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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2022
Los Angeles Unified Unveils New $11.31 Million Student and Family Wellness Center
New Facility Provides Mental and Medical Support Services to Students and Families in the San Fernando Valley
Balboa Student & Family Wellness Center
Los Angeles, CA (April 26, 2022) – To bolster support for mental and medical health for students and families, Los Angeles Unified has unveiled a new wellness center in the San Fernando Valley near Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet and Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. Constructed with a budget of $11.31 million, the new Balboa Student & Family Wellness Center will provide 5,223 square feet of support space for mental health, medical services, lab facilities and support services for students and families of Los Angeles Unified.
“Our students and families require accessible and equitable care, no matter where they live or go to school,” said Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. “The new Balboa Student and Family Wellness Center reinforces our commitment to nurturing and serving the mental and medical health of our students and their families.”
The new clinic will house one medical exam room, eight health counseling rooms, a laboratory and storage space. With a student-centric design, the new health clinic also includes a lobby with indoor and outdoor reception space with an adjacent courtyard. Attention was also paid to address the center’s environmental impact, with bioswales, rain retention systems and drought tolerant landscaping installed on site.
“As LAUSD continues to increase access to psychological and mental health services for our students and families, it is more important than ever to raise awareness among our community partners and stakeholders about the healthcare services we offer,” said Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson. “As a career educator, I have seen the challenges our families face when they do not have access to medical care. The Balboa Student and Family Wellness Center will provide much needed prevention and intervention services to support our students’ success and well-being and is a perfect addition to our local school communities.”
The center will be operated by the Los Angeles Unified’s Student Health and Human Services division, which aims to address the health and wellness of students to ensure their full academic achievement.
“This pandemic has illuminated the complex systemic and cultural components influencing health and wellness in student populations, which require innovative, collective strategies towards profound results,” Student Health and Human Services Division Executive Director Pia V. Escudero said. “The Balboa clinic will provide District funded services that will address the emerging research that identifies environmental factors that have a cascading and sustained influence in health and education outcomes for our students and families.
The Balboa Student & Family Wellness Center will provide closer access to medical and mental health services for students and families of Local District Northwest and Local District Northeast, which collectively includes 248 schools and over 140,000 students within Los Angeles Unified.
“After two years of a global pandemic that has exacerbated the already fraught mental health needs of our students, we are eager to offer more psychological services for our students and families,” said Local District Northeast Superintendent Andres Chaít. “The Balboa Student and Family Wellness Center will provide the crucial health services foundational and necessary to every student's success journey.”
“Serving the medical and mental health of our students and families remains a crucial element in ensuring our students reach their full academic potential,” said Local District Northwest Superintendent Joseph Nacorda. “We welcome the Balboa Student & Family Wellness Center as an important asset to our neighborhood, which will provide our school communities with even more accessible and convenient care.”