El Centro de Amistad, Inc., is a multilingual, cross cultural organization providing a comprehensive range of mental health services, anticipating the ever-changing needs of families and individuals in the San Fernando Valley. El Centro de Amistad, Inc. is committed to assisting children, adults and families.
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Services Offered
Adult Outpatient Services - Provide ongoing mental health services to adults (18-64) who are chronically mentally ill. Services may include individual, family and group therapy, case management, rehabilitation and medication support. The goal is to stabilize clients, make them more independent and acquire healthier coping skills to function better socially, emotionally and behaviorally within the home and in the community.
Children's Outpatient & School Linked Programs - Treat children between the ages of 0-17 with a wide range of mental health disorders. El Centro uses a multi-disciplinary treatment approach to diminish impairments and barriers that are causing difficulties in the home, school or community. Services include individual, family therapy, and group therapy, case management, medication support and rehabilitative services. The focus is on improving daily living skills and healthy social development within the home, school and community.
Fees and Payment
Programs accept Medi-Cal, Medi-cal Expansion (MCE) and Managed Care Health Insurance Plan (MCHIP) coverage as applicable. Services are provided in office, home, school and community settings. Limited funding is available for uninsured consumers.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Medicare Medicaid
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Qualifying for assistance from California's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to California's program.
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.