Modesto, DeWitt, and Medocino Hospitals closed, and Stockton and Agnews converted for use of developmentally disabled. Savings were to be used for local community programs, but this failed to occur; the result was an ongoing homelessness crisis for the mentally ill.


1851

Stockton State Hospital opened – first for mental illness in California, and was immediately overcrowded.  Commitment required:  Two medical evaluations by Medical Practitioners, personal evaluation by a judge and a closed court hearing.

1873

Napa State Hospital opened

1888

Agnews State Hospital (est 1885) opened

1889

Mendocino State Hospital opened

1894

Patton State Hospital opened

1897

Lunacy Law reforms passed: no insane persons to be associated with criminals, no open court hearings, judge not required to assess detainees Institutions named Hospitals instead of asylums.

State Supreme Court found Lunacy Law unconstitutional.

Formation of California State Commission on Lunacy to oversee operations of State Hospitals.

1909

Former psychiatric patient Clifford Beers founded National Committee for Mental Hygiene (NCMH)

1915

Metropolitan State Hospital opened in Norwalk

1920

NCMH proposed model commitment law

1923

First psychopathic ward opened in San Francisco, in an attempt to reduce State Hospital overcrowding by using urban hospital wards.

1924

Mental Hygiene Committee (Mental Health America of Los Angeles) was formed.

Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic was established.

1925

LA County Hospital opened its Psychopathic Department.

1926

Pasadena Child Guidance Clinic established (the forerunner of Pacific Clinics).

1936-a

Walter Freeman and James Watts performed first prefrontal leucotomy in US

1936-b

Camarillo State Hospital opened

1939

Insulin Shock Therapy introduced in California.

1942

Los Angeles Psychiatric Service, the first freestanding, nonprofit community outpatient psychiatric clinic for adults in LA County, established (became Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center in 1974).

1943

California Department of Institutions split into Department of Mental Hygiene and Department of Corrections – Youth Authority

1944

Electroconvulsive shock therapy introduced in California.

1945

State Legislature gave counties with over a million people the authority to create the Office of Public Guardian.  LA County established the office effective December 3.

1946

National Mental Health Act signed by President Harry Truman

1947-48

Dewitt and Modesto State Hospitals, former Army facilities opened as “temporary relief of overcrowding.”

1949

National Institute for Mental Health established

1950

NCMH became National Association of Mental Health

1953

First training of psychiatric technicians in California.

1954

Reserpine and chlorpromazine first used in California state hospitals (Dr. Robert Noce, Modesto)

1955

Portals House established by Shirley Weiss, a young Red Cross volunteer, just off Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles.

1957

Short-Doyle Act awarded 50% state matching funds to local governments for mental health

1959

First meeting of the Mental Health Advisory Board held on January 14, 1959.

1960

LACDMH established; Dr. Harry Brickman named first Director.

State matching funds for mental health increased to 75%; Aid to Totally Disabled expanded to include mentally ill

1963

Community Mental Health Centers Act

1965

Medicare and Medicaid Acts; Medi-Cal enacted in California in 1966.

1967

Lanterman-Petris-Short Act passed, ending indefinite involuntary commitment and encouraged deinstitutionalization (implementation July 1, 1969.

1969

State matching funds to Counties for mental health increased to 90%

1970-72

Modesto, DeWitt, and Medocino Hospitals closed, and Stockton and Agnews converted for use of developmentally disabled. 

1972-77

LA County DMH merged with County Department of Health Services

1973

Parents of patients in San Mateo began meetings that led to formation of PAS (Parents of Adult Schizophrenics)

1974

Plan to phase out State Hospitals stopped by Legislature after several violent acts by mental patients.

1976

Tarasoff decision:  California Supreme Court ruled that mental health professionals have a duty to protect individuals threatened with bodily harm by a patient.

“Equity Distribution” of new State funds issued to redress the underfunding of some Counties. LA, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego received 50% of new funds.

La Puente Community Mental Health Center opened with an NIMH grant.

1977

First Lady Rosalyn Carter chaired the President’s Commission on Mental Health.

Coast Community Mental Health Center established. 

1978

Mental Health Advisory Board refused to approve the County Plan and to allow Mental Health to continue as a subdivision of Health Services.  LACDMH re-established as an independent Department; J. R. Elpers appointed Director.

1979

NAMI -National Alliance on Mental Illness (previously known as the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill) founded.  Don Richardson of Los Angeles served as Executive Director and later President.

LACDMH took over Olive View outpatient operations in mid San Fernando Valley.

1980

LACDMH launched quality improvement program focused on Department-wide service standards and clinical records.

1981

Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Center opened with NIMH grant. Building named after Watts political leader who became California’s first African-American Congressman.

The California Model issued. 

Los Angeles Day Treatment Center, now under LACDMH, moved to Hollywood Blvd as Hollywood Mental Health Services.

1983

California Network of Mental Health Clients founded.

1984

Roberto Quiroz appointed Director of LACDMH.

LACDMH launched a quality improvement program focused on Department-wide service standards and clinical records.

Step Up on 2nd Street opened in West Los Angeles.

AB 3632 passed in California, requiring mental health assessment of children referred by school districts pursuant to an Individual Education Plan. 

 

1985

LAMP Drop-in Center opened on Skid Row.

