Auburn, CA – In the newly released Implementation Progress Report for Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act funding, the Placer County Health and Human Services Department is showing great progress in the area of serving and improving the lives of people with severe mental illness.
The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) is one of several initiatives currently underway in Placer County working to transform mental health services. Together, these various funding streams and initiatives are part of a new, coordinated effort called the Campaign for Community Wellness.
The overall goal of the Campaign for Community Wellness is to transform mental health services in Placer County using innovative, collaborative, culturally competent and consumer-guided approaches.  Additional intents of the Campaign are to reduce stigma and embrace recovery around mental health issues. Equally important to the Campaign is reaching underserved segments of the community.
Placer County was third in the State to receive official approval from the California Department of Mental Health for Proposition 63 funds.
The Report outlines how Placer County Health and Human Services is making great strides with innovative new programs and action plans, which were developed after a lengthy community stakeholder input process. Public comment is being sought on the Report by May 21. An outside consulting firm compiled the Report.
Seven programs have been successfully implemented over the past 11 months ranging from mobile outreach and intervention for older adults with mental illness, to providing culturally competent mental health services for Latinos in North Lake Tahoe, to deploying integrated, multi-disciplinary services for youth aged 17 and older leaving the Children System of Care.
‘What is even more exciting than the number of new programs, is the number of agencies and consumers that are working together to do ‘whatever it takes’ for improved services,’ states Christina Nicholson, Director of Whole Person Learning, one of the community-based partners of the initiative.
‘Through our coordinated efforts, we are striving to make our services more welcoming, effective and ultimately, helping people with mental illness live better lives,’ says Maureen Bauman, Director of the Adult System of Care and Mental Health Director for Placer County Health and Human Services Department.
