Over 15 Years of Experience

SISTAHFRIENDS is a nonprofit and social service agency for women in South Los Angeles. With our compassionate approach and expertise, we are here to guide women on their journey toward healing, growth, and a brighter future. Healing is not something we do for communities. Healing is something we co-create with communities. Together, we reclaim our dignity, strengthen belonging, and build pathways to lifelong wellness. 

As a result of this experience, it became clear that there were unmet mental health needs among Black women as a whole who struggle with issues like anti-Blackness, systemic racism, gender oppression, social injustices, economic inequity, emotional and psychological trauma, and health disparities. SISTAHFRIENDS was formed to meet the behavioral health needs inclusive of all Black women regardless of sexual orientation.

Yolanda Whittington, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of SISTAHfest, founded SISTAHFRIENDS.

SISTAHFRIENDS exists to co-create healing communities that cultivate wholeness, nurture hope, and promote lifelong well-being among Black women, older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other historically marginalized communities disproportianately impacted by trauma, systemic inequities, and health disparities. Through culturally rooted partnerships, advocacy, behavioral health, housing, and community-centered initiatives, we walk alongside individuals and communities as we reclaim our dignity, strengthen belonging, and thrive within the Wellness Continuum. 

To build a world where every person has the opportunity to heal, belong, and flourish within thriving communities that advance equity, dignity, and lifelong wellness. 

We believe healing is not something that is delivered-it is something that is co-created. 

Healing begins when people are seen, valued, and connected to communities where dignity is honored, belonging is cultivated, and hope is restored. Lasting wellness is achieved not through isolated services alone, but through relationships, opportunity, advocacy, and environments where individuals and communities can flourish together. 

At SISTAHFRIENDS, we walk alongside one another because we believe our collective well-being is strengthened when every member of our community has the opportunity to thrive. 

 

SISTAHFRIENDS is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing behavioral health, community wellness, and social equity through culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and community-centered approaches. Founded to address persistent disparities affecting Black women and historically marginalized communities, the organization has grown into an integrated continuum of care that brings together behavioral health, supportive housing, advocacy, workforce development, leadership, and community wellness. 

Guided by the Wellness Continuum, SISTAHFRIENDS recognizes that healing extends beyond treatment. It is strengthened through relationships, belonging, opportunity, and community. We partner with public agencies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, philanthrorpc organizations, and community leaders to co-create environments where individuals, families, and communities can achieve lasting well-being. 

Our work includes behavioral health services, supportive housing, older adult initiatives, services for survivors of trauma and exploitation, justice-involved reentry, financial empowerment, leadership development, and systems advocacy. Across every initiative, our commitment remains the same: creating pathways that promote healing, dignity, resilience, and lifelong wellness. 

• Wholeness – We honor the interconnected well–being of mind, body, spirit, relationships, and community.
• Co-Creation – We believe lasting change is built with communities, not for communities.
• Belonging – Every person deserves to be seen, valued, respected, and connected.
• Dignity – We affirm the inherent worth of every individual and community.
• Hope – We nurture possibility, resilience, and the belief that healing can occur.
• Equity – We work to dismantle barriers and expand opportunities for historically marginalizels communities.
• Community – We recognize that healing and transformation happen in relationship with others.
• Lifelong Wellness – We embrace wellness as a lifelong journey supported by prevention, healing, restoration, and growth.

• We honor individuals’ unique cultures, histories, and identities, treating everyone with dignity, empathy, grace, and fairness.
• We embrace diversity and cultivate an inclusive environment where different people’s voices, perspectives, and experiences are valued and respected.
• We are committed to engaging in ongoing education and training to increase our awareness of our diverse client population’s unique needs and challenges.
• We are committed to providing fair, unbiased, and inclusive care to all individuals regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity, age or ability.