Community leaders and local residents attending an open house recently to celebrate the opening of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services’ new Glendale Center praised the organization for stepping in to ensure the uninterrupted availability of exceptional mental health care to the area. Guests attending the event had an opportunity to tour the facility and learn about mental health services being provided to the Glendale area.

Didi Hirsch president and chief executive officer Dr. Kita S. Curry thanked the community for supporting its mission to expand their reach into communities with large immigrant populations where mental illness is often overlooked.

“Part of our mission is to serve communities where there’s stigma or poverty. Glendale was the right place with its immigrant population and large Armenian population,” Curry commented. “If we didn’t come here, services would have disappeared. We look forward to serving Glendale and its neighboring communities.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich told guests that Didi Hirsch represented the positive outcomes that can come from public-private partnerships.

“For so many years, Verdugo Mental Health’s program helped so many in this area. Then we had a crisis. We were pleased Didi Hirsch came in,” Antonovich said. “The quality services Didi Hirsch has provided other communities in our county will continue here.”

Glendale Mayor Laura Friedman added her thanks to Didi Hirsch for stepping in to fill the critical void, adding that tough economic times have taken a psychological toll on many residents.

“The needs for services are only going to increase,” she said.

Didi Hirsch took over Verdugo Mental Health in May 2011 after the clinic fell into financial trouble. Since then, the facility – which serves more than 2,000 children and adults annually – has continued offering Glendale and surrounding communities the mental health services they have counted on for more than 50 years. Many staff members are bilingual in English, Armenian, Russian and Spanish to meet the area’s unique demographical needs.

With nearly 70 years of experience, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services provides mental health care and substance abuse services in communities where stigma or poverty limit access. From 11 sites and more than 60 schools, Didi Hirsch serves more than 70,000 clients each year – from Pacoima to Venice, Glendale to Orange County and many points in between. A wide range of services is offered through its five divisions: adult services, family services, substance abuse services, suicide prevention and training. www.didihirsch.org