Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara addresses critical shortage in psychiatric services for youths

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Sanctuary Centers, a mental health clinic in Santa Barbara, is expanding and adapting its services after seeing a critical shortage in psychiatric services for youths in the community.

Sanctuary Centers is the only comprehensive facility of its kind in Santa Barbara, offering a wide range of services including counseling, psychiatry, substance use treatment, and family therapy to young people under the age of 25.

Thanks to a grant of $100,000 from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, Sanctuary Centers was able to hire two bilingual therapists.

This has lead to doubling the number of youths who now receive psychiatric and counseling services at the clinic.

“They’re exhibiting problems getting back into a structure, so the need is not going to go away anytime soon this is a generation that has been impacted developmentally," said Lisa Moschini, vice president and clinical director of Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara. 

Since the agency received this funding, it has already seen over 300 referrals of children and youth.

“My hope is that we can do everything in this community in partnership with other agencies. We can’t do it all ourselves and with the support of incredible organizations like the women’s five reach more and more of these kids," said Barry Schoer, president and CEO of Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara. 

The clinic said it hopes this expansion will meet the ever-changing needs of those affected by mental illness.