Southern California resource centers support families in need

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Across Southern California, Providence ministries help the underserved and improve access to physical and mental health care, housing and food resources, support groups, mental health care, legal aid and more.

From the San Fernando Valley to San Juan Capistrano, Providence resource centers serve those in need. These centers are trusted spaces for the community to access essential social services and get connections to local resources.

In South Orange County, Providence case managers found help for Kim,* a patient, and Kim’s family after they fell on hard times. Kim received counseling, food, emergency support, legal help and supplies all from connections of the local resource center.

Eighty miles north in the San Fernando Valley, the Providence resource center team helps clients enroll in Medi-Cal and other low-cost health insurance, assists with the paperwork, refers clients to health professionals and provides nutrition education. It also connects community members to free fitness classes as part of its multi-pronged approach to wellness. 

An insurance provider’s clerical error left one family with an unexpectedly high monthly premium. “We were able to fix it,” said Elisa Rodriguez, community health care worker in the northeast San Fernando Valley. “We say ‘Let’s take a deep breath and figure this out.’” 


*To protect patient identity, names were changed for the purposes of this story.   

Working with a community partner to provide accessible mental health and psychiatric care 
In partnership with Providence Orange County hospitals, St. Jude Neighborhood Health Centers offer thousands of underserved Orange County residents compassionate care.
Providence St. Mary Medical Center joins community partners to tackle food insecurity 
The program aims to screen those who are underserved, providing them with nutrition education and free on-site nutritional classes.
Lime green benches provide safe spaces for conversations about mental health 
Painted in the international color for mental health awareness, the benches represent safe spaces for passersby to sit and have an open conversation about mental health with a colleague or friend.
Providence’s Mental Health First-Aid Training course aims to help save lives
The skills-based training teachers parents, caregivers, teachers, neighbors and peers ways to identify, understand and respond to adolescents and teens experiencing mental health challenges.