PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION

An Approved Training Vendor through CalMHSA’s Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Program. Since 2022, we have been providing the comprehensive 80-hour Peer Support Certification Training ….   VIEW THE BROCHURE

Digital Health Literacy

Painted Brain’s Digital Health Literacy training is a series of courses developed for peers that aims to increase digital health literacy among mental health consumers and the general public.

COMMUNITY CENTER

You can access free workshops, materials, and resources for mental health, art, social work, and occupational therapy. Peer-run support groups provide a safe space for people to connect and share their lived experiences…MORE

COMMUNITY CENTER

You can access free workshops, materials, and resources for mental health, art, social work, and occupational therapy. Peer-run support groups provide a safe space for people to connect and share their lived experiences…MORE

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES

A holistic, client-centered discipline that not only aids individuals of all ages in fully participating in daily activities but also focuses on enabling better health and life satisfaction through unique therapeutic practices.

Support Groups

Check out our community calendar to see what groups are on offer at our community center or online.

UPCOMING AT PAINTED BRAIN

In 2023, Painted Brain served over 1000 unique participants

individuals engaged in Peer Services

individuals engaged in Digital Health Literacy

individuals engaged in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training

individuals engaged in Mental Health Services

individuals engaged in Life Skills Development

It takes a village to recover from mental illness.

Community provides safety, models new behaviors, reinforces positive change, examines and challenges limiting beliefs, and encourages engagement and positive social interactions.

Painted Brain creates lasting, community-based solutions to mental health challenges and the impact of social injustice through arts, advocacy, and enterprise.

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HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

Painted Brain was initially founded in 2005 by Dave Leon as a community-based art group at a mental health center in Los Angeles.

At the time, Painted Brain was not an organization and did not have an official name; it was just a community-based project.

. . . 

PROGRAMS

PADS PEER VOICE-ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION PROJECT

Painted Brain (PB) was awarded the PADs Peer Voice-Advocacy and Education Grant a California Statewide Project funded through the MHSA Multi-County PADs Innovation Project.

Art Haus

About

Artists

Exhibitions

Programs

Art Haus image of two people coloring drawings of a city with a dog in t

Services

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

A holistic, client-centered discipline that not only aids individuals of all ages in fully participating in daily activities but also focuses on enabling better health and life satisfaction through unique therapeutic practices.

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

Let us assist you by setting up a meeting with our development team. We can provide consultation, feedback, and a wealth of new ideas. 

PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a legal, rights document enabling people to plan for, prevent, and/or reduce the severity of potential future mental health crises  

DIGITAL HEALTH LITERACY

Painted Brain’s digital health literacy training is a series of courses developed for peers that aims to increase digital health literacy among mental health consumers and the general public. 

SUPPORT GROUPS

Painted Brain envisions all group activities, even art groups, as supportive in nature, but we also offer targeted support for specific topics.

COMMUNITY CENTER

You can access free workshops, materials, and resources for mental health, art, social work, and occupational therapy.

Dr. Kristen Ochoa

Dr. Kristen Ochoa

“Painted Brain has been a great support for our clients, helping them feel valued, build community, socialize and engage positively and grow in their independence through group leadership opportunities. We are grateful for their partnership.”

Christopher Schnieders

Christopher Shnieders, Director of The Saks InsTitute

“Painted Brain is transforming lives and supporting our advocacy efforts on multiple projects to improve the quality of care and protecting the agency of those living with mental health challenges to get the adequate care they need to establish recovery.”

Woman looking down portrait

Tod Lipka, CEO of Step Up

“Connections to others and a sense of belonging is vital and essential to the recovery process. Painted Brain has provided exactly such an important connection and creative arts community, using the commonality of mental illness, for over ten years. Painted Brain has been of tremendous value to many Step Up members during that time.”

LATEST BLOG ARTICLES

Dissociation

Dissociation

Recently, whilst walking through town, I became temporarily dissociated. My physical presence felt detached from my surroundings and my senses shut down to the point of numbness. Nothing beyond my self felt real, and even the self felt curiously alien. WebMD describes...

Green Thumb: Gardening and Mental Health

Green Thumb: Gardening and Mental Health

Do you like to spend your time planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables? Or what about landscaping and creating beautiful gardens? It is a widely known fact that going spending time outside is good for our minds and our bodies. But what are the mental health benefits...