La Paz Geropsychiatric Center has been providing services to individuals with serious mental illness for over 50 years. Located in Paramount, California, the center offers inpatient non-acute care to adults ages 50 and older who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Residents are typically conserved by the Los Angeles Public Guardians Office or referred by the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, although privately conserved residents not referred by LADMH are also accepted. La Paz also has contractual agreements with several other counties for admissions.
Since it opened in 1986, La Paz has provided an alternative for individuals who may have otherwise been in state hospitals or acute care facilities. The center's treatment philosophy is focused on the belief that all individuals have the potential to improve their functioning and make choices that impact their quality of life. The goal of La Paz is to reduce the symptoms of severe mental illness, provide safe and effective medical and psychiatric treatment, and allow residents more choice and involvement in their treatment.
At La Paz, treatment is based on the idea that regardless of age or degree of impairment, individuals can improve their functioning and make choices about their environments for living, learning, working, and socializing. The center follows the Recovery-Centered Clinical System (RCCS), which is a holistic and comprehensive approach to recovery from serious mental illness. La Paz strives to help residents improve their level of functioning and make positive choices that enhance their quality of life.