Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission

Commission staff had the privilege of joining Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office Disability Pride Month reception on July 11. California now recognizes July as Disability Pride Month, which presents an “opportunity to celebrate the many ways that people living with disabilities – whether visible or invisible, mobility, or cognitive, vision or hearing, learning or sensory, developmental or acquired – add to the diversity and strength of our state.”

If you are experiencing emotional distress, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available by text or chat: Send a text to 988. #SuicidePrevention

Join us Thursday, July 25 at 9 a.m. PDT for this month's Commission meeting. This meeting will be held in person at 1812 9th Street in Sacramento, and a teleconference link is also available. See the agenda and register to join the meeting here: https://lnkd.in/gHiEsg3w

On July 17, Commission staff traveled to Banning, CA to attend the “Striving for Zero’ Roundtable Discussion at the Morongo Band of Missions Indians Tribal Council Chambers, hosted by Assemblymember James Ramos. This discussion centered around the “Striving for Zero” suicide prevention plan implementation and focus on Native Americans. Morongo Band of Mission Indians Councilmember Mary Ann Andreas shared a sobering message regarding current issues with suicide amongst Native American youth “when you walk through our cemeteries, all the new graves are young people.” The Commission’s Executive Director, Toby Ewing, Ph.D., sat before various tribal council members, recognizing the State and Commission’s need to improve their efforts in engaging Native American youth. This includes leveraging new workforce investments, focusing innovation investments on reducing disparities, and identifying tools tailored to engaging Native American youth. #SuicidePrevention https://lnkd.in/gwTa4cfY

The Commission is hiring! We’re seeking a Research Scientist that uses advanced research and analytic skills to further efforts of the evaluation of the public community-based mental health system, with particular focus on the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA). Read more and apply: https://lnkd.in/grW7WxGH

On June 15, members of the Commission had the honor of being present at the Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Deterrent System commemoration ceremony in San Francisco. The “net” is intended to deter individuals who seek to use the bridge to harm themselves. State and local leaders were on-hand for this event, as well as Speaker Emeritus Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Funds from the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) contributed to the completion of the Suicide Deterrent System. #SuicidePrevention

The Commission continues to support youth advocacy and empowerment in shaping California’s behavioral health system. Young people ages 14-24 have an opportunity to join Sacramento County’s Behavioral Health Youth Advisory Board. The board seeks to increase youth involvement in developing programs, policies, and practices in the behavioral health spectrum. https://lnkd.in/ggsZuvsQ PRO Youth & Families

The Commission prides itself on our robust community engagement, with a focus on elevating community voices in our ongoing efforts to catalyze transformational change across California’s behavioral health system. The Community Engagement Map is an online tool that highlights all the Commission’s past, current, and future community engagement efforts, while simultaneously revealing areas where the Commission needs to expand it’s outreach. Visit the Community Engagement Map: https://lnkd.in/gB4rTdHJ

The Commission is hiring! We're seeking a Consulting Psychologist to provide leadership to the Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) staff on culturally competent, recovery-oriented best practices related to the implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). Read more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gCpv5qf3

During our May Commission meeting, Commissioners and the public received an update on the Full Service Partnership (FSP) project. This update focused on continued efforts to drive improvement in FSP service delivery and the opportunities that behavioral health transformation establishes for FSPs. View the panel: https://lnkd.in/gRyheDxE