Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
LA City Council Approves Contracts For Mental Health Services At City Libraries
A sign outside the Central Library in downtown L.A..
(
Wikimedia Commons
)
The L.A. City Council approved three new contracts Tuesday for mental health services at public libraries. The contracts total more than $800,000 and will provide help for library staff who encounter people going through a mental health crisis as well as provide case management and counseling for library patrons.
Why it matters
Karen Pickard-Four, head of LAPL’s Library Experience Office, said the need is there on a daily basis for mental health resources at the city’s libraries.
“We constantly have to train staff to respond to people that are in our branches. The great thing is going to be able to provide assistance to people who are suffering,” Pickard-Four said.
She told LAist last year that part of the goal of the mental health contracts is also to have less police involvement when someone is in crisis in a city library.
What’s next
Pickard-Four expects at least five additional contracts will follow the first three. The services will soon be available at the Central Library and some branch libraries. Ask at your local L.A. library for more info on how to benefit from these services.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
