What Does the Mental Health Services Act Mean for California Residents?
Since the first of January in 2005, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been working to support mental health programs in California. Otherwise known as Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act focuses on progressing the resources and funding for mental health services.
No matter the age of the person or the problems that that person is facing, the Mental Health Services Act is for them. If you live in California, the MHSA covers you and your mental health.
To learn more about the Mental Health Services Act and how it affects you, keep reading.
What Is the Mental Health Services Act?
The Mental Health Services Act, or MHSA, is a piece of legislation that the government in California passed in 2004. Once it went into effect in 2005, the proposition worked to strengthen mental health services in California.
Specifically, the MHSA in California works to provide funding, staff, and other resources for country mental health programs across the state. This monumental piece of mental health legislation in California also works to create a goal-oriented mental health approach for people and families of all ages.
By spreading their reach the Mental Health Services Act works to combat all kinds of mental health disorders, including those that Americans are most worried about.
Who Does the MHSA Serve?
If you live in California, the MHSA is here for you and your mental health. The act is not isolated to those with serious mental health conditions.
Instead, the MHSA works to provide resources for all Californians who want them.
Overall, this reduces the impact that untreated mental health conditions can have on individuals and families. In turn, this also takes some pressure off of state and local budgets.
Considering that the government intended that these budgets provide services that insurance companies typically don’t cover, the government was seeking a way to pull resources from other sources. The Mental Health Services Act was the way to go.
Where Does the MHSA in CA Get Its Funding?
This California mental health proposition gets funding from the higher-earning residents in the state. Those individuals who earn more than $1 million must pay a 1% tax on their income. This money provides funding for various mental health services and programs throughout the state.
This simple 1% tax makes more than a billion dollars of difference. Yes, each year this tax brings in over a billion dollars in funding to mental health services in California.
Where Does the Funding for the MHSA Go?
The Mental Health Services Act addresses a broad selection of mental health needs across the state. This includes prevention and early intervention programs that aim to get mental health problems under control before they become more serious.
The more than a billion dollars that go into the MHSA every year are distributed among different areas like infrastructure, technology, and training as well.
There are five components that the government has required that the MHSA cover across the state:
- The CSS (Community Services and Supports) component requires direct funding to individuals that have a serious mental illness
- The CFTN (Capital Facilities and Technological Needs) component requires funding towards an increase in technological capacity as well as building projects for the improvement of mental health services delivery
- The INN (Innovation) component requires funding to underserved populations with the intent to further collaboration across entities and increase the quality of services
- The PEI (Prevention and Early Intervention) component requires officials to spend 20% of the MHSA funds on outreach programs that focus on spreading information about the early warning signs of mental illnesses
- The WET (Workforce, Education, and Training) component requires funding for the purposes of increasing the capacity of mental health services across the state
All of these components work together to stretch the impact of the Mental Health Services Act and ensure that any and all Californians can benefit from mental health services in California.
What Has the MHSA Accomplished So Far?
The Mental Health Services Act has been rolling out changes since the government implemented it in 2005. It’s been more than 15 years since its beginning, and there have been several changes in the condition of health in California.
The Mental Health Services Act has worked with several other programs in the San Diego area to impact the health of its citizens. In their annual report, Live Well San Diego reports the changes that all of these programs worked to make in the area.
Here are some of the most notable changes as depicted in the annual report:
- 12% fewer deaths associated with preventable health threats
- 22% fewer heart attacks in San Diego County
- 1% increase in life expectancy
- 3% increase in people who are 25 years of age or older and have a high school diploma or GED
- 9.2% increase in households that spend less than a third of their income on housing
- 10% fewer homeless individuals living in San Diego
- 17% lower youth disconnection rate
- 76% fewer youth arrests
- 26% lower crime rate
Together with other programs in San Diego, the Mental Health Services Act has helped initiate these changes. By helping those individuals with mental health issues, the city and the state as a whole are looking out for their citizens.
By caring for citizens’ mental health, the state is reducing problems that arise as a result of mental health problems.
How Can I Benefit from the Mental Health Services Act?
If you feel that you can benefit from the Mental Health Services Act, there’s no better time than now. There are plenty of mental health facilities in the state of California that can help you with your mental illness, whether you’re in the early stages or have a serious condition.
If you’re looking for proven successful results, we recommend coming to Solara. Our mental health facility is focused on helping you cope with your mental health conditions. With the highest success rate of any comparable program, we’re sure that you’ll find the help you need with us.
Call now at 844-600-9747 to get into contact with us. Otherwise, contact us online so that we can talk about how we can help you.