ABOUT US
MISSION
The Alcott Center for Mental Health Services strives to help mentally ill adults
live to their fullest potential by providing housing, treatment, and education
programs. Alcott Center provides a safe environment and programs that promote
growth, recovery, independence, and personal empowerment by addressing the
whole individual
’s needs.
HISTORY
The Alcott Center for Mental Health Services, a 501(c)3 designated organization,
started in 1979 with a mission to improve the quality of life for people
suffering from serious and persistent mental illness by recognizing individual
strengths, promoting independence and fostering personal empowerment. Then
known as Beverlywood Mental Health Center, it offered 120 residential care beds
to mentally ill individuals.
In 1980, the Center was awarded a contract with the Department of Mental Health
(DMH) to provide housing for mentally ill adults. In 1986, a freestanding
outpatient center was added to serve the community with the inauguration of the
Resource Center. In 1995, responding to the desire of board and care residents
to live more independently, the agency developed an independent living skills
program and a corresponding semi-independent housing site named the Plaza. The
Plaza is a thriving community where graduates of the Community Living Program
(CLP) live in apartments, provide each other with support, share experiences,
and host holiday celebrations. CLP assists adults from all over Los Angeles to
develop the necessary skills to live at the Plaza or elsewhere in their own
apartments. In 1999, to accommodate its expansion, the outpatient center moved
its outpatient site to a new location on Alcott Street. The agency adopted the
new name, Alcott Center for Mental Health Services to reflect the new service
location.
Today, the Alcott Center continues to expand its wide range of services to
address the whole person
’s changing needs. The addition of Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) funding has
allowed the agency to serve more unserved individuals, providing a time-limited
transitional residential services program to persons referred by the Exodus
Urgent Care Center. In addition, two new field capable services programs for
adults and older adults allow consumers to receive services in locations
outside the traditional mental health clinic.
STAFF
Penny Mehra, Executive Director of the Alcott Center for Mental Health Services, joined the
agency in 1981 but did not work full-time until 1987.
She was a co-founder of the Coalition of Residential Care Providers and chaired
the Department of Mental Health Residential Task Force.
Ms. Mehra currently chairs the Westside Mental Health Network and has
represented the Westside Service Area Advisory Committee at DMH budget and MHSA
stakeholder planning forums.
She is also on the board of the Association of Community Human Service Agencies
and a member of CCCMHA, NBHCC as well as NAMI.
As the Executive Director of the Alcott Center, Ms. Mehra has overseen the
expansion of services and addition of programs essential to the ever-changing
needs of people with mental illness.
This includes the addition of independent living facility, adding the highly
respected Community Living Program (CLP), creating transitional residential
services as part of the Westside Urgent Care Program and
to the current addition of Field Capable Services. Ms. Mehra actively fosters leadership, civic involvement and advocacy in
clients.
She oversees a weekly meeting of residents at both the Graduate House and the
Plaza.
In addition, she is involved in the Alcott Center’s Visiting Artist Project.
For her contributions to the mental health community Ms. Mehra has received the
Community Support Services Award from Project Return.
In 2007, she was nominated at the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Women Making a Difference” award for Executive of the Year.
Jessica Wilkins, MFT, joined the Alcott Center in 1994. She has been the Clinical Director since
1999, and served previously as a dedicated member of the treatment team.
Ms.Wilkins graduated with distinction receiving a Masters of Science in
Marriage Family Counseling from California Sate University, Northridge and
received a Bachelor of Arts in Physiology from University of California,
Berkeley. She is very active in the mental health community, having
participated in numerous Los Angeles Department of Mental Health committees
including currently co-chairing the Service Area 5 Quality Improvement
Committee, as well as being an active participant in Association of Community
Human Service Agencies (ACHSA) committees and meetings. Ms. Wilkins is also a
member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Ms.
Wilkins previous experience and training include providing therapy to
adolescents and their families, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, and
treatment of borderline personality. She is proud to be a National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill (NAMI) trained provider having completed clinical training
developing Collaborative Recovery Models for Consumers and their Families. Ms.
Wilkins currently oversees the outpatient and transitional residential
services, the graduate training program, and continues to provide direct
clinical services to mentally ill adults and their families.
jwilkins@alcottcenter.org
Kristi Rangel, LCSW, has been the Program Manager at the Alcott Center since 2000. She has provided
services to adults coping with mental illness since 1995. Ms. Rangel earned her
Masters of Social Work degree at California State University, Long Beach and
received a Bachelors of Arts in Law and Society from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. She is a member of the National Association of
Social Workers (NASW) and has worked with the mentally ill who are homeless,
substance abusers and those suffering from HIV and AIDS. Having completed the
clinical training in Collaborative Recovery Models for Consumers and their
families, she is a National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) trained
provider. Ms. Rangel provides direct clinical services to mentally ill adults
and their families and manages the day-to-day program activities at the Alcott
Center. krangel@alcottcenter.org
The Alcott Center staff consists of well-educated and trained mental health
professionals and residential staff including psychiatrists, social workers,
marriage and family therapists, psychologists, case managers, consumers, and
graduate level interns pursuing careers in mental health. If you are interested
in joining our team, please contact us at (310) 785-2121.