About Us

Fresh Start was established in 2011 by Gabriela Hernandez, who had been formerly incarcerated and was given the opportunity to complete part of her sentence at a residential program. Due to the services and support she received, she was able to find permanent employment, get back on her feet, and reintegrate into society. Inspired by her own experience and desire to help others in similar situations, she started Fresh Start, with the vision and values that formerly incarcerated individuals with co-occurring disorders should be given a fair opportunity and treated with dignity, so they can re-enter society and reduce the likelihood of recidivism. 

For the past 13 years, Fresh Start has provided housing, benefits assistance, case management, access to supportive classes, and access to behavioral health and substance abuse treatment for anyone in need. To date, we have been able to provide temporary and long-term housing and services to over 1,000 formerly incarcerated individuals. We continue to provide these services to inmates released from L.A. County Jail through the Mental Health Diversion Program, individuals released from State Prisons and Hospitals with nowhere to live, persons dealing with homelessness, and any individual desiring to receive help.