PROTOTYPES HISTORY, OVERVIEW AND AWARDS

History and Overview
Awards and Recognition

History and Overview

PROTOTYPES: Centers for Innovation in Health, Mental Health, and Social Services is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation founded in 1986 by Dr. Vivian Brown, a clinical psychologist and pioneer in substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention. She and co-founder, Maryann Fraser, LCSW, envisioned a new form of social service organization that would remain flexible enough to meet the needs of rapidly changing communities. PROTOTYPES' purpose was to promote the health and psychological well-being of individuals and families through the provision of health, mental health, and substance abuse services. In addition, PROTOTYPES wanted to enhance the effectiveness of other social service and health agencies by providing them with training and consultation services. PROTOTYPES' mission was, and remains today, meeting emerging community needs through the development of innovative models of service delivery, as well as testing, refining, and disseminating those models.

PROTOTYPES' treatment services began in 1988 with the opening of PROTOTYPES' Women's Center in Pomona. The Center began providing residential treatment for women and their children, added outpatient services, and day treatment. PROTOTYPES' Women's Center is seen as a national model for the treatment of drug-abusing women and their children who are also at risk for co-occurring disorders such as mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and trauma. In 1992, PROTOTYPES brought these services into Ventura County by opening PROTOTYPES' Women's Center/Ventura.

PROTOTYPES began delivering training services in 1986 under its Training, Technical Assistance, and Consultation Division. In 1990, the Josette Mondanaro Women's Resource Center was opened on the Pomona campus; it provides ongoing training to drug treatment and other service providers throughout Los Angles Country. In 1991, the Division developed a Cross-Training Project, which provides training in HIV/AIDS to substance abuse providers and training in substance abuse to HIV/AIDS service providers. More recently, a Professional Development program was added to PROTOTYPES' training programs.

In 1989, PROTOTYPES became one of the first agencies in the United States to offer AIDS prevention and outreach programs specifically targeted to women at risk. These model programs have expanded into outreach and engagement services in a number of communities throughout Los Angeles County. In 1994, PROTOTYPES began the development of what are now three multi-services centers for women living with HIV/AIDS.

In 2000, PROTOTYPES was pleased to assume responsibility for a program now known as PROTOTYPES/I-CAN, a mental health program for men and women located in Pasadena and Pomona. In the last several years, PROTOTYPES has developed innovative programs for adolescents mental health programs for adolescents and transitional youth with substance abuse, mental health problems, and co-occurring disorders. It has also been in the forefront of the development of models of integrated service delivery. Its Assessment Center for LA County's Health Service Planning Area 3 exemplifies the use of blended funding streams to address the need for integrated assessment and referral to services.

While PROTOTYPES has focused on developing services that take into account the special needs of women and their children, in response to requests from the community, several of its programs began serving men in 2000. PROTOTYPES programs have continued to grow, in size, scope, and vision, over the agency's 20 year history. These programs serve more than 15,000 individuals each year.

Awards and Recognition

From its inception, PROTOTYPES pioneering work with vulnerable populations have been recognized by all levels of government with grants and contracts originating from federal, state, county, and city agencies. Federal awards have come from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. The California Departments of Correction, Health, and Alcohol and Drug Programs have also recognized and supported PROTOTYPES' work, as have the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Program Administration, and Office of AIDS Programs and Policy. In addition, PROTOTYPES has received private sector grants and contracts from the Weingart Foundation, the Ahmanson Foundation, the Mark Taper Foundation, the Joseph Drown Foundation, the California Community Foundation, the Parsons Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Blue Cross of California, United Way, the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, AT&T Foundation, Magic Johnson Foundation, Pacific Bell, McCarthy Foundation, the Plum Foundation, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, and the Claremont Community Foundation. Other support has come from AIDS Project Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente, Aiding People with AIDS, and from numerous individuals, corporations, and local businesses.