Child Guidance Clinic Offering Free Services

The San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic is offering free health, social and legal services to the community at a low-income housing complex.

The Community Family Center, which held a grand opening this week, will operate out of a two-bedroom apartment in the Park Parthenia complex, 19100 Parthenia St., Suite 4.

A nurse will test area residents for tuberculosis and HIV twice a month. Legal Aid will offer free services every Wednesday and Noble Community Center will be at the community center twice a week to assist pregnant women with Medi-Cal information, said Silva Latorre, community outreach coordinator of the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic.

Latorre, who said she is trying to get other agencies to offer their services, is hoping to add a dentist, mental-health services for adults and after-school tutorial programs for children.

The San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic will also offer mental-health care for children. Latorre, a social worker, will assist adults in filling out welfare and job applications. Family center workers will not request proof of address or salary of potential clients, Latorre said.

The purpose of the center is to provide all needed services under one roof. In the past, Latorre said she had to refer people to services throughout the San Fernando Valley.

The clinic will be open full time beginning in July. For more information, call (818) 993-9311.