MECCA Services specialize in accessing and serving underserved or hard-to-reach individuals and communities and, as a collaborative, MECCA relies on the credibility and strength of its member agencies who have been serving communities across the county for decades. The power of the collaborative is evidenced by the ability to reach underserved populations on a scale that has never been done before.
MECCA recognizes that the biggest barrier to accessing mental health services is the stigma associated with mental illness as well as the feelings of fear, shame or embarrassment that a person can have regardless of age, race, gender, religion or income. MECCA is committed to Drawing Out Stigma by using the arts, film and now through intensive writing workshops to create a positive process for wellbeing in our communities by drawing out people’s experiences through poetry, memoir, and short stories of those who have experienced mental health challenges.
Click to view Drawing Out Stigma Overview Video
Click to view Drawing Out Stigma, My Story, My Journey Film
MECCA’s Early Intervention Services for Older Adults Program targets adults 60 years of age and older who are experiencing the early onset of mental health conditions or those who are at an increased risk of developing mental health conditions. The program reaches out to unserved or under-served older adults who are isolated due to social, cultural and linguistic barriers. The program provides services at no cost.
MECCA’s Family Mentoring Program for multicultural communities is dedicated to increasing access to information about services available through the Regional Center of Orange County and community organizations. MECCA hopes to empower parents to become active, knowledgeable advocates for their children and increase access to services to have children reach their full potential. The Family Mentoring Program also provides information about developmental screenings and educational trainings that meet the cultural and linguistic needs of diverse families.
Click any of the above flyers to download
MECCA is working in our communities to bring awareness to substance use disorders, opioid use disorders, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Mental health disorders and substance use disorders often go hand in hand, and these disorders affect people from all walks of life and all age groups but we often don’t discuss it enough and seek support. These illnesses are common, recurrent, and often serious, but they are treatable and recovery is possible. Our main objectives are to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education and outreach about SUD, OUD, and MAT to organizations and ethnic communities and increase countywide MAT access by supporting systems change efforts. Lastly, Our Destigmatizing Recovery campaign seeks to reduce substance use disorder stigma and, It’s Okay to Ask for Help.
MECCA successfully provides culturally and linguistically competent outreach services focused on a variety of health equity programs including, Substance Abuse Prevention, Mental Health, Physical Health, and Stigma Reduction
Working together MECCA’s member agencies are able to reach Orange County’s ethnic populations in Vietnamese, Spanish, Khmer, Korean, Arabic, and Farsi.
Click any of the above flyers to download
As part of the Children’s Mental Health Access Collaborative of Orange County (CMHAC), MECCA and its partner agencies develop and implement culturally responsive mental health community education curricula in seven languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic, Mandarin, and Khmer. These community education sessions are interactive and promote awareness of children’s mental health, helping to reduce stigma associated with seeking treatment options. The outreach curricula is presented by seven Community Educators in community-based and school-based settings including virtually, MECCA partner agency service sites, FRCs, faith-based communities, and individual school locations.
