Unemployed women with mental illness during the Great Depression obviously did not receive much attention. A group of philanthropists saw that these women needed psychiatric treatment and so the organization was born. Over time, the nonprofit began to gain attention and eventually established itself in an area near downtown Los Angeles. In 1974, a headquarters was established in Culver City and the agency was recognized as an official community mental health center. Didi Hirsch, a longtime advocate for mental illness awareness and addiction treatment, has become the face of the agency through her boundless contributions to the cause. As a social worker, she steadfastly supported the agency and it was cordially renamed in her honor. Didi Hirsch now helps more than 70,000 people a year in many cities across California, erasing harmful biases and saving lives, one person at a time.