Huge MHSOAC Announcement

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission(MHSOAC) took a huge step this past week towards ensuring the voice of stakeholders, including youth and caregivers directly impacted by mental health, is included in statewide and local policy and program decisions.  In a commission meeting held in San Diego on March 23^rd, the commissioners announced their intent to award $12million for mental health advocacy, education, training, and outreach.

The MHSOAC’s role is to oversee the Mental Health Services Act, formerly known as Proposition 63 (which was approved by voters in 2004).  The MHSOAC is also responsible for developing strategies to overcome stigma related to mental health, and often advises the Governor and the Legislature on mental health policy.  Their mission is to provide vision and leadership, in collaboration with clients, their family members, and underserved communities, to ensure Californians understand mental health is essential to overall health.

Please find the official announcement of the intent to award these funds below.  We will be updating readers on how this funding will address the needs of youth and their family members in upcoming blogs.

Sacramento—To ensure that mental health consumers and their families can inform mental health policy and program decisions, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) today announced the intent to award $12 million for mental health advocacy.  This funding, which comes from the Mental Health Services Act, will provide additional capacity-building support to the people most affected by community mental health services. The contracts will promote enhanced access to care, help counties to ensure they provide culturally competent mental health services, and improve public understanding of mental health needs.  The newly released funds will be used to cover a broad range of state and local activities, including outreach, training and education, and advocacy.

The Commission provides funding for stakeholder advocacy on behalf of organizations that work with the following populations:

• Veterans
• LGBTQ Community
• Mental Health Consumers
• Transition Age Youth
• Parents of Children with Mental Health Needs
• Families of Adults with Mental Health Needs
• Diverse Racial and Ethnic Populations with Mental Health Needs

In releasing these funds, the Chair of the Commission, Tina Wooton, who also works as a Consumer Empowerment Manager for the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness, commented, “These funds are intended to ensure that the voices and concerns of the people most affected by our community mental health system truly matter in the decisions that affect them.”

The Commission was established under Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, passed by California voters in 2004.  The Act places a one percent tax on personal incomes of more than $1 million and funds community mental health programs and services throughout the state.  In 2017, the Act is expected to generate $1.9 billion.