The Maple Counseling Center raised $1 million from its annual “Tea and Tequila” fundraiser at The Maybourne Beverly Hills on Oct. 26, following an anonymous donation. Proceeds will benefit the center’s mission to provide low-cost mental health services and programs to individuals, couples and families and train graduates and postgraduates for licensing in the mental health field throughout Los Angeles County.
This is the most money raised in a single fundraising event for Maple Counseling Center, according to Board Member Noelle Batista.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist and KTLA Anchor Lu Parker, the event honored Beverly Hills Fire Chief Greg Barton with the Judy Briskin Spirit of Community Award for his bravery and leadership during crises, and Board Member Monica Berkett Dragoon with the Heart of Gold Award for her commitment to the mental well-being of children.
Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian, a former intern and board member of the center, congratulated both award recipients.
“What really hasn’t changed over the years is the exceptional quality of service at the Maple Counseling Center provides to our community and the kind of people who care about this organization, people like all of you who are here, and of course Greg [Barton],” said Nazarian. “He’s one of those rare people who doesn’t just talk about service, he lives it.”
Event attendees also heard speeches from keynote speaker Ally Walker, an actress and director, Deniz Himmetoglu, a client of the center and Varina Bleil, the center’s CEO.
Over 50 years ago, the Maple Counseling Center was founded on Maple Drive in response to concern over increasing substance use, but now provides critical mental health services and psychiatric help to over 7,700 individuals annually throughout Los Angeles and beyond. The center has since grown to be of service to anyone needing mental health support in the state of California, made possible through tele-health. Just last year, Maple Counseling opened its new community mental health clinic in Mid City LA, which includes the Briskin|Wilder Welcome Center, a “free concierge service” providing mental health needs assessments and case management to find appropriate care that fits clients’ budgets and insurance.
Rex Wilder, co-founder of the Briskin|Wilder Welcome Center and son of Judy Briskin, announced that his family covered the entire cost of the event to ensure all the proceeds go to the center. “It would be a shame to have any money that you are all donating have to go to the overhead,” said Wilder. “And to that end, our family has decided to cover every cost of the event.”
“If there’s one takeaway for everyone to remember, it’s that Maple is here for people who don’t know where else to turn. This is a place that meets you wherever you are in your mental health journey,” said Wilder.
This year in particular has been emotionally challenging for the Los Angeles community, especially after January blazes devastated the towns of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.
“[This year] has tested our community in ways that I, from my stance, are sort of unimaginable in terms of the psychological healing,” said Bleil. “We all have been witness to the LA wildfires that devastated communities and separated neighbors from neighbors, and it’s left a deep emotional scar for many people.”
In response, Maple Counseling quickly mobilized, bringing counseling and crisis response through MapleMobile directly to communities and shelters, an art therapy program to support children and families and free therapy to fire-affected individuals through a partnership with the Palisades Community Renewal Center.
“From helping spearhead new programming for underprivileged youth receiving resources for the first time to creating support for those who recently lost their homes during the devastating LA fires, I am most proud of our ability to help those who are struggling regardless of their ability to pay,” said Dragoon.
Barton praised Maple’s rapid response as what “real service looks like.”
“Over this past year, we have faced moments that have tested us—wildfires, loss and uncertainty,” said Barton. “What stands out to me is how this community always comes together. In Beverly Hills, when there is a need, people show up. Whether it’s your neighbors or organizations like Maple. They all step forward, and that strength and unity are what makes this city so special.”
The center maintains a close-knit relationship with the Beverly Hills community, partnering with the Beverly Hills Unified School District to offer individual and group counseling services to students at the high school.
Now, Maple Counseling is turning its attention toward new initiatives, including: a crisis response team supporting Beverly Hills first responders, a psychological first aid program for alumni therapists to assist communities during crises, a bilingual Spanish-English community clinic, a “community circle” program teaching social-emotional learning in elementary schools and a Youth Ambassadors Board for high school students to promote mental well-being among their peers.
Himmetoglu, a client of Maple for over a year, attested to the center’s impact on his life. Upon a “nightmarish coming of age,” as Himmetoglu described, Maple entered his life when asking for help became one of two options left.
“Maple is a team of people who care about me when I don’t, hold up a light for me when I lose direction, and keep me grounded even at those times where I might actually get to take it slow,” said Himmetoglu.
