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Andrea Perez
Professor Malvin
English 114B
04, October 2015
Different Devils
In Lakeview Terrace, there are very few programs or resources that benefit the entire
community, most are for young children or for the elderly. In order for the entire population of
Lakeview Terrace to thrive, we must all be a part of something greater than ourselves. The
Lakeview Mental Health Center would be advantageous for everyone involved. The L.V.M.H.C
provides an array of services, for members of the community- it offers mental health screenings,
counseling, treatment, and housing. The Lakeview Mental Health Center will build a sturdy
foundation for future generations.
For those living in L.V.T there are only a handful of resources- a recreational center, a library,
some daycare facilities, and two schools. If one needs care of some kind, they are able to stay at
the Sylmar Health and Rehabilitation Center. The workers there are described as calm, patient,
and endearing. While the staff may be top notch, the appearance of the facility is dreary and
dispassionate. Many would agree that the appearance of a mental health facility should be
welcoming and the atmosphere relaxed.
The Center would be located next to Hansen Dam Recreational Center on Foothill Blvd,
a street that everyone in Lakeview passes on their daily commute. The lot next to Hansen is the
length of several blocks, so the size of the facility could be relatively large. The lot is located

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next to a pool and has what seems an endless row of trees to provide shade, the overall ambiance
of the area is peaceful and its calming to see the familys interacting either one another and
having fun. The front of the buildings will have roses- specific colors for specific meanings. Red
roses for strength, light pink for gentleness and sympathy and white roses for new beginnings.
The building will have several offices for screenings and psychotherapy, there will be a
pharmacy, and a larger section of the building will be for the patients who need to be monitored
more carefully and a dining hall. There is a second building on the premises, that is dedicated to
relieving stress and creating a safe atmosphere for everyone. There will be many activities going
on in the building such as yoga, dance, singing, art classes, storytelling, and a small theatre. The
center is open all hours of the day and there are always professionals ready to work with anyone.
Before any counseling or treatments can take place, a patient must be aware of their
symptoms. In order to reach a diagnosis, the individual must undergo a psychiatric assessment,
commonly known as a psychological screening. The L.V.M.H.C offers these services, since they
are a vital part of being in optimal mental health. These screenings help provide the psychiatrist
with information on what the patients issues may be, how to go about their treatment, if their
symptoms are due to a mental illness or a physical problem. The screening is basically when a
professional asks a person questions and they may ask to get some answers in writing, the main
goal is to see how you react to certain questions, your reasoning and how well you can remember
things. You will be asked about your relationships with family members, friends, co-workers, and
sometimes the psychiatrist will have blood or urine tests.
The L.V.M.H.C offers counseling to those who seek help and wish to find answers along
with different points of view on certain situations. Professional counseling services can help
someone understand that not everything goes according to plan and thats okay, its a learning

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experience. If someone is not comfortable with one-on-one sessions, then they can attend group
therapy. It might not seem effective at first, but its comforting to realize that you are not alone.
The L.V.M.H.C would offer treatments for a reasonable price and would not let anything
stop someone from seeking help. The treatments offered have been proven to be effective in
many cases and professionals who provide these services are highly trained and have years of
experience. The Lakeview Mental Health Center provides their patients with a handful of
treatment options, there is peer support- where people who have been in similar situations offer
advice and tell their story. There are support groups, psychotherapy-which is most effective when
paired with medication, since medication alone is not able to cure a persons mental illness; it is
only capable of helping the person manage their symptoms. There are rare cases where someone
may need to be hospitalized, because they need to be closely monitored, accurately diagnosed, or
have their medications adjusted when his/her mental temporarily worsens.
Mental illness has become a socially acceptable part of life in millennials, the younger
generations understand that life can become very difficult to deal with and rather than just
bucking up they seek help and guidance on how to correct these issues or to manage them.
There are those who are part of older generations who believe that mental illness is just an
excuse from facing reality. That the victim is simply too weak to handle the responsibilities of
life or that the child will grow out of it, treating the illness as a phase. Or that the person is
seeking attention and has no reason to be stressed or worried about anything, since they only
have to focus on a few things in life, whether it be school, work, or children. These beliefs are
destructive to the person on the receiving end and they can cause the person to become even
more perplexed and will not know how to seek guidance or are lead to feel that they do not need
it- that they were simply being dramatic. If a loved one approaches the person with the illness in

