In June of 2006, Tri-City received confirmation
from the California Department of Mental Health of its eligibility to participate
in the Mental Health Services Act (“MHSA”) planning process in an effort
to obtain MHSA funding for Claremont, La Verne and Pomona. Since that time,
the agency has sought to recruit the services of John G. Ott & Associates to
assist in the planning efforts. This organization has assisted with the Los
Angeles MHSA planning process (and other smaller counties) and has established a
reputation Statewide as a leader in this area.
Tri-City is pleased to announce that
at a special meeting of the Tri-City Governing Board held August 16, 2006, a Proposal
for Consultant Services with John G. Ott & Associates was approved for the period
of September 1, 2006 through January 31, 2007, with the primary objective of developing
A Community Program Planning proposal for submission to the California Department
of Mental Health.
Tri-City is eager to begin this planning
process and looks forward to a successful result, thereby increasing the service
dollars available for the provision of mental health services in the cities of Claremont,
La Verne and Pomona.
Background
The passage of Proposition 63 (now known as
Mental Health Services Act
the or MHSA) in November 2004, provides the first opportunity in
many years for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide increased funding,
personnel and other resources to support county mental health programs and monitor
progress toward statewide goals for children, transition age youth, adults, older
adults and families. The Act addresses a broad continuum of prevention, early
intervention and service needs and the necessary infrastructure, technology and
training elements that will effectively support this system.
Acta de Servicios de Salud Mental
Full text of the Mental Health Services Act in Spanish (.pdf)
This Act imposes a 1% income tax on personal income in excess
of $1 million. Statewide, the Act was projected to generate approximately
$254 million in fiscal year 2004-05, $683 million in 2005-06 and increasing amounts
thereafter. Much of the funding will be provided to county mental health programs
to fund programs consistent with their local plans. Any uncommitted funds
during FY 2005-06 will be used to establish county prudent reserve accounts as required
by the Act.
To provide for an orderly implementation of MHSA, DMH has
planned for sequential phases of development for each of the six components of the
Act. An extensive stakeholder process is being employed to inform the state’s
implementation efforts. Improvement in client outcomes is a fundamental expectation
throughout the implementation process.