ACCESS: Enhancing Mental Healthcare Connections

Mental health

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

MHAS clients have diagnoses such as PTSD; anxiety/depressive disorders; schizophrenia; impairments that impact memory, concentration, and decision-making; and bipolar or personality disorders. These Angelenos find it difficult to obtain or maintain stable housing, employment, medical care, benefits, and/or educational accommodations and are vulnerable to discrimination, fraud/abuse, and homelessness. For the 80% of MHAS clients who are BIPOC, racial and cultural disparities exacerbate these challenges. Add our post-pandemic environment rife with inflation and economic insecurity and Los Angeles County’s housing crisis, and Angelenos with mental health disabilities are experiencing a perfect storm that jeopardizes their welfare on many fronts. Consistent quality mental health care is vital in helping Angelenos with mental illness cope with these challenges, but they often don’t know how to access services or are reluctant to work with clinics when they have no prior relationship there.

MHAS’ ACCESS project helps Angelenos with mental health disabilities secure and maintain appropriate mental and/or behavioral health care. Coordinating/facilitating mental health services alongside legal outcomes that MHAS secures helps clients achieve greater long-term stability and wellbeing. Asking clients if they are currently receiving mental health care is part of MHAS’ standard intake process, so we are uniquely positioned to reach Angelenos with mental health disabilities who aren’t receiving adequate care. In some instances, mental health treatment is even a requirement related to the resolution of legal matters (e.g., clients must be in care steadily for at least a year before applying for some public benefits). Legal and non-legal staff provide case management for clients that includes needs assessments, service referrals, and emotional support. MHAS typically connects adults to county-run mental health clinics or federally qualified health centers that offer mental health care and advocates for school-based/district-based mental health services for school-aged children/youth. In addition to helping Angelenos access mental health care, our staff fields calls to our general intake line or our Mental Health Court Self-Help Clinic for those seeking mental health services, and we provide callers with referrals based on their location and/or stated needs.

As MHAS resolves critical legal issues that impact wellbeing by addressing social determinants of health such as housing, employment, education, and health care and concurrently ensures that vulnerable Angelenos with mental health disabilities can access mental and/or behavioral health services they need, we are dismantling barriers to care and helping more Angelenos achieve improved mental health. In turn, Angelenos with mental illness who are connected to mental health care providers and receiving care that fosters wellness are more likely to remain stably housed; are better able to manage responsibilities as tenants, employees, and students; and are less likely to become victims of fraud and abuse because they have a stronger network of support.

During 2023, MHAS connected more than 100 clients to mental and behavioral health services and referred more than 200 callers to our general intake line and Mental Health Court Self-Help Clinic to mental and behavioral health services. Over the past three years, MHAS surveyed pregnant and post-partum women who received services through our maternal health medical-legal partnership with LA County Nurse Family Partnership. Approximately 75% of clients surveyed reported improved mental health after receiving holistic services through this collaboration. MHAS has recently invested in texting technology that will allow for broader and more robust surveying and evaluation of the impact services have on our clients. We are currently designing a text message-based survey to be sent to our clients receiving more extensive services asking them to self-report any improvements to their housing stability and/or mental health because of MHAS’ services.