Major Donation for Mental Health Services in California
The Ballmer Group has made a significant contribution of $77 million to two California State University campuses in an effort to enhance mental health services in Los Angeles.
Of this total, $48 million is being allocated to Cal State Los Angeles (CSULA) to help train over 1,000 new counselors and social workers. This initiative aims to address the pressing youth mental health crisis, especially in East L.A. Meanwhile, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) received $29 million to support the education of new mental health professionals dedicated to assisting children and families in South L.A.
This donation to CSULA marks the largest in the university’s history and the sixth largest in the history of the California State University system. It will effectively double the capacity of the university’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) and School-Based Family Counseling (SBFC) programs. Furthermore, the funding will increase enrollment in the two-year M.S.W. program by 50%. A substantial portion of the funds will be directed toward student scholarships.
Heather Lattimer, provost and vice president for academic affairs at CSULA, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “By expanding our M.S.W. and SBFC programs, we will prepare more graduates who are not only academically excellent but also culturally aware and dedicated to public service. The benefits of this investment will be felt across schools, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles for years to come.”
The donation to CSUDH is also historic for that campus and brings the Ballmer Group’s total contributions to nearly $53 million. The funding will launch the Toros Heal L.A. initiative, which focuses on creating a strong local mental health workforce that is culturally responsive and rooted in the community. This will primarily include scholarships, assistance for licensure preparation, and emergency aid for students training in mental health fields.
Mi-Sook Kim, dean of CSUDH’s College of Health, Human Services & Nursing, noted the importance of the students’ personal experiences. “Our students’ backgrounds make them strong practitioners and allow for the development of a robust behavioral health infrastructure within their communities. Most of our graduates take the valuable education they receive here and use it to serve their own neighborhoods, maximizing the impact of this generous contribution beyond the classroom.”
