For immediate release
February 23, 2017
CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION APPROVES NEARLY $18 MILLION FOR INNOVATION PROJECTS IN FEBRUARY
Sacramento—The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission has approved $17.5 million to fund Innovation projects in Merced, Riverside and Santa Cruz Counties. Funded by the Mental Health Services Act, Innovation projects introduce a new mental health practice or approach or make a change to an existing mental health practice or approach. After Innovation projects are completed, they are evaluated to determine whether the innovative approach should be sustained or replicated.
In Merced County, Innovation dollars will fund an Innovative Strategist Network (ISN) to build a model to bridge the gap and open the pathway to underserved individuals. A team of Innovative strategists will be hired, consisting of a program manager, psychiatric staff nurse, mental health clinician, two mental health workers, contracted with external evaluator , to collaborate with an internal evaluation team and a full-time family/community development partner as part of the ISN. The Commission approved $6,862,288 to fund this five year project.
In Riverside County, this Innovation project will fund a quality of services for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation through a Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Mobile Response Project. The county will create four multidisciplinary mobile teams, include a youth with similar life experiences, to rapidly respond and provide well supported best practices and trauma therapy for CSEC and their families or caregivers. Working to promote ongoing therapy to CSEC, medication services, peer support and case management services will also be provided. Total amount approved: $6,252,476.
In Santa Cruz County, funding will provide 16 new housing units and the hiring of an occupational therapist, nurses, case managers and peer support specialists. The team will provide in-home health care monitoring technology, coaching and on-site peer support. The target population for these services will be persons with serious mental illness and primary health conditions. The Commission approved $4,451,280 over 5 years.
For more information on the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and the Mental Health Services Act, visit www.mhsoac.ca.gov.
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