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such a way, it can create a rift in the relationship that may be irreparable. While there are those
who dont believe in disorders and such, it does not mean they should ban their family member
or friend from getting help, how can someone get better without guidance. Just because the adult
has never had these experiences or witnessed them, does not mean they get to ignore the
situation.
This Health Center would be a beneficial project not to just the patients, but the loved
ones of the individual. The man/woman can feel normal again; they can hang out with friends
again- rather than stay at home from the fear of being judged, they can assimilate themselves into
society. It allows the patients to grow and become better versions of themselves, they can once
again become functioning members of the community. Their loved ones no longer need to worry
if they are okay or if they need to be watched constantly. But, If the individual feels that they
may need help dealing with the transition to the outside world, or feel off kilter for a while, they
are able to return and continue speaking to a professional. The L.V.M.H.C is there to provide
stability, to keep the fragile off the streets and out of harms way- and stop them from causing
harm to anyone.
Once these people have received therapy and treatment for their issues and have a
brighter outlook on life, they go out and do things they never thought they would do. They can
finish that college class or they finally realize that the thing standing in their way of reaching a
goal was them. They become great members of society and give back to the community by
volunteering or talking to the youth or older individuals who are facing troubled times, then the
person that was mentored by the previous patient will continue to do good. Its a never ending
cycle of helpfulness, hope, and self-appreciation. That alone can help everyone, everyone cares

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for everyone and become invested in their wellbeing. A community can thrive if they simply
work together.
In The Guide to Twilight LA, there is a quote from opera singer Jessye Norman, she
discusses what a cry from the unheard would sound like. But if I were a person, already a
person. Sort of a youngster, 20 or something and I felt like I was being heard for the first time. It
would not be singing as we know it, it would be a RoarIt would be like a lion. Just roaring, it
wouldnt be words. It would just be like the worlds first utterance; I really do feel so. Norman
feels that the cries of the helpless, of the long tortured souls would be loud and soul shattering.
Norman understands the frustrations and anger someone feels when their rights and needs are
being disregarded as easily as a used napkin is. The emotions that the rioters felt in the early 90s
are similar to the emotions racing through someone with a neurotic disorder, they want to be
okay, to be safe, but when they try to explain how they feel or what they are going through
someone brushes them off and after being dismissed for a certain period of time- they might take
matters into their own hands. If that were to happen, the events are aggressive and violent. No
one should feel like that and the only way to solve these issues is there needs to be a group of
people who are willing to assist and listen, the problem needs to be dealt with immediately.
The Lake View Mental Health Center would be a place of refuge, a safe haven. A
place where someone can feel free and can face their fears and demons with others in a similar
situation. No judgement, no ridicule, just a place to better yourself. We are all playing the same
game, just different levels. Dealing with the same hell; just different devils.

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Works Cited:
Smith, Anna Deavere. Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992: On the Road; a Search for American
Character. New York, NY: Anchor, 1994. Print.
"Mental Health Conditions." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Web. 10 Apr.
2016.

"Mental Illness." - Mayo Clinic. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"Mental Health By the Numbers." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 May 2016.
"Statistics." NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.

Dear Professor Malvin,

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This writing assignment was indeed difficult, but it was a great way to test my writing
ability. I was confused and anxious that I was not fulfilling what was asked of us, and am happy
to say that I was able to do so. The hardest parts of completing the essay was creating the center
and figuring out how I wanted it to work. How to place my ideas into the proper words and
phrases.
Sincerely,
Andrea Perez