Betty Mendoza
Wellnest
Director of Outpatient Services
Hi Betty, briefly share with us what your role is and what your primary duties are at Wellnest.
I have been working at Wellnest for 27 years and I currently am the Director of Outpatient Services at Wellnest’s Leimert Park office, where I oversee three key programs: Outpatient Services, Telehealth Services, and the Mind, Body & Heart Program at Adventist White Memorial Medical Center. The Mind, Body & Heart Program serves the Latino community, supporting individuals facing both mental health challenges and chronic medical conditions.
My responsibilities include hiring and supervising staff, developing policies and procedures, guiding the leadership team, and enhancing program quality to ensure the best care for our clients. My inspiration began early in life when I recognized how fortunate I was to have supportive parents, something many of my peers lacked. I knew I wanted to help young people struggling with mental health challenges. Over time, I also saw the barriers and stigma surrounding mental health in the Latino community, which motivated me to expand access and education for those who need it most.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges in mental health care today? And how is Wellnest addressing these challenges?
Access to mental health services is a significant challenge for the communities we serve. At Wellnest, we address this by offering services at several nearby schools and promoting them through platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We ensure timely care by maintaining no waiting list for services. Another barrier is the stigma surrounding mental health and a lack of awareness in the community. To address this, Wellnest hosts healing circles and mental health workshops, providing education and creating safe spaces for dialogue and support.
What do you think are the biggest stressors facing mental health professionals providing mental health services to children and families, today?
The mental health profession requires therapists to serve a set number of clients to meet agency expectations. While therapists effectively provide care and complete the necessary documentation for the Department of Mental Health, salaries often fall short compared with other organizations, such as school districts or the Department of Mental Health itself. As a result, many therapists leave for higher-paying positions.
Therapists also face challenges balancing work and personal life. Between client care, paperwork, and mandatory trainings, they often experience fatigue, stress, and worry. Adding to this, ICE raids create additional professional and personal insecurity. Therapists strive to protect their clients, and sometimes their own families without clear guidance on navigating these complex socio-political pressures.
Are you seeing any innovative ways or approaches that are shaping the future of mental health?
Telehealth services are expanding access to mental health care for children and adults who may not want or are unable to attend in-person therapy. While challenges exist, such as limited privacy, inconsistent connectivity, and the potential to miss nonverbal cues, telehealth offers significant benefits. It improves access, reduces transportation barriers, increases convenience, and supports attendance even when clients are ill.
Therapists also gain from virtual platforms, which provide more training opportunities and professional development. Immediate communication enhances the connection between therapist and client.
Integrating non-traditional practices, such as art, Zumba, yoga, and herbal therapies alongside mental health services is leading to improved outcomes, including reduced symptoms, fewer hospitalizations, and lower appointment costs. We hope that, in the future, Medi-Cal and Medicare will recognize the value and cost-effectiveness of combining these innovative approaches with therapy.
Is there anything you would share with or any advice you would give the next generation of mental health professionals?
I would tell them that mental health work is challenging, complex, and often stressful—but also deeply rewarding. Every client brings their own story of trauma, mental health struggles, and life experiences. If managing emotions were easy, they wouldn’t need therapy.
It’s essential, therefore, to prepare mentally and emotionally for the experiences we will hear and the interventions we will provide. Empathy, patience, understanding, and compassion are critical, as is staying connected to the core reason why you chose this profession.
What are some unique mental health needs or barriers to care you’ve observed in the Hispanic community, and how does Wellnest work to overcome them?
The Latino community faces many barriers to care, including limited understanding of the link between mental and physical health, lack of health insurance, and a shortage of Spanish-speaking therapists. Wellnest addresses these challenges by offering competitive salaries, including a differential for Spanish-speaking staff, ensuring clients can receive services in their preferred language. For therapists who work only in English, professional translators provide support.
Wellnest also receives funding to serve uninsured clients and maintains no waiting list. The Mind, Body & Heart program works to reduce mental health stigma through educational workshops. Every Tuesday at the White Memorial Garden, we offer workshops in Spanish for the Latino community, welcoming everyone, with interpreters available as needed.
Wellnest provides services to approcimately 56% of Wellnest clients who are Hispanic. How does cultural understanding or language accessibility impact the way we deliver mental health services to our Hispanic clients?
Wellnest hires Spanish-speaking therapists and offers a salary differential to attract and retain them. Speaking Spanish strengthens trust and connection between clients and therapists, improves communication, and increases the likelihood that clients remain in treatment. For those hesitant about mental health care, receiving information in their language can motivate them to seek services. Using humor, idioms, and culturally familiar expressions also helps clients feel more comfortable and understood.
