Though the administration of mental health in our state is being restructured and MHSA funding has been realigned, it is important to emphasize that MHSA Values stay the same. Many think of wellness and recovery based services when they think of MHSA, and this is a key element. But so are client and family driven services, community collaboration, and reducing disparities. These three values are uniquely linked to quality improvement, and they all come together when we emphasize the importance of inclusive and effective stakeholder processes.

Now that local processes and decision making are more important than ever, so is the emphasis on accountability to client and family stakeholders. NAMI California regularly advocates that our government partners, both local and statewide, adhere to strong standards of outreach and engagement. It is both at the beginning, in planning, at the end, in evaluation - and at all spaces in between - where our voices must be heard. This is specified in state regulation, in the very definition of what client and family driven programs and services mean.

At the Regional Meetings NAMI California has held thus far this year - in Sacramento, Shasta, and Los Angeles Counties - we have encouraged productive dialogue about the current status and desired future of community stakeholder processes. In most of these meetings, we have welcomed the participation of County Mental Representatives, bringing the community together to discuss the issues and explore ways we might partner in the future to address common concerns. There are more Regional Meetings on the horizon, with the addition of NAMI Smarts Advocacy Training, so check your email and mark your calendars.

Finally, the MHSA Participatory Evaluation Survey has just come out. We have been advocating for the opportunity for clients and family members to not only evaluate MHSA services, but to determine design and content. This survey is the result of that, and waiting for your participation. You can find the survey here: http://www.healthychild.ucla.edu/StatewideSurvey. 

-- Kathleen Derby