To fight the proposal of the center the Black Panther Party actively worked with disability rights and women's rights groups, including but not limited to the Committee Opposing Psychiatric Abuse of Prisoners and the California Mental Health Coordinating Council to form a coalition to protest the creation of the center with state funding. The formation of the coalition led to Hiestand testifying in front of the California State Senate and the filing of an administrative complaint against the center. The coalition also worked in concert with student and faculty protests at UCLA to successfully prevent the funding and creation of the center.