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MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF LOS ANGELES

LONG BEACH, CA · EIN 951881491 · Form 990 · FY2021 · Large ($10M-$50M) · www.mhala.org
revenue
$48.7M
expenses
$42.1M
net assets
$29.7M
employees
635
volunteers
25
program ratio
89%
filing since
2019
mission · from form 990

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ADVOCACY, WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND EDUCATION.

profile · synthesized from sources

Mental Health America of Los Angeles provides integrated mental health services, housing assistance, and employment support to individuals with mental health needs, including transition-age youth, Veterans, and people experiencing homelessness. The organization also engages in advocacy for mental health resources, access, and equity at local, state, and federal levels, operating across Los Angeles County.

named programs · 14 · from sources

what they call their work

Discovery Resource Center - Lancaster
Community resource center in Lancaster.
Education
Members can learn important skills that will help them build core strengths and prepare them for their educational and employment goals.
Employment Program
Offers supported employment services to individuals with mental health challenges, helping them develop skills, obtain education, find jobs, and succeed in the workforce
Health Services
Provides medical and physical health services, including psychiatry and medication management.
Housing Services
Assists members with housing search, acquisition of subsidies, and housing retention services to ensure safe, stable, and supportive housing
Member Advocacy Program
Eight-session annual program that trains members and alumni in advocacy skills, including public speaking, storytelling, social media, and collective action, while informing MHALA’s own advocacy priorities
Mental Health Services
Provides a variety of mental health services to members, delivered by trained staff.
Military Resource Center - Antelope Valley
Resource center for military personnel and veterans in Antelope Valley.
Military Resource Center - Newhall
Resource center for military personnel and veterans in Newhall.
Outreach
Outreach teams connect with individuals living on the streets, parks, and other public spaces to establish relationships that can lead to resolving housing, mental health, and other issues.
Outreach and Engagement
Street outreach teams connect with individuals living on the streets, parks, and public spaces to build relationships and link them to housing, mental health, and medical services
Transition Age Youth Program
Supports young adults ages 18-25 with mental health needs who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, helping them integrate into the community through housing, employment, education, and wellness services
Veterans Services
Provides tailored support to Veterans and their families, including benefits navigation, mental health care, housing assistance, and advocacy for discharge upgrades and equitable access to services
Wellness Services
Provides workshops and individual counseling to help members build skills in communication, financial management, stress management, and daily living
activities · 12

