When we are seeking high quality women services it can feel like having a casting call and all too often not finding what we are looking for. It is vital that women are aware of the various services available to them to stay healthy, wealthy, and wise. When it comes to women’s services, it is key to have these services run by those who understand the unique challenges of being a woman.
While having access to good women’s services is an important first step, it is also important to train individuals to provide these services in the future. We need to get more women involved in the medical fields and many programs for young women have been in the news recently. These future doctors will be able to provide women’s services for future generations of women and help make the healthcare system more equitable.
Women’s Mental Health Services
Did you know that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), is the largest county mental health department in the country? It directly operates more than 85 programs and provides a spectrum of mental health services for all ages. Mental health services include assessments, case management, crisis intervention, medication support, peer support and other rehabilitative services. Services are provided in multiple settings including residential facilities, clinics, schools, hospitals, juvenile halls and camps, mental health courts, board and care homes, in the field and in people’s homes.
These programs emphasize addressing co-occurring mental health disorders and other health problems such as addiction. As women it is important that we search for women’s only detox and rehab programs so that we know we will be in a program that will meet our challenges as women. The fact is that women have extremely diverse life experiences. Choosing a women’s drug or alcohol detox program is useful to receive understanding and camaraderie. Sometimes only another woman can truly understand what we are going through and give us the support we need.
Women’s Reproductive Health Services
The Office of Family Planning (OFP) is charged with making available to those of us who live in California and are of childbearing age comprehensive medical knowledge, assistance, and services relating to family planning. Family planning provides women with a means by which they can decide for themselves the number, timing, and spacing of their children. The Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program has been operating since 1997 to provide family planning and reproductive health services at no cost to California’s low-income residents of reproductive age. The program offers comprehensive family planning services, including contraception and pregnancy testing. In addition, it offers STI testing and even limited cancer screening services.
Women’s Cancer Detection Services
Cancer is a serious condition that has touched many of our lives. We might have an aunt who had breast cancer, a cousin with cervical cancer, or a best friend who is currently undergoing chemo. One cancer prevention program available to women is the “Every Woman Counts” program. Every Woman Counts (EWC) provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations. The mission of the “Every Woman Counts Program” is to mitigate the devastating medical, emotional, and financial effects of breast and cervical cancer. It is also to eliminate health disparities for medically underserved, low-income individuals.
Childcare Services
Childcare services are key if we want to balance having a career and having a family. Here in LA parental choice allows us to choose from several types of childcare providers. For example, a Licensed Child Care Center is licensed to operate in a school-like setting where children are grouped by age (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and/or school-aged). On the other hand, a Licensed Family Child Care Home is a provider that uses their own home to care for children and has been licensed through the State’s Community Care Licensing Division. Finally, a Licensed-Exempt Child Care is a childcare provider without a childcare license. This could be a friend, family member, or neighbor. In addition, many public schools offer before and after school programs throughout Los Angeles County. These programs provide a supervised educational and recreational setting for our children when we are unable to watch them in person.
