California Mental Health Services Act - Current Progress

Current Progress

One unqualified success story from the MHSA thus far involves the implementation of Full Service Partnerships (FSPs) demonstrating the "whatever it takes" commitment to assist in individualized recovery - whether it is housing, "integrated services, flexible funding, intensive case management, 24 h access to care." FSP interventions are based upon evidence from such programs as Assertive community treatment (ACT), which has effectively reduced homelessness and hospitalizations while bettering outcomes. But the FSP model looks more like that of the also-popular MHA Village in Long Beach, which is a center that offers more comprehensive services besides those specifically mental health-related. Beyond these guiding principles, however, there has not been much consensus over unifying strategies to define and implement an FSP - resulting in varying FSP structures across counties.

Overall, though, the Petris Center, funded by the DMH and California HealthCare Foundation to evaluate the MHSA, has reported quantifiable improvements in many areas:

  • Homelessness rates
  • Entry rates into the criminal justice system
  • Suffering from illness
  • Daily functioning
  • Education rates
  • Employment rates
  • General satisfaction with FSPs

Read more about this topic:  California Mental Health Services Act

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