Mental Health & Crisis Services
What's On This Page
At Lanterman, we strongly believe that health and well-being can be fully attained only if mental health is also prioritized. We recognize that improving mental health outcomes requires more than awareness; it requires intentional efforts to expand access and strengthen pathways to care.
Mental Health Resource Directory
We are proud to share the Mental Health Resource Directory, developed to support individuals, families, service coordinators, and providers in identifying mental health services and community-based support. While not an exhaustive list of all resources available, the guide serves as a meaningful starting point for those seeking direction and support.
This effort was led by Judith Vargas, Crisis Services Specialist, in collaboration with Kennia Reyes, CA START Lanterman Program Director, as part of a broader initiative to improve access and utilization of mental health services for individuals with I/DD, regardless of acuity level.
Crisis Services
At Lanterman, our crisis services providers are designed not only to respond to an imminent crisis, but are also available prior to a crisis to prevent, stabilize, and strengthen long-term outcomes through a collaborative continuum of care:
Crisis Support Services (CSS) provides 24/7 crisis prevention and response, safety planning, coping strategies, and support-system training to help individuals remain stable in their homes and communities.
CA START Lanterman delivers evidence-informed crisis prevention and intervention through a biopsychosocial, person-centered approach. Services include assessment, consultation, therapeutic support, coaching, and cross-system crisis planning.
Read more about CA START
What is START?
The Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources and Treatment (START) Model provides mental health crisis support and prevention to people with developmental disabilities and mental/behavioral health needs. Services include crisis planning, crisis response, education, team collaboration, consultation, care management, and therapeutic coaching. All services are person-centered and assess the individual based on their environment and individual need. The START program aims to build capacity through relationships, support families and organizations, and assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life.
Who is Eligible for CA START?
CA START services are available for people ages 6 and over who have a documented developmental disability or co-occurring mental/behavioral health need and are receiving regional center services.
How to make a referral?
Please speak to your regional center service coordinator for more information about how to be referred to CA START.
More Information
Benchmark Human Services supports individuals with the most complex needs through intensive clinical and behavioral consultation, skill-building, provider training, and system capacity-building to reduce repeated crises and restrictive interventions for families, providers, and community partners
Meet Our Crisis Services Specialist
Judith Vargas, MA, AMFT, is a mental health clinician, Crisis Services Specialist, and systems-informed community leader who brings a person-centered, collaborative approach to advancing equitable, culturally responsive care for historically underserved communities. With over a decade of experience across developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and community mental health, her work centers on closing gaps between lived needs, social services, and behavioral health systems.
Read more about Judith
At Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center, Judith supports the development, coordination, and strengthening of crisis services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and co-occurring mental health needs. She serves as the primary liaison for Benchmark Human Services and supports collaboration across Regional Center teams, crisis providers, and community partners.
Her work includes strengthening referral pathways, improving system coordination, and advancing initiatives that aim to expand access to and utilization of mental health care for individuals with I/DD, regardless of acuity level.
Beyond her role at Lanterman, Judith has contributed to community mental health, research, teaching, and community leadership. She is the co-founder of Pepperdine University’s Aliento Community Organization and has supported initiatives that promote inclusion, belonging, multicultural proficiency, and community care across settings.
Judith holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy with Latinx Communities from Pepperdine University and plans to pursue her Psy.D. to continue advancing culturally responsive, system-informed mental health care and to build more equitable and humanizing systems of support.