San Fernando Mental Health Center
/San Fernando Mental Health Center – ground breaking celebrated January 12, 2018 where LCDG was recognized by the director of LA County Public Works for our efforts in completing this project.
Purpose: A new County mental health center to serve the nearly 20% of adults in San Fernando Valley that are depressed or are at risk of depression. Over 10% of children are also in need of mental health care.
Challenge: LCDG evaluated a vacant courthouse annex to determine if adaptive reuse was cost-effective. Given a confined site, new one-story and two-story solutions were also considered. A new one-story center provided the greatest long-term benefits.
Solution: A new design template demonstrating two key principles, integration of services, and bringing those services to the community. A person’s health and behavioral health issues are intertwined. If a client comes into this facility seeking mental health care, they will also receive a referral for affordable medical care and substance use treatment services as well.
The one-story, 15,000 sf, $12 million facility has counseling/therapy rooms, group therapy rooms, business offices, and other support spaces. The plan is arranged with counseling rooms adjacent to the lobby, shared spaces at the center of the building, and private administrative areas beyond. Systems furniture provides long-term flexibility for the majority of the open office areas. LCDG prepared the “bridging document”, describing County requirements for design-build entities.
