Pete Linnett founded the Life Adjustment Team in 1977 in response to the need for effective discharge planning, structure, and support for recovery. The Team pioneered a community-based mobile outreach psychiatric rehabilitation approach, providing a safety net for long-term relapse prevention and community bridge building—an approach that continues to define LAT today.

Pete launched his 45+ year career in mental health at age 18, first working as a psychiatric technician in upstate New York. After many years of seeing the same individuals cycle through the “system,” he recognized that high rates of re-hospitalization were often due to a lack of structure and support systems to help people become stable, active, and connected in their communities. The Life Adjustment Team was created to meet that need.

In 1988, Pete was hired by the UCLA Research Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation for a project to field test outpatient service protocols, delivery systems, and in vivo skills training. These foundations remain embedded in LAT’s model today, which integrates evidence-based practices with decades of real-world experience in community-based care.

In 1991, Pete founded the Westside Mental Health Provider Network, bringing together professionals across hospitals, community programs, law enforcement, the Department of Mental Health, and advocacy organizations. What began with six members has grown to hundreds of providers across Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Orange County.

Pete’s vision and commitment to community-based care continue to guide the Life Adjustment Team’s mission more than 45 years later.