what they do

direct service · 7
  • Community Engagement and Cultural Events Community Festival & Event Organization
    Hosts cultural events such as Cinco de Mayo potlucks, participates in LGBTQ+ community events, and recognizes Juneteenth as an agency holiday. Also provides community event calendars for multiple locations.
  • Community Mental Health and Support Services
    Provides mental health services to low-income adults and transition-age youth, including Veterans and people experiencing homelessness, with support for recovery from substance use, depression, emotional regulation, and personal stability. Services are delivered across multiple locations in Los Angeles County, including Long Beach, the Antelope Valley, and the Santa Clarita Valley.
  • Community engagement and cultural event programming Community Festival & Event Organization
    Supports community inclusion through cultural events and recognition of diverse observances, including hosting Cinco de Mayo potlucks, participating in LGBTQ+ community events, and recognizing Juneteenth as an agency holiday. Also provides community event calendars for multiple locations.
  • Housing and employment placement support for vulnerable populations Permanent and Transitional Housing Support
    Provides targeted support to secure stable housing and employment for individuals experiencing homelessness and those with mental health needs. Helped 2,020 individuals secure housing and 400 individuals obtain employment.
  • Mental health and recovery services for low-income adults and transition-age youth
    Provides mental health services, including support for substance use recovery, depression, emotional stability, personal development, and emotional regulation, to low-income adults and transition-age youth, including Veterans and people experiencing homelessness. Services are delivered across multiple locations in Los Angeles County.
  • Outreach and Housing Services for People Experiencing Homelessness
    Conducts street outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness in public spaces to address mental health and housing needs. In recent operations, provided street medicine services to 6,440 individuals, secured housing for 2,020, and helped 400 obtain employment.
  • Outreach and street medicine services for individuals experiencing homelessness Homeless Health Navigation & Care Access
    Conducts outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness in streets, parks, and public spaces, providing street medicine services and addressing housing and mental health needs. Provided street medicine services to 6,440 individuals and served 14,534 individuals overall through outreach and integrated mental health services.
advocacy · 2
  • Advocacy and Systems Change Initiatives Advocacy & Civic Leadership Training
    Advocates for systems change and trains individuals locally, nationally, and internationally to advance mental health equity. Includes a Member Advocacy Program that trains members and alumni in advocacy through an eight-session series, using participant input to shape organizational efforts.
  • Advocacy training and systems change initiatives Advocacy & Civic Leadership Training
    Advocates for systems change and builds advocacy capacity among members and alumni through an eight-session training series, using participant input to shape organizational advocacy efforts. Has provided training locally, nationally, and internationally to thousands of individuals.
capacity building · 3
  • Internal Capacity Building and Organizational Development
    Strengthens organizational effectiveness through monthly leadership team meetings, weekly director-team meetings, and frequent town halls led by the CEO for approximately 400 staff. Also includes regular staff training on cultural awareness and inclusive practices.
  • Internal capacity building and organizational leadership development Board Governance & Member Voting
    Strengthens organizational effectiveness through regular leadership team meetings, monthly strategy discussions, weekly team check-ins, and frequent town hall meetings led by the CEO to engage approximately 400 staff in agency updates and decision-making.
  • Staff training on cultural awareness and inclusive practices
    Provides ongoing training for staff on cultural awareness and inclusive practices to promote equity and inclusion within service delivery and organizational culture.
strategies · 19

how they think

Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any approach shared with other orgs to see the full field.

  • Community information and engagement community_information_dissemination unique to this org
    Increases access to mental health resources by disseminating localized information about events and services through community calendars and outreach.
  • Comprehensive housing and youth support services comprehensive_housing_support unique to this org
    Supports housing stability through end-to-end services including search assistance, subsidy acquisition, and retention, with targeted programming for transition-age youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
  • Comprehensive housing support model comprehensive_housing_support unique to this org
    Promotes housing stability through end-to-end support including housing search assistance, subsidy acquisition, and retention services.
  • Decriminalization to care advocacy decriminalization_to_care unique to this org
    Advocates for redirecting public safety resources from incarceration to behavioral health responses for individuals with unmet basic needs, promoting care over punishment.
  • Equity-driven policy advocacy policy-centered equity approach unique to this org
    Advances mental health equity by shaping public policy to address systemic inequities, prioritizing decriminalization, prevention, and early intervention, and grounding advocacy in member and staff input.
  • Health and social justice integration health_and_social_justice unique to this org
    Advances equity by addressing mental health through a social justice lens, recognizing structural determinants of health and advocating for systemic fairness.
  • Inclusive organizational leadership and participation representative_leadership unique to this org
    Promotes equity and representation by ensuring inclusive participation in decision-making and embracing leadership that reflects the communities served.
  • Inclusive, representative leadership and governance representative_leadership unique to this org
    Ensures organizational decisions reflect community needs by promoting inclusive participation and representative leadership across governance and operations.
  • Member-driven policy advocacy member-driven advocacy unique to this org
    Develops advocacy priorities through direct input from members and staff via surveys, conversations, and meetings, ensuring grassroots representation in policy work.
  • Organization-wide trauma-informed mental health training staff-wide_mental_health_training unique to this org
    Ensures all staff, regardless of clinical background, are trained to deliver trauma-informed mental health support, creating a consistently supportive environment across services.
  • Organization-wide trauma-informed service delivery staff-wide_mental_health_training unique to this org
    Ensures all staff, regardless of clinical background, are trained to provide mental health and trauma-informed support, creating a consistently safe and supportive environment across all programs.
  • Prevention and early intervention focus prevention_and_early_intervention unique to this org
    Prioritizes upstream mental health strategies through prevention and early intervention policies to build resilience and reduce crisis incidence in individuals and communities.
  • Recovery-oriented, person-centered approach person-centered_recovery unique to this org
    Supports recovery from mental health and substance use challenges through personalized, truth-based engagement that affirms individual agency and lived experience.
  • Recovery-oriented, person-centered approach person-centered_recovery unique to this org
    Operates on the belief that recovery from mental health and substance use challenges is possible, using personalized, truth-based support that honors individual lived experience and promotes sustained wellness.
  • Strength-based, integrated care model strength-based, integrated care model unique to this org
    Delivers comprehensive, interdisciplinary services that are tailored to individual needs, grounded in recovery and personal strengths, and operate through a partnership model between staff and clients.
  • Strength-based, integrated care model strength-based, integrated care model unique to this org
    Delivers comprehensive, interdisciplinary services that meet individuals where they are, tailored to personal needs and grounded in partnership, recovery, and client strengths.
  • Targeted support for transition-age youth transition-age_youth_support unique to this org
    Provides specialized services for transition-age youth (18–25) experiencing or at risk of homelessness to support mental health recovery and community integration.
  • Trust-building through lived experience and consistency trust-based_support unique to this org
    Enhances service effectiveness by integrating staff with lived experience of mental health, homelessness, and poverty, and by providing reliable, consistent support to build authentic client trust.
  • Trust-building through lived experience and consistency trust-based_support unique to this org
    Enhances service effectiveness by integrating staff with lived experience of mental health, homelessness, and poverty, and by providing reliable, consistent support that fosters trust with clients.
financials · form 990 · fy2021

