Comment Sought on Mental Health Planning

The Placer County Health and Human Services Department has announced that public comment periods are now open for three efforts aimed at combating the effects of mental illness.

The public comment period for Placer County’s Assignment of Funds to support statewide Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Initiatives, as well as the one-time funding decisions for those initiatives, has began and will remain open until Dec. 22, 2008.

In addition, the public comment period for the Prop. 63 Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention Plan will be open until Dec. 15, 2008.

The community is invited to offer comment in person, by mail or by email over the next weeks.

Both the assignment of funds to the three PEI Initiatives and one-time funding decisions reflect input from a 40-member community steering committee that has been a part of the planning process in Placer County since January.

The three PEI Statewide Initiatives, to be administered by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH), are: Suicide Prevention, Student Mental Health Initiative, and Stigma and Discrimination Reduction. DMH will implement these three initiatives contingent on counties assigning the funds. Placer County will assign its funds over a four-year period.

The one-time funding decisions relate directly to the Prevention and Early Intervention plan that is currently under review. The one-time funding will include additional support for: suicide and depression prevention efforts, youth development, Native American capacity building and outreach and education to youth and families.

The Placer County MHSA/Prop. 63 Prevention and Early Intervention Plan focuses on preventing or providing early intervention to prevent the onset of serious mental illness for a variety of age groups and populations. The Plan reflects the input of dozens of stakeholders over the course of a 10-month planning period.

The intended outcomes for all these efforts include reducing the stigma around mental illness, preventing suicide, reducing school failure, reducing the risk of children and youths entering the juvenile justice system, improving family function, reducing school failure, improving family function, and reducing acute cases of mental illness.

Copies of the Prevention and Early Intervention Plan are available for review at all Placer County libraries and Family Resource Centers.

To offer input, contact Michele Zavoras, at the Placer County Health and Human Services/Adult System of Care, 101 Cirby Hills Dr., Roseville, CA 95678, mzavoras@placer.ca.gov . 916-787-8830

You may also offer comments regarding the Prop. 63 Plan in person at the Placer County Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board Public hearing, Mon., Dec. 15, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the Placer County Government Center, 11533 C Avenue, in Auburn. Spanish translation is available upon request.