Who We Are
Inspired by the courage of our national organization, Mental Health America of San Diego County (MHASD) was founded in 1942 as the first mental health advocacy organization in San Diego County. MHASD brings together clients, families, professionals, providers, community leaders, and the public to collaborate, cooperate, and ensure available affordable care to all citizens. Over the years, MHASD has offered numerous programs and services focused on the following four areas: Advocacy, Education, Services, and Research.
The Mental Health First Aid Training Program is an 8-hour certification course designed to give participants the tools to respond to psychiatric emergencies until professional help arrives and to improve people's mental health literacy.
Father2Child is a free, court-approved 12-week program for fathers of all ethnicities, offering them new parenting techniques and skills, and encouraging them to improve their awareness of the importance of a father in the life of a child, to be able to create stronger bonds with their children.
FURS is a coordinated, statewide, regional, and county-level system designed to provide collaborative and timely state-level phone-based response and county-level in-home, and in-person mobile response during situations of instability, to preserve the relationship of the caregiver and the child or youth.
This new program is in partnership with Community Health Group to provide Community Health Workers to their members. Community Health Workers build health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.
A program dedicated to group and individual therapy sessions for youth in detention facilities or youth transition centers. Our providers hold 60 minute group or individual therapy sessions supporting these youth members in many aspects of their transitional period. By helping these youths with their integration to the community our providers set them up for success. Aid in rebuilding relationships, finding work, restarting school or finding a place to live.
The Education for Successful Futures program delivers psycho-social educational services to inmates in the six San Diego county jails from 8:30 am to 5:00pm, free of charge. Eligibility is open to all inmates, with no payment required. Courses cover topics like Beyond Trauma, Practical Life Skills, and Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders, offering valuable resources for rehabilitation and personal growth.
This program is focused on improving health access and education through Community-Directed Enrichment Projects. Program staff and an Advisory Committee will be tasked with creating a program design for community groups to apply for funding to finance projects that address health disparities and promote the economic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does"