services Act, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The report, commissioned by Los Angeles County, is the first extensive, independent analysis of […]

How Getting Lost and Hitting Rock Bottom Turned her Life Around

Alexandra Patricia Ramos, known as Patty, hit rock bottom before she sought out help. During Patty’s childhood, her parents’ marital problems would eventually lead her mother to leave her husband due to infidelity. Patty from an early age was also exposed to alcohol abuse as her father was an alcoholic. She began using alcohol as a young teenager due […]