Long Beach children and families have a new safe space to access resources and programs they need.
The Guidance Center, a local mental health service provider, celebrated the opening of its new Family Resource Center at its Long Beach headquarters on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The new space will be a community hub where children and families can access resources, programs, and connections they need to heal and thrive, officials said.
The Guidance Center provides comprehensive mental health treatment to the community’s most disadvantaged children and families struggling with mental illness and abuse, leading them toward a positive and productive future, according to its website. The center envisions a community where all children have the help they need to be healthy and happy.
And this is a project that has been a long time coming for the organization.
“This is a dream come true,” Kris Allen, board chair of the Guidance Center, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’re giving back to the community and making sure there are proper resources for community members.”
For many families, finding support can be overwhelming and not always as accessible, officials said. The Family Resource Center was designed with this in mind and will help bridge the gap between wellness services and specialty mental health needs.
The interior of The Guidance Center’s new Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The interior of The Guidance Center’s new Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The Guidance Center’s Kris Allen speaks during the grand opening of the center’s Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Mayor Rex Richardson speaks during the grand opening of The Guidance Center’s Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The Guidance Center CEO Patricia Costales speaks during the grand opening of the center’s Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Mayor Rex Richardson speaks during the grand opening of The Guidance Center’s Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
JSGF Executive Director Julie Meenan speaks during the grand opening of The Guidance Center’s Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From left, Kris Allen, Mayor Rex Richardson, Patricia Costales and Julie Meenan pose for a photograph during a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Guidance Center’s new Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 8
The interior of The Guidance Center’s new Family Resource Center in Long Beach on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
“We are opening new doors here at the Guidance Center to support doors to stability and to opportunity,” Mayor Rex Richardson said. “We know sometimes how difficult it might be for families to navigate complex systems of support, and the fact that you can walk through one door and get resources to the entire family – whether it’s mental health support or access to economic opportunity – that’s a good thing for our communities.”
The services at the center will include basic needs resources, such as links to food, clothing and hygiene resources; specialty mental health care, such as support groups and parenting workshops to strengthen family relationships; and workshops and education programs designed to provide tools and build self-efficacy.
The Family Resource Center will be a safe gathering space to build networks of support with quarterly community events and more.
By addressing both mental health and basic needs, the Guidance Center will give families the foundation to not only survive but also thrive, officials said.
“I’m tearful about finally opening a Family Resource Center,” said Guidance Center CEO Patricia Costales. “It has been my dream for literally decades, because we’re really good at providing very intensive mental health services, and what’s lacking though is the preventive, softer touch things that can perhaps prevent a family from needing that level of care.”
The Family Resource Center team will be composed of coordinator Julio Perez and case manager Heidi Diaz. Their combined leadership and collaboration will ensure the community is supported in any way they need.
“I think it’s very needed,” Diaz said about the center. “I used to live in the area when I was little, and honestly, I feel like this is perfect because everyone should be able to get help.
“Coming back and being able to work in the community I grew up in is really nice,” Diaz added. “We’re really excited for the community to come and enjoy the space.”
The project, Costales said, was made possible through a grant from the Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation, as well as the Miller Foundation, Munzer Foundation and the Parsons Foundation.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, there were guided tours of the new space. New signage marks the entrance of the Family Resource Center, and inside, there is a newly set-up computer lab to support families with job search, homework assistance and general access to essential resources.
The center also has a growing mini-library that features more than 100 new books, donated by The Book Truck – a local nonprofit that gives free books to foster care, homeless and low-income teens throughout Los Angeles County and Long Beach.
“I’m beyond thrilled to finally be able to keep doing what we’re really good at, this high-level mental health care, but to finally do something that really supports our entire families and communities in a different way,” Costales said. “Communities that have been marginalized and disenfranchised and to be able to create this place of culture for them, it’s a dream come true.”