Mental health center installs new officers

CERRITOS - The Community Family Guidance Center - a Cerritos-based non-profit mental health agency for children and their families - and its foundation hosted their installation and awards dinner at the Clearwater Building in Paramount last Thursday.The annual event recognizes the foundation's board of directors for their support of child abuse prevention and mental health services for children from low-income families. This year's event also recognized outgoing CFGC president George Ray, outgoing foundation chair Dr. Bob Hughlett, outgoing secretary Jim Edwards, and other outgoing board members. Three new board officers were installed for the 2012-14 term: Hughlett as CFGC president, Dr. Leslie Wind as foundation chair and Ellen Latino as secretary for both boards. The incoming board chairs - Hughlett and Wind - spoke about their plans and new initiatives at the center, including: Families First, a collaboration with the Norwalk-La Mirada USD Headstart Program which provides parenting education and mental health services to preschool students and their families; the School Community Support Program, in which therapists from CFGC will integrate into local schools to provide mental health services to K-12 students to improve their mental health challenges, behavioral issues and improve their social skills and well-being; and a collaboration with Su Casa, which integrates mental health, child abuse and domestic violence services. Wind also spoke of her desire to develop and launch a five-year strategic fundraising plan to fund the new initiatives and other projects. Since 1973, CFGC has provided mental health and child abuse prevention and treatment services to high risk, low income and underserved children and families in Southeast Los Angeles County.

********** Published: July 05, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 12