Ribbon cut for Beach Cities youth mental health center
by Garth Meyer
Beach Cities Health District held a ribbon-cutting Oct. 18 for allcove Beach Cities (spelled with a lowercase ‘a’), the first branch of a youth mental health program developed at Stanford University.
The Redondo Beach facility – to open on the fourth floor of the former South Bay Hospital at the BCHD’s main campus, serves people ages 12 to 25. State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi attended the ribbon-cutting, along with a team from Stanford’s Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, led by Dr. Seven Adelsheim, who created the program.
allcove was set up in Redondo Beach with input from an eight-member Youth Advisory Group.
“It’s a place for youth designed by youth, which is something I love about it,” said Camille J., 17, a senior at Mira Costa High School and member of the Youth Advisory Group. (allcove does not identify its Youth Advisory Committee members by last name.)
allcove Beach Cities will offer free, or low-cost mental, and physical health services, supported education and employment, peer and family support, and substance abuse prevention programs for young people in the greater South Bay.
The Youth Advisory Group designed the space, and participated in interviews with health care providers who will work there.
“Our input was taken seriously,” said Rani C., 16, of the Youth Advisory Committee, a senior at Redondo Union High School. “Everything we think contributes to the center, is in the center.”
The staff will come from UCLA Health, Venice Family Clinic, South Bay Children’s Health Center, Richstone Family (Center), Thelma McMillen Center at Torrance Memorial Hospital and Clear Recovery Center.
Initial funding for allcove Beach Cities came from a $2 million, four-year grant from the California Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission, secured by Assembly Member Muratsuchi. Another $1 million for construction was included by Congressman Ted Lieu in the federal Omnibus bill this year.
allCove Beach Cities is the first of five locations planned for California, all recipients of the above-mentioned grants. allcove Beach Cities opens Tuesday, Nov. 1. A public open house is planned for January.
Hours will be 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“allcove definitely makes resources way more accessible for people,” said Rani C. ER