Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA County Seeks Members For New Mental Health Advisory Council
A billboard in Long Beach promotes L.A. County's mental health services.
(
Megan Garvey
/
LAist
)
Los Angeles County is encouraging people who have personal experience with mental illness or have lived through other traumas to apply to serve on a new mental health advisory panel.
The Peer Advisory Council will have 15 members who will give the County Department of Mental Health guidance on its programs.
The department defines “peer” as anyone who lives with a mental illness or substance use disorder, or has experienced homelessness or incarceration. A peer could also be a family member or caregiver of someone with such life experience.
“We’ve been through hell, right? And we got burnt,” said advisory council applicant Jason Garcia. “And now we want to assist others through hell without getting as burnt as we did.”
Support for LAist comes from
Garcia works for Project Return Peer Support Network, training people on how they can apply their lived experience to help others going through similar traumas.
“If our voice is truly being heard and considered ... and we’re doing our due diligence on our end ... then I think it can be very, very beneficial,” Garcia said of the proposed advisory council.
A UC San Diego study of Black and Latino youth ages 16-24 with serious mental illness found those with peer support received outpatient treatment more often.
The deadline to apply to serve on the Peer Advisory Council is April 15. You can apply here.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist