Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY SERVICES INC.

Totals

Total revenue: $4,510,420
Total expenses: $2,935,474
Contributions and grants received: $4,427,810
Grants paid: $0
Program service revenue: $34,477
Investment income: $74,307
Other revenue: -$26,174
Total assets, end of year: $3,277,992
Total liabilities, end of year: $448,234
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $2,829,758
Program services expenses (Part IX): $2,657,899
Management and general expenses: $162,084
Fundraising expenses: $115,491
Program service expenses (Part III): $2,657,899

Program services were 90.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

1a · Federated campaigns

$258
1b · Membership dues

$0
1c · Fundraising events

$137,981
1d · Related organizations

$0
1e · Government grants (contributions)

$1,681,774
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$2,607,797
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$4,544
2a · Program service revenue: Attorneys Fees

total $28,072 · related or exempt $28,072 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
2b · Program service revenue: Training and service contracts

total $6,405 · related or exempt $6,405 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
2f · All other program service revenue

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
3 · Investment income

total $74,307 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $74,307
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
5 · Royalties

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
6c · Rental income or loss

real property $0 · personal property $0
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

securities $1,886,000 · other assets $0
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

securities $1,886,000 · other assets $0
7c · Gain or loss

securities $0 · other assets $0
7d · Net gain or loss

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
8a · Fundraising events: gross income

$10,580
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

$137,981
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

$36,807
8c · Net income from fundraising events

total -$26,227 · unrelated business $0 · excluded -$26,227
11a · Other revenue: Miscellaneous income

total $53 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $53
11d · All other revenue

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
11e · Other revenue, total

$53

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

total $0 · program services $0
2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $0 · program services $0
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

total $0 · program services $0
4 · Benefits paid to or for members

total $0 · program services $0
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $350,760 · program services $286,437 · management and general $26,660 · fundraising $37,663
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $1,898,642 · program services $1,813,387 · management and general $54,283 · fundraising $30,972
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
9 · Other employee benefits

total $212,194 · program services $192,498 · management and general $15,637 · fundraising $4,059
10 · Payroll taxes

total $169,763 · program services $158,622 · management and general $6,224 · fundraising $4,917
11a · Fees: management

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11b · Fees: legal

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11c · Fees: accounting

total $10,500 · program services $2,160 · management and general $8,340 · fundraising $0
11d · Fees: lobbying

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

total $26,400 · fundraising $26,400
11f · Fees: investment management

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11g · Fees: other

total $46,554 · program services $25,480 · management and general $20,976 · fundraising $98
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
13 · Office expenses

total $37,771 · program services $18,808 · management and general $15,615 · fundraising $3,348
14 · Information technology

total $59,186 · program services $49,595 · management and general $4,110 · fundraising $5,481
15 · Royalties

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
16 · Occupancy

total $42,309 · program services $38,922 · management and general $2,525 · fundraising $862
17 · Travel

total $9,857 · program services $8,228 · management and general $613 · fundraising $1,016
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

total $2,110 · program services $751 · management and general $1,359 · fundraising $0
20 · Interest

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
21 · Payments to affiliates

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $5,422 · program services $4,317 · management and general $1,105 · fundraising $0
23 · Insurance

total $28,463 · program services $27,362 · management and general $712 · fundraising $389
24a · Other expenses: Parking

total $5,871 · program services $4,725 · management and general $1,053 · fundraising $93
24b · Other expenses: Professional Membership

total $16,300 · program services $13,280 · management and general $2,851 · fundraising $169
24c · Other expenses: Library

total $13,372 · program services $13,327 · management and general $21 · fundraising $24
24e · All other expenses

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $747,970 · end of year $481,408
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

beginning of year $236,000 · end of year $152,370
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

beginning of year $314,097 · end of year $272,390
4 · Accounts receivable

beginning of year $31,825 · end of year $82,512
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
7 · Other notes and loans receivable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
8 · Inventories for sale or use

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

beginning of year $29,878 · end of year $44,640
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

$32,474
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$11,315
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $24,988 · end of year $21,159
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

beginning of year $0
12 · Investments: other securities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
13 · Investments: program-related

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
14 · Intangible assets

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
15 · Other assets

beginning of year $267,409 · end of year $2,223,513
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

beginning of year $131,577 · end of year $217,535
18 · Grants payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
19 · Deferred revenue

