Alma Family Services
Alma Family Services was established in 1975 in East Los Angeles by parents to provide, along with other purposes, a comprehensive range of multilingual community based services for families including those with special needs.
Since its inception Alma has a “whatever it takes” tradition of multilingual, culturally competent services to meet client’s needs in their homes and residential facilities, schools, social and vocational programs, juvenile facilities, and other settings as appropriate. In addition, Alma provides eight interdisciplinary mental health outpatient office locations serving all age ranges including those with substance abuse in the cities of Long Beach, Walnut, Pico Rivera, El Monte and East Los Angeles and which also serve adjacent communities. Alma also provides mental health services which are functionally integrated within community health facilities and domestic violence programs in the greater East Los Angeles and San Gabriel communities including The Wellness Center at the Historic General Hospital Center in Boyle Heights.
Child and Family Development programs include the Child Abuse Prevention – Early Intervention Program for Children with Developmental Disabilities, Centro Estrella Family Resource Center, Preschool Center, Socialization and Community Integration Training, Family & Peer Support and a unique Aquatics Center with programs for children, adolescents, adults and older adults with special needs.
Alma Family Services also provides services to “Youth at the Crossroads” in terms of risk of gang involvement. Alma is the lead agency for a collaborative Gang Reduction Youth Development Program (GRYD) serving youth and families who reside in the Boyle Heights/Hollenbeck area of the City of Los Angeles. GRYD programs represent a historic effort on the part of the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office to reduce crime rates and gang membership in specific communities with a high degree of gang activity and violence.
The First District LA County Board of Supervisors and The LAC Probation Department, have partnered with Alma Family Services to provide support services in Pomona and El Monte as an alternative to further involvement with the Juvenile Justice System. Services are aimed at preventing recidivism, reducing discipline referrals and promoting positive behavioral and academic performance.
Alma offers occupational support through various programs focused on removing barriers to employment, promoting the development of employability skills and job placement. Through a Supportive Employment Advisory Committee, Alma seeks to enhance employment specialists’ knowledge, skills and access to resources available for individuals seeking to enter the workforce.