Much like with our first website, we gathered our frequently asked questions by polling members and staff to find out what they are asked most often. If you have a question not answered here, please email it to kmackenney@mhala.org
Do people live at the Village?
Where do Village members live?
Can MHA Village help me with my SSI?
What does an average day look like for a staff person?
How do I visit/tour the Village?
What is the MHA in MHA Village?
What happened to the old website?
What is this place... ?
MHA Village is an Integrated Services Agency providing recovery based mental health services to underserved people in the Long Beach community. An Integrated Services Agency is a model that makes all of the services a person needs for their recovery available within one program and every member has access to those services. Some of the services available to members of the Village are: case management, housing , money management, education and employment support, community integration, psychiatry, and medication management. Services are matched to individuals based on members' own plans to reach their real life goals.
The MHA Village has earned national acclaim and honors for its innovation and is a model for changing mental health care particularly in California (which passed Proposition 63, now the Mental Health Services Act) and throughout the world.
What is a member?
At MHA Village we refer to our clients as members. We place a strong emphasis on language and we intentionally choose words that are empowering and respectful. The word member implies a sense of ownership and belonging that encourages Village members to feel a part of their recovery.
How do I become a member?
The Village Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) is the entryway for membership. There is a “no wrong door” approach in HAP and anyone who is interested in receiving services should feel free to come during drop-in center hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
No appointments necessary or available. Services are delivered on a walk in basis.
Before coming, please review the information below to better understand the eligibility criteria for enrollment.
The requirements for Village membership are:
1. Adult (18 years or older) living in the Long Beach area
2. Axis I diagnosis (schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, major depression)
3. Unserved, underserved (i.e. needs more intense services), or inappropriately served (i.e. culturally inappropriate services)
In addition, one (or more) of the following must apply within the last 12 months:
Institutionalized* (Institute of Mental Disease or State Hospital)
Several county hospitalizations*
Persistently homeless
Incarcerated*
In imminent risk (without family support)
Frequent user of urgent care clinics
*Note: Requests for enrollment for people coming from state hospitals, IMDs, jails, and county hospitals must be referred through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health adult navigators. For more information, please contact the Long Beach/South Bay Geographic Initiative at (562) 435-3037.
Please understand that the staff at MHA Village partner with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to determine eligibility of potential members. If you would like more specific information about Village enrollment eligibility criteria, please callKathy Pock-Trujillo at (562) 437-6717 ext. 266, or email her at kpock@mhala.org
How can they help me?
Wow, that’s a big question. Let’s start at the beginning. Check out the information on how to become a member and visit the Homeless Assistance Program. If it determines that MHA Village can’t help you, our staff will refer you someplace that can. If MHA Village can help you, then you will work with us to develop a plan to get the help you want and need.
Do I have to pay for service?
No. MHA Village services are funded entirely by the sources below. We do not accept private pay.
Do people live at the Village?
No. The MHA Village is not a residential program.
Where do Village members live?
Up to 60 percent of Village members live in their own homes or apartments. Their lifestyle is supported by their own employment wages, benefits, or special program funding/grants. The remaining 40 percent live in supported housing environments like board and care homes or with family members. For more information about housing, please visit the housing page in the Programs & Services section.
Can MHA Village help me with my SSI?
Persons seeking help are encouraged to visit the Homeless Assistance Program drop-in center to assess their needs.
How is MHA Village Funded?
The Village is funding primarily as a Full Service Partnership through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and Medi-Cal. For more information about Full Service Partnerships (FSPs), please visit the LA County MHSA website and click on the "Full Service Partnerships" link under the correct age group heading.
The Village Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) is funded by a variety of different sources including the City of Long Beach, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Federal PATH Program.
How do I get a job here?
That depends. If you are a mental health professional looking for a permanent position at MHA Village please visit the “working at the village” page of this site for more information. If you are an MHA Village member or a consumer of mental health services at another local angecy who is authorized to receive employment services from the Department of Rehabilitation you may be interested in working in one of our agency owned businesses. For more information, please contact Village Employment Operations Manager, Bob Ramos, at (562) 437-6717, extension 227.
What does an average day look like for a staff person?
"There are no average days. That is the beauty of my job," says Erin Von Fempe, Recovery Performance Officer. Because services at the Village are member driven, each day can be completely unique. Staff members attend different team meetings to collaborate with their coworkers, they meet individually and in pairs or small groups with members to work on goals, and they document their interactions with members for billing and record keeping purposes.
"Everyday is an anything can happen day." - Joe Ruiz, Director of Training
How do I visit/tour the Village?
Due to a large demand for site visits, information and tours, the Village holds a three-hour presentation/tour called the Mini-Immersion once a month on a Wednesday from 9 :00 a.m. to 1:00 -.m.
Visitors attend the Wednesday morning meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by a presentation of our program structure and service philosophy, a tour of the Village and then lunch in our member-operated Deli where you can visit with staff and members.
There is no charge for the training and lunch can be purchased for $5-10 (cash only).
For more information or to reserve a seat, please contact: Charis Walth, cwalth@mhala.org, (562) 437-6717, extension 254
What is the MHA in MHA Village?
MHA stands for Mental Health America. MHA Village is a program of Mental Health America of Los Angeles, a service, education, training and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the mental health care of all people. For more information about MHA, please visit www.mhala.org
What happened to the old website?
The first Village website was designed in 1999 when use of the internet for information sharing was just becoming mainstream. Since then there have been many changes at the Village and in available technology. The new website accurately reflects the MHA Village's evolving role in our community. If you are looking for specific information from the old website that you cannot find here, please contact Kate MacKenney at kmackenney@mhala.org
“someone will listen to you”
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