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
20 · Tax-exempt bond liabilities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
21 · Escrow or custodial account liability

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
25 · Other liabilities

beginning of year $267,346 · end of year $230,699
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $954,032 · end of year $2,771,440
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $299,212 · end of year $58,318

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

The mission of Mental Health Advocacy Services (MHAS) is to protect and advance the legal rights of low-income adults and children with mental health disabilities and empower them to assert those rights in order to maximize their autonomy, achieve equity, and secure the resources they need to thrive.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Mental Health Advocacy Services provides comprehensive legal services for low-income Angelenos who have mental health disabilities and face discrimination and other barriers to meeting basic needs and achieving general wellbeing. Legal remedies can help this especially vulnerable population achieve housing and economic stability that, in turn, promotes mental health and overall wellbeing.

Homelessness Prevention Projects - MHAS is the lead agency in multiple behavioral health-legal partnerships in which legal services intervention specifically targeting low-income tenants with mental health disabilities at risk of homelessness is holistically integrated in partnership with mental health services providers in Los Angeles. Clients are provided with tenant advocacy assistance in landlord-tenant rental disputes, including pre-eviction legal services, counseling, advice and consultation, mediation, training, renter education and representation, and legal services to improve habitability and to ensure receipt of eligible income or benefits to improve housing stability. MHAS is also a proud member of the Stay Housed L.A. coalition, a partnership between the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and local community and legal service providers that provides tenants with the information and support needed to exercise their rights so that they can remain safely in their homes. Through its participation in this partnership, MHAS provides individualized advice and counsel on fair housing and tenancy rights to clients with mental health disabilities, as well as direct representation on behalf of these clients in conflicts with landlords, housing authorities, and non-profit housing and service providers. MHAS also provides technical assistance and training to other members of the Stay Housed LA Coalition on the rights and responsibilities of individuals with mental health disabilities. Activities in 2024 included legal assistance in 332 individual client cases and technical assistance to multiple mental health organizations and housing providers.

Expenses $693,315 · Revenue $4,000
Medical-Legal Community Partnership - MHAS is a key partner in Los Angeles County's Medical-Legal Community Partnership ("MLCP"), a project administered by the Department of Health Services and the Department of Mental Health. Through the MLCP, MHAS assists participants with legal issues to ensure that they have the resources and support needed to achieve better health outcomes and overall well-being. Since the project began in 2018, MHAS has helped thousands of participants on legal matters in the areas of housing, public benefits, and discrimination; provided a series of trainings on legal issues pertinent to healthcare workers; and guided hundreds of clinical staff with legal technical assistance. In 2024, MHAS provided legal and technical assistance to 650 clients through this project.

Expenses $495,617
Mental Health Court Self-Help Clinic - In 2022, MHAS launched a new legal clinic in partnership with the Mental Health Court targeting individuals with mental health disabilities. The Clinic provides Court-approved information and resources about Mental Health Court proceedings to litigants and other members of the public who are not currently in custody. The Clinic also offers information and brief services on a range of ancillary civil legal issues with a goal of helping litigants achieve greater overall stability, thus allowing them to move through their proceedings at Mental Health Court with greater efficiency and success, and with less likelihood of returning. This includes helping litigants secure and maintain housing, helping litigants access SSI or other benefits to which they may be legally entitled, and assisting litigants with obtaining - or having reinstated - their Driver's License or California ID, among other civil, legal needs. In 2024, MHAS provided information and technical assistance to 419 individuals.

