What We Do: Services
Multicultural
Considering southern California’s immense diversity, it’s essential to provide consumer and family services that are sensitive to different languages and cultures. And so that’s what Pacific Clinics does. In fact, many of our programs have been designed specifically for historically underserved ethnic populations in our region with the assistance of clients, family members and community leaders themselves. These are addressed by three clinics' divisions:
- Asian Pacific Family Services
- Latino Services/Centro Familiar
- Children's Specialty Services - Armenian Programs
Asian Services: APFC
Pacific Clinics established APFC in 1986, serving all ages with a staff fluent in several Asian languages and dialects. In addition to traditional on-site outpatient services, APFC's innovative prevention /early intervention, parenting and mentoring programs have become a model for San Gabriel Valley community efforts to fight youth gang and drug activity. Aided by community and consumer advisors, APFC and APFC East, which opened in 1996, address the challenges of families confronting mental illness, substance abuse and parenting issues in a multicultural world. Programs and services include:
- Outpatient treatment: children, youths, adults and older adults in individual and group sessions designed to reduce child abuse, gang involvement and substance abuse
- Clubhouse activities for adults with a variety of engaging activities
- Pacific Housing: a group home project for adult consumers
funded by family members and staffed by
peer advisors - Vocational counseling
- Early intervention: for at-risk children and teens at school-based or Pacific Clinics programs
- Parenting classes, often staffed by volunteer parents who previously took these classes
- Prevention programs
- Leadership development and mentoring for adults and adolescents
APFC is a member of the API (Asian-Pacific Islander) Alliance, a consortium of six Los Angeles County agencies focused on reducing confinement among those with mental illness in the Asian community.
Latino Services/Centro Familiar
Based in Santa Fe Springs at our El Camino site, our Centro Familiar resource is the hub of far-reaching programs serving people of all ages and emphasizing family and community. Its innovative suicide prevention program, originally developed for adolescent Latinas, has expanded to include male participants and their families. Culturally competent, bilingual services include:
- Individual therapy
- Group counseling: peer and family
- Tutoring/mentoring
- Education: parents, school staff and family
- Care management, including home visits
Familias Unidas Education Course -- To help Latino families understand more about mental illness and learn about available community resources, these educational English or Spanish language sessions cover topics about mental illness, studies on mental illnesses, dual diagnosis, medications and treatments, crisis assistance resources, and rehabilitation services and groups.
Familias Unidas Support Group -- Meeting
monthly, the NAMI-affiliated support group offers Spanish-speaking
families ongoing assistance with coping skills concerning the personal
dynamics and issues of mental illness
in the family.
Latino Mental Health Conference -- Held each spring, this APA-approved conference offers CE credits and dynamic presentations on Latino issues and from leading experts to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals, paraprofessionals, consumers/ families, students and others involved in providing behavioral health services to Latinos. We also offer Spanish language videos through our Training Institute.
Armenian Programs
With the Armenian community emerging as a major local ethnic group, Pacific Clinics, in collaboration with the Glendale Unified School District and other community organizations, is providing culturally competent clinical services that address critical behavioral health and family issues.
Hye-Wrap -- A specialized school-based program, Hye-Wrap assists newly immigrated Armenian youth at high risk of dropout and their families deal with adjustment issues to become better acculturated to their new country. Based in several Glendale high, middle and elementary schools, staff proficient in the language and heritage of Armenia develop individualized plans to improve student conduct and school performance through:
- Coordination of treatment goals with school staff
- Family assessment
- Client behavior and performance monitoring
- Counseling, mentoring
- Parenting classes, consultation and training
- Crisis intervention
Other Services -- As a result of HyeWrap participation, students feel less isolated and detached, and their school attendance, behavior and performance improve. Recently, Armenian school-based services were expanded to Grant High School in North Hollywood/Van Nuys. An Armenian parenting program is offered in Pasadena schools.