Ánimo provides traditional and non-traditional mental health services to underserved Latino families and individuals on the Westside. Ánimo offers mental health counseling; medical (in partnership with Venice Family Clinic), dental and vision care referrals; psychiatric treatment; substance abuse counseling; and spiritual guidance.
The word “ánimo” has many definitions, including encouragement, vitality, purpose, will, and spirit. At St. Joseph Center we want to make certain that our clients feel “ánimo” in every sense of the word. In this regard, the program’s dedicated team are all fluent in Spanish, and are highly aware of—and sensitive to—the specific concerns of the Latino community.
The goal of Ánimo is to help underserved Latino families by removing barriers to accessing services that address their mental health needs. We also work together with our clients to ensure the proper coordination of services and treatment goals.
Recovery, Resilience and Reintegration Services delivers mental health services to support housing stability, especially for formerly chronically homeless individuals. It provides specialized mental health services delivered by our team who work outside the clinic and in community settings to address mental health and other life needs. The program is also designed to provide services to individuals who are isolated, unwilling or unable to access traditional mental health outpatient services due to location/distance barriers, physical disabilities, or because of the stigma associated with receiving clinic-based services.
The goal of St. Joseph Center’s Field Capable Clinical Services is to provide a range of services that meet individual needs, focus on overall health and build a supportive community.
The Monetary Advisory Program (MAP) provides case management, money management, and financial literacy classes to at-risk adults living with mental illness. It links representative payee services with case management and mental health services and has been funded by the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health since 1986. As the designated “representative payee,” St. Joseph Center receives a person’s public disability benefit (such as social security insurance and veteran’s compensation) and works with the client to ensure that these benefits are first used to meet their basic needs (such as rent, food, and utilities), and often than to establish some form of savings.
Based on more than two decades of pioneering work in the money management field, St. Joseph Center has developed and implemented a comprehensive program at MAP with the goal to help clients work toward increased stability and self-sufficiency.
Santa Monica Youth Resource Team works with identified at-risk Santa Monica youth, ages 16-24, to help them and their families address issues ranging from basic needs to housing, mental health, and educational/vocational services. The program provides assertive case management, referrals, and support services to both youth and their families. Primary areas of service include education, economic vitality and stability, and resiliency. St. Joseph Center is the lead agency in this collaborative effort, acting as the coordinator and primary point of contact for clients, providing overall coordination and supervision, and assisting with administrative oversight for its partners.
Santa Monica Youth Resource Team’s goal is to help youth ages 16-24 to stabilize their lives and improve their mental health.
Senior Services/Prevention and Early Intervention provides case management and mental health support aimed at improving low-income and homeless seniors’ housing stability, overall functioning, and quality of life. It was launched in 1986 to meet the unique needs of older adults (ages 55 and older) on the Westside. Using case management, the program addresses client housing needs, provides advocacy for new or continuing government benefits, links seniors with In-Home Supportive Services, and ensures that nutritional, social and other needs are adequately met.
The goal of Senior Services is to serve housed, low-income seniors in Venice, Santa Monica, and surrounding communities with case management, linkage, advocacy and other supportive services to maintain their housing overall stability.