Before the creation of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, mental health services were generally provided in state hospitals. In the 1950s, California also created a few outpatient clinics as well. Beyond these, Los Angeles County provided some of its own services for the mentally ill as far back as 1914. The 1957 Short-Doyle Act helped make it possible for the County to create a more comprehensive outpatient program, which was established with the creation of the Department of Mental Helath in 1960.

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