Mental Health is a Family Affair

Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, have increased.

Coupled with the shortage of qualified professionals -- especially ones who are culturally and linguistically competent -- to meet increased mental health needs, the pandemic has only worsened gaps in access to care for the youth that Friends LA serves.

Knowing this, our professional mentors invest 12+ years, no matter what to counteract this negative societal shift by connecting their youth and families to evidence-based mental health and trauma mitigation services in order to reduce the burden on existing systems of care.

As a result of their persistence, we're proud to share:

These outcomes are phenomenal, but our work hasn't stopped there.

Our professional mentors are trained to continually improve the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of the families in our program over the course of their 12+ years journey with us by:

• IMPROVING ACCESS and reducing barriers to mental health services by destigmatizing mental health care, making direct connections to culturally-responsive providers, and providing transportation.
• INCREASING ENGAGEMENT in mental health services by practicing skills outside the therapeutic context – at home, at school, and in the community – with youth, and supporting caregivers to do the same.
• EXPANDING CAPACITY by working with clinicians to provide trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health interventions that meet the needs of youth who might not otherwise access counseling or therapeutic supports.

Take Action With Us

This month, we're casting a light on an important mental health topic that sadly affects many households in Los Angeles County: Mental Health From the Male Perspective.

During this empowering panel discussion, a diverse group of community advocates and mental health professionals will explore the role of gender-related social pressures that limit and create barriers to seeking mental health care.

We invite you to join this inspiring conversation by registering for the panel discussion today!