California County Prepares to to Direct New 'Millionaire's Tax' $ for Transformation
Thursday, May 5, 2005
Mental Health Act Seeks to 'Transform' Services
by Paul Boerger May 4, 2005
Mental Health Services Act Siskiyou county coordinator Arden Carr said the program is "intended to transform how services are delivered.
Siskiyou County, along with 10 community/family resource centers, is gearing up to implement the Mental Health Services Act, passed as Proposition 63 in the November 2004 election.
With a one percent tax surcharge on Californians who make over $1 million a year, the Mental Health Services Act is designed to supplement current mental health services with a broad range of community based resources.
Arden Carr, who will be the Siskiyou County Behavioral Health Department program coordinator, gave a presentation on the Act during the April 14th Mount Shasta Chamber of Commerce meeting at Lalo's Restaurant.
"It is not an add-on," Carr said. "The program is intended to transform how services are delivered."
Carr noted that MHSA funds cannot be used to supplant services reimbursed by state or county funds. He said funding for Siskiyou County is expected to be approximately $88,000.
Carr said the grassroots program is an attempt to utilize not only the people who use the recovery and service support, but a broad range of partnerships with business, service organizations, local government, non-profits, philanthropic groups, faith based organizations and others to support the program.
Carr said the program is in the planning stages and that by July of 2006 the program intends to implement new services to children, adolescents, transition age youth, adults and older adults utilizing new county systems of care partnerships.
The community/family resource centers are located in Dunsmuir, McCloud, Butte Valley, Montague, Tulelake, Yreka, Happy Camp, Scott Valley, Weed and Mount Shasta.
Citizens are urged to call their local center and inquire as to how they might contribute to the effort.
The MSHA will funnel money to local programs and is intended to do the following:
-- Correct the current inadequately funded mental health system;
-- Introduce effective new service models that promote well-being, recovery and self help;
-- Introduce prevention and early intervention strategies to prevent long term negative impact of serious mental illness;
-- Enhance the human resource, technology and capital infrastructure of the current system;
-- Reduce stigma and change the negative social perceptions of mental illness.
-- Involve consumers and family members in the development of mental health services transformation;
-- Increase access for consumers, especially in rural areas;
-- Develop and foster private/public partnerships; and
-- Develop regional partnerships.
According to the report by the MSHA task force, California and Siskiyou County have the following mental health statistics:
-- Siskiyou County has twice the California suicide rate at 19.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 residents;
-- Siskiyou County Behavioral Health Services served 1,946 clients in 2004, about 58 percent of those in need; and
-- Estimates are that over 1,000,000 adults, older adults and children/youth living at or below 200 percent of poverty in California are in need of treatment.