Some 30 people gathered for the July 9 clergy meeting for service area 4, hosted by the L.A. County Department of Mental Health.
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) held an 'All Faith Network Meeting' for community members in the greater Boyle Heights area--referred to as 'service area 4,' or SA 4--on Thursday, July 9, during which leaders from the mental health field and leaders from various faith-based institutions were presented with the ways in which current agencies are serving the mental health community and the initiatives that have been implemented to better address the health and well-being of its community members.
One of the initiatives presented by SA 4 District Chief Edward Vidaurri includes the Health Neighborhood Project, a proposal by LACDMH that will seek to increase the quality and accessibility of mental health services for underserved communities in Los Angeles County by growing the community’s ability to hone in on already existing resources to recognize and address trauma and its risks in community members.
It will “utilize natural supports within specific communities and community infrastructure to promote health and well-being,” the LACDMH said in the proposal.
This project is based on the assumption that the community itself has the capability to influence, shape, and promote the health and well-being of its members. It takes an integrated care approach utilizing, but not wholly relying upon, the traditional mental and physical health service sector while giving the networks within the community, such as educational institutions, vocational supports, non-profit organizations, and faith-based groups, a more active role in the process of building healthier neighborhoods.
As a significant aspect of the community, Vidaurri said the faith community is a necessary part in the Health Neighborhood Project.
"We want the whole community on board," Vidaurri said, encouraging the faith leaders present at the meeting to participate in the project. "Something you're already doing could be a logical connection to this Health Neighborhood Project. We want to do what we're already doing but in an even more effective way."
The Health Neighborhood project first received approval from the System Leadership Team (SLT) on February 18, 2015. Since its approval, the project has been enacted in seven service areas in the county of Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, other programs and initiatives were also introduced to those present at the meeting, including the LACDMH's School Threat Assessment Response Team (START), which provides intervention and monitoring for at-risk youth for suicide and/or homicide; and a study called 'Community and Patient Engagement for Depression Disparities,' which studies the effect of community involvement in the wellness of depressed adolescents and adults.
The 'All Faith Network' meeting is a clergy meeting for faith-based community leaders in SA 4. Clergy meetings provide information on different programs and initiatives taking place within the County and what clergy can do to contribute to the conversation on mental health. The next SA 4 Clergy Meeting is on Thursday, September 10 and are held once every other month. Similar SA meetings are held for other service areas such as Lancaster, Pacoima, Southeast Los Angeles, and Central Long Beach.
