In the heart of LA’s Chinatown neighborhood, the 6,000-square-foot facility provides mental health care services for students from the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as children and youth ages six to 25.
For years, mental health has been a major concern for LA youth, many of whom experience high levels of stress, including home insecurity, gun violence and discrimination in and out of school.
Last year, the LA County Youth Commission’s annual report revealed that mental health was the biggest concern for young people, closely followed by education and employment.
The commission surveyed 856 youths in five different districts of the country, of which 524 showed significant mental health concerns. The majority of youth who chose mental health as a primary concern were Latino and system-affected.
Rising health care costs and deep cuts to mental health funding in California have prompted Gates Hospital and Mental Health Centers to expand their intensive outpatient services for youth, also known as their Child and Adult Outpatient Program (GCAOP).
With the new location for its GCAOP at the Chinatown Service Center, Gates Hospital and Mental Health Centers hope to reach more children and youth who can benefit from therapy, medication management and psychological care.
On Tuesday, LA Mayor Karen Bass attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new location for GCAOP in Chinatown. She began her remarks by thanking Gateway Hospital and Mental Health Centers “for stepping up,” with the new facility expected to serve more than 230 youth a year.
“This space will provide treatment that prevents challenges from developing into crises,” Bass said. “Make no mistake, we have a long way to go, but my administration and leaders like those at Gateway are tackling big challenges like mental health that have been neglected for decades.”
Last year, the U.S. Department of Education, under the Trump administration, announced it would freeze nearly $1 billion in grant funding aimed at increasing the ranks of mental health professionals and working in schools. The department claimed the grants were awarded under the Biden administration, a decision it says is at odds with the current administration’s priorities.
In addition to ending the 2025 grant, the department also proposed additional cuts for the 2026 fiscal year. These continued cuts will reduce resources for school counselors and psychologists, which could be detrimental to school districts like LAUSD.
As the LA Public Press reported earlier this year, LAUSD enrollment has dropped due to the proliferation of ICE raids in LA County and many LAUSD employees, including counselors, have indicated that in times like these, hiring more trained counselors and investing in mental health support is vital.
Yet, for many LAUSD campuses, especially in low-income neighborhoods, staff shortages, including counselors and therapists, are a reality.
To combat some of the local shortages when it comes to mental health, Gateway Hospital and Mental Health Centers partner with LAUSD to provide outpatient services to students, including individual and family therapy and psychological evaluations, at more than 15 campuses in the district.
“Our program is designed to meet youth where they are, whether it’s at school, at home, or here at the new location of the Chinatown Service Center,” said Charlotte Bautista, director of the Gates Children’s and Adult Outpatient Program. “We know that early access to mental health care can change the course of a child’s life, and we provide a safe place where families can heal, grow and develop.”
Charlotte Bautista, director of Gateway’s pediatric and adult outpatient program, said the expansion also allows for more students and families who deserve consistent, high-quality care, reducing wait lists and out-of-pocket costs.
“Our program is designed to meet young people where they are, whether that’s at school, at home, or here at the new Chinatown Service Center location,” she said. “We know that early access to mental health care can change the course of a child’s life, and we provide a safe place where families can heal, grow and develop.”
This story was produced by Yearly newsA news organization covering the Latino/a/x community.
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