Western Youth Services East Region — CA

Western Youth Services (WYS) Laguna Hills is a community-based behavioral health clinic located in Laguna Hills, California, specializing in trauma-informed mental health services for children, youth, and families. WYS has served Orange County for over 50 years, growing from a single program into a network of nine-plus locations that together have helped more than 100,000 families access compassionate, culturally responsive behavioral health care.

Integrated Mental Health Services for Youth
The Laguna Hills location offers a full range of outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families, including individual therapy, family therapy, group counseling, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management. Clinicians specialize in treating anxiety and depression, trauma and PTSD, behavioral disorders, ADHD, adjustment difficulties related to foster care placement, social skills deficits, body dysmorphic and eating disorders, and school-related emotional and behavioral challenges.

WYS employs evidence-based therapeutic approaches including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS). The organization's clinical model integrates individual, family, and systems-level interventions to create sustainable change in the lives of young people and their caregivers.

Collaboration with Schools and Community Partners
Western Youth Services maintains strong partnerships with Orange County school districts, child welfare agencies, juvenile justice programs, and community organizations. School-based services embed licensed therapists directly in campus settings, reducing barriers to access and enabling early identification and intervention for students showing signs of emotional distress. WYS also provides training to educators, parents, and community members on topics such as trauma awareness, mental health first aid, and supporting children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Care
WYS is committed to providing services that are accessible and responsive to the diverse cultural and linguistic needs of Orange County's population. The Laguna Hills clinic offers bilingual services and employs clinicians from a variety of cultural backgrounds who understand the unique challenges faced by immigrant families, LGBTQ+ youth, foster and adoptive families, and other underserved communities. The organization's integrated approach to behavioral health recognizes that healing happens in the context of relationships, community, and cultural identity.