Bronzan-Mojonnier Act included provisions for:  1.) identification of service shortages resulting in the criminalization of the mentally disordered, 2.) community support for homeless mentally disordered persons, 3) vocational services, and 4) services for seriously emotionally disturbed children.

1986

California implemented the Conditional Release Program.

1987

AB 377 expanded Ventura County pilot project providing coordinated and closely monitored community and home-based services for severely emotionally disturbed children

River Community opened to provide integrated services for co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse.

“Declaration of Conscience” by 7 psychiatric leaders urged action to “prevent the collapse” of emergency and acute psychiatric care in LA County.
Homes for Life Foundation established.

1988

AB 3777 (Wright-McCorquodale-Bronzan Mental Health Act) funds three pilot projects to combine treatment and rehabilitation and provide integrated, flexible services 24/7.  One of these projects becomes the Village Integrated Services Agency (ISA) in Long Beach.

1990

AB 904 mandated California Planning Council to create a Mental Health Master Plan.

1991

California Senate Office of Research published “California’s Mental Health System: The History of Neglect.”

Realignment of mental health resources to County control.

Harbor View Adolescent Center established in Long Beach.

The AB 904 Planning Council published California Mental Health Master Plan in October.

1992

Areta Crowell appointed LACDMH Director.

Funding derived from reducing 100 state hospital beds approved for six Integrated Service Agency programs in LA County, under the title PARTNERS.

1993

California Institute for Mental Health (CIMH) founded by local county mental health directors. 

The California Mental Health Planning Council (CMHPC) established through legislation as the new advisory board structure. 

LACDMH contract with Los Angeles Unified School District to provide school-based mental health services, the first such contract in the US.

LACDMH launched Children’s System of Care (CSOC).

1994

Bill Compton became Executive Director of Project Return, began expansion to more than 100 clubs under MHA auspices.

1995

California instituted Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT)

Medi-Cal Mental Health Managed Care implemented.

LACDMH began inpatient consolidation phase of Medi-Cal Mental Health Managed Care.

1996

Mental Health Parity Act (federal) eliminated financial caps on mental health benefits in health plans at companies with more than 50 employees. By 2000, more than 20 states enacted similar legislation.

100% funding (50% state/50% federal) for Medi-Cal children’s services (EPSDT) instituted.

Camarillo State Hospital closed.

1997

Adult Targeted Case Management Services created. 

Office of Consumer Affairs established within LACDMH. 

California became first state to require all counties to develop cultural competence plans as a tool to assess disparities and identify strategies for addressing those disparities. 

1998

Marvin Southard appointed LACDMH Director.
 
Outpatient consolidation phase of Medi-Cal mental health carve-out begun.
 
LACDMH launched “Comprehensive Community Care” Process to create a client-centered, family-focused integrated mental health system.
 
The California Department of Mental Health established Office of Multicultural Services.

 

1999

White House Conference on Mental Health.

Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health.

Governor Gray Davis signed Assemblywoman Helen Thomson’s Parity Bill, eliminating discrimination practices for designated diagnoses indicating severe mental illness in adults or serious mental disorders in children.

2000

LACDMH marked 40th anniversary with the book, “The Story of Public Mental Health Services in Los Angeles County.” The Little Hoover Commission published “Being There: Making a Commitment to Mental Health.” LACDMH published Comprehensive Community Care strategic plan focused on wellness, remission and recovery. California legislature enacted AB 2034. LACDMH established Older Adults Bureau for separate planning and services.  

2001

U.S. Surgeon General published “Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity.”

LACDMH published Comprehensive Care Progress Report.

2002

LACDMH hosted the first mental health forum for faith leaders to create awareness, fight stigma and create community supports.

First Mental Health Urgent Care Center opened in Long Beach under contract with Telecare Corporation.

LACDMH established Transitional Age Youth Division for separate planning and services.

2003

LACDMH assumes operation of Augustus F. Hawkins Comprehensive Mental Health Center on the campus of Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital.

California Mental Health Planning Council publishes the “California Mental Health Master Plan: A Vision for California.”

2004

Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63) passed by ballot initiative in November, creating a new funding stream for mental health and emphasizing new county-based recovery and wellness programs.

LACDMH rolled out new Integrated System for electronic claiming.

2005

Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) became effective on January 1, 2005.

Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission established.

2006

California Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative launched by a group of advocates and adopted by the California Institute for Mental Health. 

2007

LACDMH adopted “Partnering with clients, families and communities to create hope, wellness and recovery” as its new vision.

New mission statement: “The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health enriches lives through partnerships designed to strengthen the community’s capacity to support recovery and resiliency for clients and their families.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital closed by County leaving only a multi-service ambulatory care center.

2010

LACDMH celebrated its 50th anniversary and, in partnership with UCLA’s Center for the Study of Public Mental Health, launched the History of Public Mental Health website

LA County began implementation of its Prevention and Early Intervention Plan.

The California Mental Health Services Authority (CAlMHSA) formed by Joint Powers Authority (JPA) of California counties.
LACDMH joined CalMHSA with approval from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

2011

Low Income Health Plan began July 1.

2012

LACDMH PBS series, Profiles of Hope, won Emmy Award for best LA Area informational/public affairs series.

LACDMH launched monthly Meeting of the Minds, an online TV show.