Throughout California and the U.S., youth mental health has become an increasingly pressing crisis in the post-COVID years. The numbers are alarming: demand for care is soaring, and the state is grappling with a shortage of behavioral health professionals. Government leaders and agencies have made rapid expansion of this workforce a statewide priority, as it is essential to Californians’ long-term health and well-being.

Thanks to a transformative investment, CSUDH is poised to produce 700 practitioners to meet those needs. In April, Ballmer Group announced a $29 million gift to support Toros pursuing careers in mental and behavioral health over the next five years. The award is the largest in university history, surpassing Ballmer Group’s 2023 gift of $22.1 million to the CSUDH Philanthropic Fund and bringing their total philanthropy at the university to $52.7 million. Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the U.S., focusing on systems such as a K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice.

“This gift is a response to acute child and youth behavioral health shortages in the communities our students call home,” says CSUDH Interim President Mary Ann Villarreal. “Every Toro graduate represents better access to quality care for families who need it.”

The investment has launched Toros Heal L.A. (THLA), an ambitious initiative to transform access to mental health resources by expanding a culturally responsive workforce specifically dedicated to serving South L.A. and surrounding communities. The program will fund scholarships, licensure preparation, and emergency aid for nearly 700 students across graduate and undergraduate programs, including human services, social work, marital and family therapy, clinical and health psychology, and school and college counseling programs. Scholarships of up to $18,000 per year will significantly reduce educational debt, enabling graduates to pursue careers in public service, nonprofit, and community-based settings where they are most needed.

Jon Farrell, director of Toros Heal L.A., says the initiative builds on CSUDH’s longstanding mission of producing professionals who utilize curiosity and compassion as much as their clinical knowledge. CSUDH programs emphasize empowering communities and adapting care to each individual, he says, rather than relying on a didactic or predetermined approach.

“We’re really building a solid workforce through the voices and lived experiences of our students,” Farrell says. “You can tell when somebody is from CSUDH. They have that desire to slow down and ask questions.”

Alumni like Marisol Galvez find that methodology highly effective. After earning her M.S. in Counseling in 2021, Galvez became a school counselor at Compton Early College. She credits CSUDH professors and coursework with preparing her to support students from diverse backgrounds who may be navigating stressful and systemic challenges.

“It’s about making students feel comfortable and building relationships,” Galvez says. “I’m really passionate about helping my community. I’m from Compton. I understand what the students are going through.”

Providing culturally competent socio-emotional care, she says, is as critical to her role as academic guidance and college preparation. Galvez sees herself and other counselors as bridge builders between students, the education system, and the outside world.

“You’re not only providing a safe space in your office, but you’re bringing the world to students,” Galvez says.“ Sometimes our students don’t leave Compton — they never leave L.A. It’s so important to build the network that’s going to open more doors for them and their future.”

Alumni like Galvez are the blueprint for THLA. Many Toros come from the communities where they will go on to live and work as practitioners, bringing their lived experiences and identities with them. By removing financial barriers, THLA will recruit more Toros for the behavioral health pipeline. The program has already awarded 126 scholarships for Fall 2026.

“We want to keep people home,” Farrell says. “When we can embed our students within their own school systems and communities, that’s how we can create sustainable change over time.”

In addition to providing financial support for students, THLA will strengthen the university’s internships and community partnerships, enhance licensure readiness, and create the CSUDH Behavioral and Mental Health Institute. Though the Institute’s physical establishment is still three to five years away, THLA is already positioning CSUDH as a regional hub for behavioral and mental health education.

“We’re creating a culture of care that many people in our community are unfamiliar with,” Farrell says. “They need to be seen and heard. That’s why THLA matters: we’re showing people we care about them.”

1. L.A. County Youth Commission, 2025 ↩︎
2. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023 ↩︎
3. Huntington Psychology, 2024 ↩︎
4. CA Department of Health Care Access and Information, 2026 ↩︎

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