the money

revenue
Total revenue$48.66M
Contributions & grants$47.45M98%
Program service revenue$6K0%
Investment income$83K0%
Other revenue$1.13M
expenses
Total expenses$42.10M
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$27.39M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$36.71M
Cash$10.84M
Investments$5.24M
Liabilities$6.99M
Net assets$29.72M
Liquid reserves4.6 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue +13.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
CHRISTINA MILLER PHD PRESIDENT & CEO 40 $324K
SHU-YUN KUNG CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 40 $232K
MONICA LYNN DAVIS CHIEF EVALUATION AND CONTR 40 $230K
MOLLY ANN WOODS CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 40 $201K
BOBBY G ROSE NURSE PRACTITIONER 35 $173K
board members · 11
  • CHARLES LEW ESQ — DIRECTOR
  • CHRISTINA WUN — DIRECTOR
  • DON FORD — CHAIR
  • JEFF BERG — DIRECTOR
  • JORDAN HELD — DIRECTOR
  • KIMBERLY FINNEY PSYD — TREASURER
  • MONICA LOUNSBERY PHD — DIRECTOR
  • PATTI LAPLACE — PAST CHAIR
  • RAUL E GODINEZ — SECRETARY
  • SILVANO MERLO — DIRECTOR
  • SUSANA GONZALEZ EDMOND — VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 7

who they work with

  • 6lack Partner — Partnered with MHALA and BetterHelp for World Mental Health Day initiative.
  • Association of Community Human Service Agencies Partner — Partners with MHALA on state and local level advocacy initiatives.
  • BetterHelp Partner — Partnered with MHALA and artist 6lack for World Mental Health Day initiative.
  • California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies Partner — Partners with MHALA on state and local level advocacy initiatives.
  • Mental Health America Network — Part of the national Mental Health America network for coordinated advocacy efforts.
  • National Council for Mental Wellbeing Partner — Partners with MHALA on federal, state, and county advocacy initiatives.
  • National Taiwan University Partner — Hosted a visit from National Taiwan University to build global connections in mental health.