Press Releases: Southern California
October 6, 2005
Free Mental Health Screenings Offered in Watts, Los Angeles
Watts Counseling & Learning Center to Host Screenings on National Depression Screening Day
Fact Sheet on Mental Illness and Minorities
LOS ANGELES – Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling & Learning Center will offer free mental health screenings for all ages on October 6, National Depression Screening Day, at two locations:
Food 4 Less Shopping Center
1651 E. 103rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90002
at 103rd St. and Compton Ave.
11 am - 4 pm
Chesterfield Square Center
1820 W. Slauson Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90047
at Western and Slauson avenues
10 am - 4 pm
Mental health professionals from Kaiser Permanente, the Watts Health Care Corporation, the Charles Drew Child Development Center and other community agencies will screen participants for major depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using 10-minute, anonymous questionnaires. Referrals to free or sliding-fee-scale local services and follow-up will be provided as needed. The event is open to Kaiser Permanente members and non-members, and services will be offered in English and Spanish.
Last year, more than 180 people attended the event, and more than 120 received screening. Those who were not screened received important information and literature, said Martha Watson, LCSW, Counseling Department Manager of the Watts Counseling and Learning Center.
“Language barriers and physicians’ lack of cultural understanding often leads to under-diagnosing minorities suffering from mental illness,” she said. “National Depression Screening Day is an easy step toward mental wellness for anyone who’s concerned about their own mental health or of someone close to them.”
"When you have the knowledge about mental illness you can take care of yourself, and make appropriate decisions,” Watson added.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Latinos are a high-risk group for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Equally alarming, they report, the suicide rate among African American youths ages 10 to 14 increased 233 percent over a span of 15 years.
Yet, African Americans are less likely be diagnosed and receive treatment for mental illness than Caucasian Americans, relying instead on family, religious, and social communities for emotional support – even when professional treatment may be necessary.
Watson added that in communities stressed by both violence and poverty, it is more difficult for children to perform well in school and may “act out” or be inattentive as a cover for depression.
“When children are depressed, they can’t function,” she said. “They may be sad and just not have the words to express it. So they accommodate, they adjust to their environment and learn to live with the malaise of depression, spending more energy on adjusting than on their academics.”
National Depression Screening Day, held in October as part of Mental Illness Awareness Week, is a program of the nonprofit organization Screening for Mental Health, Inc. Screenings are held across the country at 7,000 screening sites, including hospitals, mental health clinics, colleges and primary care offices.
For nearly 37 years, the nonprofit Watts Counseling & Learning Center has offered free or low-cost counseling, educational therapy, summer camps, preschool and after-school child care for families living in the Watts area. The families need not be members of Kaiser Permanente to take advantage of the Center’s services.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
