Amanecer is Spanish for "a new beginning." And for more than three decades, Amanecer Community Counseling Services has been exactly that for thousands of individuals and families. Amanecer is a beacon of hope in Central and Downtown Los Angeles for low-income, working poor, homeless and indigent children, adults and families.
As a community-based nonprofit organization, the agency provides a wide range of personalized, bilingual/bicultural, behavioral health care and intervention services at no cost to those in need. For most clients, Amanecer is the only link to vital mental health services and other social service resources.
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Services Offered
Children & Families
Evidence-Based Programs The best evidence-based practices are available for children struggling with trauma and behavioral problems. Therapists can pace sessions based on the client's need.
Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT) The Multidisciplinary Assessment Team is available to children and youth who are at high risk for out-of-home or foster placement.
Family Preservation The goal is to keep families together by strengthening their basic support systems and helping them learn coping strategies. A specialized team works with the family to provide a safety net of care until they are stabilized.
Field Clinical Capable Services (FCCS) For many children and families, accessing services through a clinic is not always possible due to cultural stigma, physical difficulties, geographic restrictions or transportation issues. Field Capable Clinical Services (FCCS) help overcome these challenges by providing mental health services in homes, schools, juvenile camps and foster care settings.
School-Based Services Our case managers and therapists work directly with counseling staff at each school to identify students in need, provide appropriate services and monitor their progress. Students can also be referred to other programs at Amanecer, including family counseling, when needed.
Cityscape CityScape is Amanecer's innovative therapeutic arts program for children challenged by severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Project Connect Project Connect is Amanecer's innovative program for at-risk teens or young adults 15-24 currently receiving services through one of Amanecer's programs.
Adult Services Amanecer provides crisis intervention, long-term counseling, and medication management for chronically mentally ill adults. Services are provided at our outpatient clinic, and on-site for clients who are living in board and care facilities, shelters, or for clients who are home-bound.
Adult Outpatient Care Adult outpatient mental health services are designed to offer a broad range of psychiatric, psycho-therapeutic, and case management services to adults with chronic mental illness.
Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Amanecer's Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Program provides preventative and early intervention therapeutic services to help our clients work through difficult challenges that they are struggling with.
Fees and Payment
This is a nonprofit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale
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A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
