Public Invited to Learn About New, Expanded Mental Health Programs in Alameda County

On August 26, Alameda County residents will have the opportunity to learn about and comment on a series of proposals for new and expanded mental health programs in Alameda County. Approximately $15 million in Mental Health Services Act funding is set aside for these programs in the current fiscal year.

Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services proposes to allocate these funds to eleven programs, including a first ever intensive case management program for African American men living with serious mental illness and a program for providing training in cultural responsiveness to county mental health providers.

The public will be also invited to comment on the following programs:

· Outreach strategies to engage clients in voluntary mental health services

· Increase voluntary crisis services to reduce the high number of involuntary psychiatric holds (also known as 5150’s)

· Expand programs integrating primary care with mental health care in East and Central County

· Increase the connections between mental health and developmental disabilities services.

· Expand mental health care services into the Early Childhood System of Care

· Provide counseling services based on principles of Trauma Informed Care for those who have lost relatives to suicide or homicide.

Behavioral Health Care Services staff members will present information about these proposed programs and answer questions.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 26, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., in Osher Conference Rooms A, B & C at Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley.

As refreshments will be served, please RSVP by Friday, August 22nd by going to http://www.acprop63.org/ then click on the “Upcoming Meetings” page and use the link at the bottom of the list of meetings. To learn more about the proposed programs and to comment on them online, please click on the “Document” page on the same site.

The meeting is sponsored by Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and co-sponsored by The Mental Health Association of Alameda County and The African American Family Support Group.

About Mental Health Services Act: In November of 2004, California voters passed Proposition 63/ Mental Health Services Act, an initiative that authorized a 1% tax on personal income over $1 million to expand successful services for “individuals most seriously affected by or at risk of serious mental illness.” For more information go towww.prop63.org

—Information submitted by Mental Health Association of Alameda County

Photo credit: Shutterstock