Coalition Launches Mental Health Awareness Campaign In South Los Angeles

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May 3, 2021

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LA County Department of Mental Health-funded program aims to educate, destigmatize and connect residents to resources

LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Children’s Institute (CII), Partners for Children South L.A., St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, Watts Leadership Institute and a network of Watts-based nonprofit organizations, announced the launch of You Good?, a bilingual mental health awareness campaign centered in South Los Angeles.

Launching during Mental Health Awareness month, the campaign’s goal is to familiarize residents of South Los Angeles with signs of trauma and destigmatize discussions about self-care, emotional well-being and counseling. Additionally, the campaign will help connect individuals and families to resources and supportive services within the coalition of trusted partners.

The campaign was created with community input from stakeholders, focus groups and CII’s Community Wellness Advisory Committee (CWAC), made up of community residents and providers who volunteer their time to support the well-being of the community through outreach and wellness initiatives.

“The past year has been incredibly stressful — the pandemic, job losses, isolation and social unrest have all contributed to an unprecedented need for emotional support,” said Ginger Lavender-Wilkerson, LMFT, Clinical Program Manager at Children’s Institute. “There are long-term consequences when traumatic experiences go unaddressed, and we want to ensure that our community is connected to resources that support healthy and hopeful futures.”

Designed as a question, You Good? seeks to engage with the audience and start a conversation, while the tagline — “It’s okay to say you’re not okay” — creates space for an authentic answer. The campaign features multiple colorful and high-impact creative components including a Spanish and English website, print and digital ads and outdoor placements including murals. All materials focus on emotional well-being and encourage outreach for free support services including counseling, preschool, employment and financial resources, health care, housing supports, parenting groups and more.

The campaign is funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health as part of a four-year grant focused on residents of South Los Angeles (in a subsection of Supervisorial District 2) who are currently experiencing or are at risk of trauma from factors including COVID-19, racism and poverty.

Visit the campaign website at https://yougood.la/ and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Children’s Institute
Founded in 1906, Children’s Institute (CII) is the largest agency of its kind working to transform the lives of children exposed to adversity and poverty in Los Angeles. By providing early education, behavioral health and family strengthening services, CII reaches 30,000 children and family members annually. Learn more at childrensinstitute.org/.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH)
As the nation’s largest public mental health department, we ensure access to care and treatment for our most vulnerable residents in a region with more than 10 million people. With an annual budget approaching $3B and a committed staff of 6,000, LACDMH embodies a “heart-forward” approach to supporting hope, recovery and wellbeing across the County. For more information on LACDMH, visit dmh.lacounty.gov/.

Partners for Children South L.A.
Partners for Children South L.A.’s mission is to improve access to high-quality healthcare, early education and family supports for the youngest and most vulnerable children in South Los Angeles. To do this, Partners for Children and its 38 partner agencies operate an Early Childhood System of Care, which is an effective holistic and cross-disciplinary approach to early childhood systems that identifies and mitigates risk, helps families remain intact, and supports the healthy development of their children.

St. John’s Well Child and Family Center
St. John’s Well Child and Family Center was started as a one-room volunteer clinic and has expanded into an independent 501(c)(3) network of community health clinics serving patients of all ages. In addition to providing medical, dental, and mental health care, St. John’s provides services to address our patients’ educational, socio-economic, and housing needs to advance all aspects of their well-being.

Watts Leadership Institute
The UCLA Watts Leadership Institute (WLI) draws upon an innovative and engaging peer learning model, addressing gaps in nonprofit knowledge, capacity, and sustainability by supporting a cadre of community-based leaders who will guide other leaders and small nonprofits in the future. This adaptive approach to capacity-building and leadership development creates the foundation for promoting equity in and across the field, resulting in transformative change.