Resources
Life happens, to all of us. You’re not alone. If you find yourself struggling, rest assured there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. For California residents, there are a number of options to utilize — in your area.
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Bay Area
Mental Health Association San Francisco
As a peer-run organization, MHASF knows change takes place when those affected by issues are centered on solutions. The California Peer-Run Warm Line, a 24/7 non-crisis emotional support phone and chat line serving residents of California, is offered through MHASF. The California Peer-Run Warm Line is made up entirely of peers, meaning that all Warm Line Counselors have lived experience with mental health challenges. Our goal is to support our callers in emotional distress before they reach a crisis point.
East Bay Agency for Children
EBAC’s transformational programs help children, youth, and families recover from trauma; build upon existing resilience to protect against long-term harm from past or future exposure to adversity; and when possible, prevent exposure to adverse childhood experiences.
Guided by a trauma-informed approach, EBAC’s eight distinct, direct service programs include two counseling programs; intervention services for pre-schoolers; five Family Resource Centers; a health and wellness center, and grief support, afterschool, and youth empowerment programs.
Sankofa Holistic Counseling
Mental health practitioners of color at Sankofa provide individual, couples and family counseling and work with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, academic, and professional/career issues.
Coachella
¡Que Madre! Youth Leadership Institute:
Offers a space to talk about mental health for youth in the eastern Coachella Valley.
Safehouse of the Desert
Offers an emergency shelter and Transitional Housing Program for youth in Riverside County. They also offer peer support mental health programs like Cup of Happy and other Behavioral Health Programs for youth. They also have the What's Up Safehouse app that works as a text hotline for any youth that needs access to support and counseling but can't access services in person.
The Center CV
A resource for LGBTQ+ people in the Coachella Valley. This includes youth support groups that are hosted in their Coachella office. Although they have a range of support groups for the community and allies of all age groups.
Fresno
NAMI Fresno
NAMI Fresno gives hope and improve the quality of life for all people affected by mental illness.
All 4 Youth
All 4 Youth is a partnership program between The Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health and Fresno County Superintendent of Schools for children and youth ages 0-22 years old experiencing difficulties that affect them at school and at home.
Los Angeles
SHIELDS
SHIELDS’ Youth Mental Health programs provide counseling and therapy services for youth and adolescents experiencing mental health disorders. The adolescent years are a key window for identifying and treating diagnosable disorders. Important mental health habits — including coping, resilience and good judgment — help adolescents to achieve overall well-being and set the stage for positive mental health in adulthood. SHIELDS’ programs are designed to help youth and adolescents maintain a positive and productive lifestyle that promotes meaningful and beneficial relationships and connections to family, peers, and the community both during treatment and after treatment ends.
Mental Health Association of Los Angeles
MHALA’s Transition-age Youth program helps young adults ages 18-25 with mental health needs and emotional disturbances, and who are homeless or nearly homeless, to fully integrate into the community. This often includes youth that have aged out of the foster system. The TAY program integrates housing, work/education, community life and wellness, incorporating youth-specific strategies to help them lead independent lives.
211LA
The program provides mental health services for youth, ages 2 to 18 years old who have full-scope Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County. Services include behavior modification, child guidance, developmental screening, home-based mental health services, infant and early childhood mental health, and wrap-around facilitation/community support. There are no geographic restrictions.
Hazel Heath
The program partners with school districts to reduce absenteeism and support student success. With Hazel, students have regained over 70,000 hours of instructional time.
Hazel is for all students in all K-12 schools and is available regardless of family income, geography, race, ethnicity, insurance status, or ability to pay.
Merced
Caring Kids County of Merced
Merced County Office of Education’s Caring Kids program provides resources and services to young children and families to support healthy child development. The program helps children through age 5 learn self-regulation and social skills. It teaches parents and caregivers the best ways to help children develop socially and emotionally. These services help build protective factors and reduce challenging behaviors which will increase the chances of children being successful in school.
The CUBE
The CUBE is a Wellness & Treatment Center that is planned for youth by youth. The CUBE offers a safe setting for youth to set their mental health, wellness, & recovery goals.
Monterey
NAMI Monterey County
NAMI Monterey County is an organization of families, friends and individuals whose lives have been affected by mental illness. Together, they advocate for better lives for those individuals who have a mental illness.
Monterey County Behavioral Health
Monterey County Behavioral Health is here whenever you, your family or your friends need help to go forward in life. We all have difficult times, and no one should go through them alone. They are your partner in finding the path forward. Take your first step towards your mental health journey and get connected to local resources and self-help options
Programs for Transitional Age Youth
The journey into adulthood can be exciting and is full of new challenges that can impact mental well-being. We are here to support young adults in this transition time to move forward with confidence.
The AVANZA Transition Age Youth (TAY) program provides a full range of mental health services to teens and young adults ages 16 through 25 and their families. Our program specializes in treating moderate to severe mental health and substance use challenges with the belief that services are guided by the client’s individual needs, interests, ideas, and culture.
Richmond
Contra Costa Mental Health
Contra Costa Mental Health strives to create an effective, high-quality integrated system to meet the needs of all residents of Contra Costa County.
Community Health for Asian Americans
Community Health for Asian Americans (CHAA) is a non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life for marginalized communities with a special focus on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in the Bay Area.
Early Childhood Mental Health Program (ECMHP)
ECMHP is an organization that works to support the most vulnerable in our community. ECMHP provides infant/parent therapy through weekly home visits to troubled families. The focus of treatment is the relationship between parents and their children
Fred Finch
Fred Finch Youth & Family Services provides intensive community-based mental health services for youth in homes, schools and clinics. Characterized by accessible, trauma-informed, and intensive support, mental health services are provided to youth at risk of placement disruption, whether from natural, foster family, or group home care. Services reach young people with mental illness, significant trauma or other emotional distress. Mental health services are also provided in school settings.
RYSE Center
Youth need a city that cares about their well-being. RYSE Health Justice programming includes Alphabet Group, Case Management and Individual Counseling Services, Dance Fitness, Grow Your Bites, RYSE Restorative Pathways Project (R2P2), and Tasty Tuesdays.
Health Justice works across various areas and issues that range from Food Justice to LGBTQQI awareness and advocacy to hospital-linked violence intervention and case management. All of these areas are informed by youth and community-identified priorities and needs.
Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau
The Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau was founded in 1984 by African American activists to address systemic causes of violence for Richmond youth. Our focus was serving the historically marginalized, primarily African American community of North Richmond. CCYSB services promote mental health and well-being. Our program offerings include academic achievement, youth mentorship, truancy prevention, and direct response.
The James Morehouse Project
The James Morehouse ProjectThe James Morehouse Project is the school health center at El Cerrito High School. Founded in 1999, we work to provide positive change in the El Cerrito High School community through health services, counseling, academic support and the arts.