Department of Mental Health - MHSA - Prevention & Early Intervention

Statewide Projects

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PEI - Statewide Projects: Home

Background

In 2007, five PEI Statewide Projects were approved by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (OAC).

In May 2008 the OAC determined that the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) would administer three of the PEI Statewide Projects: Suicide Prevention, Student Mental Health Initiative, and Stigma and Discrimination Reduction. DMH will implement these three projects contingent upon the Counties assigning the funds. To read a brief description of these three projects, please click here.

Furthermore, during its June 2008 meeting, the OAC determined that the PEI Statewide Project on Training, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building would be administered at the County level. DMH will issue the funding for this Statewide Project to the counties through Planning Estimates.

The fifth Statewide Project - Ethnically and Culturally Specific Programs and Interventions to reduce mental health disparities, is in the early planning and development stage.

For more information on each of the PEI Statewide Projects, please select a link below.

INFORMATION NOTICES

DMH Information Notice 08-28, Proposed Guidelines for the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 Annual Update to the Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan, has been released.
DMH Information Notice 08-27, Increased Level of Funding for Community Program Planning Activities and Funding Augmentation to the Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention Planning Estimates (Fiscal Year 2008-2009) has been released.
DMH Information Notice 08-25, Assignment of Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Funds for PEI Statewide Projects has been released.

Statewide projects

Suicide Prevention

This statewide project will support and coordinate with counties in launching the implementation of the California Strategic Plan on Suicide Prevention (Plan) which was approved by the Governor’s Office on June 30, 2008. The recommendations in this document were developed by a multidisciplinary advisory committee convened by the DMH and included representatives from the counties, OAC, and other stakeholders. The Plan contains four strategic directions and over thirty recommended actions at both the state and local level, to prevent suicide in California. You are encouraged to explore this web page to learn more about this Statewide Project, the Strategic Plan, and the Office of Suicide Prevention.

Student Mental Health Initiative

The SMHI will provide an opportunity for California schools and higher education campuses to strengthen student mental health programs. Created in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy, the SMHI provides public Local Education Agencies (K-12) and Public Institutions of Higher Education (University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges) the opportunity to apply for funds to develop, expand and integrate campus-based mental health services and supports. This initiative provides an opportunity for education entities to address mental health service gaps, improve services, promote mental health and facilitate access to support services at the earliest possible signs of mental health problems and concerns.

Stigma and Discrimination Reduction

The OAC convened a Stigma and Discrimination Advisory Committee that produced a report in June 2007 recommending statewide “Consumer Empowerment and Personal Contact” and “External Influence” strategies, and the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to address stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems. In collaboration with the OAC, DMH will reconvene the Stigma and Discrimination Advisory Committee to develop the strategic plan and make recommendations on strategic directions, action plans, and next steps and can be considered for the statewide project. This strategic planning effort will tentatively begin in September 2008 and will be completed by January 2009.

Reducing Disparities - Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Specific Programs

One of the primary goals of the MHSA is to improve timely access to services for un-served and underserved populations and to reduce mental health disparities. This statewide project will launch a multi-cultural strategic planning process that includes a robust stakeholder process to develop recommendations for local and state actions to reduce disparities among racial, ethnic, cultural and gender specific population groups. DMH will be launching this strategic planning effort in Fall 2008.