The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health recently activated a new high performance video communications system in their San Pedro Mental Health Center (SPMHC) and provided its first Tele-Psychiatric service to a patient on Catalina Island.

In the past, mental health services for the residents of Catalina Island have been provided through a combination of expensive staff deployments from SPMHC on a twice-monthly basis and the reliance on consumers visiting mainland clinics for medication appointments. As a result, people who are seriously ill and unable to pursue care remain unknown and un-served. Indigent mentally ill adults in Avalon have also been underserved, in part due to the high cost of transportation between the Island and the mainland.

The new Polycom ViewStation, which was funded by the County’s Information Technology Fund, offers an innovative solution to the problem of serving isolated people who face barriers to mental health treatment and recovery support. The video system, which is installed at SPMHC, allows Catalina residents direct access to mental health services without having to go to the mainland.