Expenses $180,000
Other program services in 2024 included: (1) Addressing Barriers to Reentry Project - MHAS partners with the organization Painted Brain on "Project New Start," a comprehensive job placement, mental health, and legal services program for formerly incarcerated individuals that reside in South Los Angeles. Project New Start was established to combat employment barriers for individuals who are or who have been in the criminal justice system and are experiencing mental health challenges. MHAS helps clients overcome barriers to reentry by providing legal services and advocacy in the areas of expungement, employment, housing, and criminal justice debt. (2) CARE Court Advocacy - In 2023, MHAS began hosting a new Skadden Fellowship project focused on providing civil legal services to litigants in Los Angeles County's Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court. CARE Court is a new court system that allows a court to order behavioral health treatment for people with severe mental health disorders. Unfortunately, CARE Court has no authority to order permanent housing or other critical supportive services for respondents experiencing homelessness. MHAS' CARE Court project provides these individuals with comprehensive civil legal aid services in the areas of housing, benefits, and more, increasing their chances of meeting their CARE Court requirements and preserving their autonomy. (3) Consumer Advocacy - Consumer law and credit reparation are common areas of service across MHAS' programs serving low-income clients with mental health disabilities. MHAS provides legal assistance related to debt collection, credit reporting errors, financial exploitation and financial disputes with landlords, businesses, and public agencies. (4) Fair Housing - MHAS fights housing discrimination against individuals with mental health disabilities through legal representation and fair housing education and outreach activities. Activities in 2024 included conducting fair housing workshops for mental health consumers and service providers and distributing "Fair Housing Tip of the Month" email messages in in English, Korean, and Spanish to over 4,500 people and organizations. (5) Government Benefits Advocacy - MHAS provides government benefits assistance to people with mental health disabilities, including providing advice about the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application process, as well as preventing clients from losing their SSI benefits by assisting them with post-eligibility issues such as benefit terminations, overpayments, and disability reviews. (6) Special Education Advocacy - MHAS conducts community outreach and parent training and technical assistance to help low-income families obtain special education and other services their children need to achieve academic success. MHAS also provides individual advocacy including negotiation with school districts and other agencies and representation in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, mediations and administrative hearings. (7) Transition Age Youth (TAY) Medical-Legal Partnership - MHAS operates a medical-legal partnership with Daniel's Place in Santa Monica. Daniel's Place provides mental health care, housing assistance, hot meals and showers, and other services to transition age youth with mental health disabilities who are chronically unhoused. Through this partnership, MHAS provides direct legal services involving housing, traffic and parking tickets, public benefits, expungements, and other issues to promote a happy and successful transition to adulthood. (8) Veterans Legal Services - In 2024, MHAS launched a partnership with the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program operated by Mental Health America of Los Angeles (MHALA). Through this partnership, MHAS provides vital legal services to veterans to promote access to housing and long-term housing stability. MHAS attorneys represent MHALA's veteran members facing a range of legal issues, including veterans fighting eviction and those denied housing due to discrimination. In addition to direct representation, MHAS offers technical assistance to support MHALA's broader efforts to ensure that every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home. (9) Other legal services including direct assistance regarding legal issues affecting low-income adults and children with mental health disabilities; training and technical assistance to attorneys, mental health professionals, consumer and family member groups, and other advocates; impact litigation; and policy advocacy aimed at protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with mental health disabilities.

Expenses $1,288,967 · Revenue $30,477

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Jenny Farrell

Executive Director

Total calculated

$193,846

From this org

$169,657

From related orgs

$0

Other

$24,189

Hours/week

32

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$149,233

Bonus

$20,424

Other

$0

Deferred

$0

Nontaxable benefits

$25,835

Filer's total

$195,492
Renee Cook

Director of Administration and Finance

Total calculated

$152,330

From this org

$136,052

From related orgs

$0

Other

$16,278

Hours/week

32

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$133,934

Bonus

$2,118

Other

$0

Deferred

$0

Nontaxable benefits

$19,216

Filer's total

$155,268
Naomi Sultan

Supervising Attorney

Total calculated

$118,622

From this org

$105,233

From related orgs

$0

Other

$13,389

Hours/week

32
Emily Aviad

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Edward Casey

Director, President

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Lauren Cruz

Director, Secretary

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Douglas Hall

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Lisa Harris

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Azita Iskandar

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jill Kennedy

Director, Treasurer

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Jeanette Laba

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Nicole Ko

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jessica Laird

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Alexa Lawson-Remer

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Marcellus McRae

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Lisa Yumi Mitchell

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Alyssa Musante

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Katherine Perez

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Francis Ryu

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Elyn Saks

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Bradley Schneider

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Laura Schwartz

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Andrew Spitser

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Zach Tofoya

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jessica Walker

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jerome Wilhort

Director, Vice President

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Tammy Wu

Director

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

3 · Form 990 of other organizations
3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
7 · Other non-fixed payments
8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type: form_990
Tax year: 2024
Filed: 15 May 2025
IRS schema version: 2024v5.0
Source object: 202501359349310510

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