Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams

The agency provides mental health services for people of all ages in Los Angeles County. Service include adolescent psychiatric inpatient units, adult psychiatric hospitals, children's psychiatric inpatient units, children's/adolescent psychiatric hospitals, geriatric psychiatric inpatient units, individual counseling, psychiatric day treatment, psychiatric mobile response teams, specialized information and referral, and therapy referrals. Some services are targeted but not restricted to the Hispanic/Latino community. There are no geographic restrictions.

Services include inpatient treatment for adults, age 18 and older; adolescents, age 13 to 17; pre-adolescents and children, age 2 to 12; and older adults, age 60 and over who need a hospital program to deal with emotional or behavioral problems. Treatment may include assessment, education, psychotherapy, living skills groups, communication skills groups and recreational activities. A plan for aftercare is also developed as part of the inpatient treatment.

The hospital also provides a partial hospitalization/day treatment program for children and adults; participants in this program can return to their homes at night. The day treatment program for Hispanics/Latinos is called the Latino Track Program. The program includes a combination of individual, group and family therapy and provides transportation and lunch for the participants. The adolescent mental health program includes therapy for self abuse behaviors such as cutting.

The hospital provides crisis intervention and referral services for staff of agencies who are concerned about any individual who is experiencing a psychiatric emergency, emotional or mental problems, or a situational crisis. The hospital may provide on-site assessment and can then refer the individual for further care. The Crisis Response Unit provides phone information and also dispatches crisis clinicians at the request of agencies and businesses to provide evaluations of people who are in crisis.

The Hospital Helpline provides information and referral for a wide variety of mental health-related needs. Staff assess the caller's needs, including any financial considerations and refer individuals to professionals and facilities that have been screened by hospital staff. The program also serves as a referral network to professionals who want to find appropriate resources for their patients or clients who want to be included as a referral source.