CA Grant Programs' Web Sites Suggest Strategies for Practitioners Across Country
Two California statewide community-based mental health treatment grant programs now have comprehensive online resource centers for prospective grant recipients in the state. In addition to providing key information to California-based practitioners, the web sites for both the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and Assembly Bill 34 (AB 34) suggest promising strategies for planning and sustaining a criminal justice / mental health initiative.
Mental Health Services Act
The MHSA, formerly known as
Proposition 63, was passed by 53.4% of California voters in a November 2004 ballot referendum. Through a one percent income tax increase for individuals earning over $1 million, the act is expected to provide $2.1 billion over the next three years for mental health services throughout the state.
The
MHSA web site, which is coordinated by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH), suggests how DMH is working to engage stakeholders and assist communities in planning for this unprecedented source of funding. Specifically, the web site offers opportunities for community representatives to participate in the planning process through regular meetings and conference calls. Through the site DMH also provides planning tools for communities, including information regarding program requirements, general mental health resources, and descriptions of oversight activities.
Assembly Bill 34
AB 34, also known as AB 2034, provides $55 million to counties and programs across the state to provide housing and intensive support services to individuals who have mental illness and are homeless or at risk of incarceration. AB 34 programs currently provide supported housing services to 4,500 people statewide who have serious mental illness 4,100 of whom were homeless during the 12 months prior to program enrollment.
The
web site, administered by staff at the Outcomes and Research Division of the Mental Health Association in Los Angeles County (MHALA), seeks to convey the impact of programs funded under this initiative in a simple, straightforward fashion. Program descriptions, consumer success stories, news updates, and basic monthly outcome data provide a snapshot of how the program has affected the lives of its participants and their communities.
Although funding circumstances are unique to each state for all practitioners, the goals of these web sites suggest promising strategies: the comprehensive resources provided through the MHSA web site emphasize the importance of thorough planning and engaging stakeholders; and the compelling and straightforward program / consumer narratives and research provided through AB 34 web site reveals methods for sustaining an initiative.
