PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has awarded contracts to community organizations to expand mental health awareness efforts and provide services to individuals experiencing domestic and interpersonal violence during the pandemic. 

“The pandemic has exacerbated conditions for people already living with mental health issues and experiencing domestic violence,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “The City is continuing to do everything it can to support the needs of individuals and families.”

COVID-19 has led to increased stress, anxiety and uncertainty for many residents already coping with mental health issues. The pandemic also has disproportionately impacted families experiencing domestic violence. The stressors that have accompanied COVID-19 have resulted in a 15% increase, since March, in calls to the Long Beach Police Department to respond to violence in households.

In October, the City issued a request for proposals to provide services to people living with a mental health diagnosis and survivors of domestic abuse. The following organizations were awarded contracts:

• Centro CHA
• Civilian
• Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center 
• Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Long Beach
• Interval House
• The Guidance Center

 The selected organizations will provide the following programs and activities: 

• Mental Health Awareness Campaign Feature inclusive and representative messages that inform Long Beach residents what mental health conditions are, how to seek treatment and ways to support others during this pandemic. 
• Mental Health Treatment Access Create more than 500 developmental play therapy kits to support telehealth therapy sessions for children and families. 
• Domestic Violence Services Provide trauma-resiliency-informed domestic violence services, such as behavioral and mental health counseling, emergency housing vouchers and assistance with sheltering for victims or survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence. 

People may find out more about these programs by calling the City’s Resource Line at 562.570.INFO (4636), option 5. Resource Line operators are prepared to help assess eligibility when needed and provide program referrals to organizations across the city.  

These programs are made possible by Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The City received $40 million in CARES Act funding to support relief and community recovery and resiliency, of which the Long Beach City Council allocated $500,000 to non-profit community-based organizations and for-profit organizations to provide mental health and domestic violence resources and services to communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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