Actress Mädchen Amick Plans Mental Health Center in Palm Springs with “Don’t Mind Me” Initiative

Actress and mental health advocate Mädchen Amick is taking major steps to bring long-needed mental health services to the Coachella Valley. Her nonprofit organization, Don’t Mind Me, is currently pursuing the purchase of the former Desert Sun building in Palm Springs to convert it into a full-scale residential mental health treatment center.

Amick, best known for her work in Twin Peaks and Riverdale, founded the organization in 2021 with her daughter Mina Tobias, following the decade-long mental health and addiction struggles of her son, Sylvester Alexis. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia after witnessing a traumatic event and struggled for years with substance abuse.

“There were almost no primary residential mental health treatment options in the valley,” Amick explained. “What the valley is known for is substance use disorder treatment—but very little access to crisis stabilization or integrated mental health care.”

Since its founding, Don’t Mind Me has launched a crisis intervention scholarship fund to assist families facing exorbitant treatment costs—often quoted as high as $60,000 to $100,000 per month. The organization operates under three pillars: advocacy, action, and access.

Mina Tobias emphasized the importance of addressing the mental health aspect of addiction recovery. “You can go through rehab, but if the underlying mental illness isn’t treated, you’re not really healing,” she said. “What helped us—and what helps others—is knowing you're not alone and having a community that supports you.”

The envisioned facility in Palm Springs would be a groundbreaking addition to the region, aiming to offer equitable, high-quality, and insurance-accessible care to those in need.