After nearly four decades of service, StrengthUnited is expanding its reach while deepening its roots in the San Fernando Valley with the opening of a new office located in the city of San Fernando.
StrengthUnited, a leading provider of trauma-informed mental health services and community prevention programs that operates through California State University, Northridge’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education, is bringing comprehensive therapy services and prevention programming directly into the neighborhood where many clients live and work.
The new office opens its doors on Friday, Sept. 19, at 1240 Truman Street #200, San Fernando.
“This grand opening demonstrates StrengthUnited’s commitment to creating a comprehensive support system in San Fernando. From prevention visits in your living room to therapy sessions in your neighborhood, we’re meeting families wherever they are in their healing journey,” said StrengthUnited Executive Director Merilla Scott.
The new location will house StrengthUnited’s Community Public Health Team (CPHT) operations and mental health services and will serve as headquarters for the Close to Home prevention initiative.
This expansion creates a true continuum of care — from prevention in people’s homes to therapy in their neighborhood. The San Fernando office combines clinical services with robust prevention programming, offering individual, family, group, and in-home counseling alongside community-based prevention initiatives that reach thousands of families before crisis occurs.
Located in a community where 93 percent of residents identify as Latino and 73 percent speak a language other than English, the new office ensures culturally responsive care is more convenient and accessible than ever before. It also provides the same comprehensive trauma recovery services, child advocacy, and family preservation programs that have touched thousands of lives—now delivered in the heart of the community.
“This office represents StrengthUnited’s dedication to prevention and treatment working hand in hand,” Scott said. “By establishing our presence here, we’re building resilience before crises arise, fostering safety and security in our communities, and creating new pathways for healing, connection, and lasting strength right at home.”
Through partnerships with local organizations and 360+ annual outreach activities, the new office will serve as a hub for community-based prevention strategies and neighborhood empowerment.
StrengthUnited is a chartered center on CSUN’s Eisner College, assisting those affected by violence, sexual abuse and trauma. It has been serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys for more than 30 years, providing confidential support and response 24 hours a day, seven days a week — supporting more than 5,000 children, adults and families every year.
StrengthUnited has also been providing mental health training to more than 160 CSUN graduate and undergraduate students each year and offering prevention and education workshops throughout the community to address violence and abuse at the root.
The agency offers a 24/7 Support and Resource Line that provides crisis intervention, emotional support, guidance for giving and receiving help, and referrals to community resources when in need. StrengthUnited is also known for its 24-hour SART Team, a team of certified professionals who provide services to individuals of all ages.