| Disclaimer: The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Glossary is a living document. All terms are defined uniquely and used within Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Policies only, and they may be revised from time to time to add more terms or modify the existing terms to serve their meanings while being used in MHSA Policies.
Due to the fact that this glossary is a living document, policies developed for bureaus other than MHSA Administration should have their own definitions instead of referencing solely to this glossary.
Adults: Individuals 18 years - 59 years of age.
California Code of Regulations (CCR): Regulations adopted, amended, or repealed by state agencies pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Properly adopted regulations filed with the Secretary of State have the force of laws.
Capital Facilities and Technological Needs (CFTN): Funds projects designed to enhance the infrastructure needed to support the behavioral health system, which includes improving or replacing existing technology systems and/or developing capital facilities to meet increased needs of the local mental health system.
Children and Youth: Individuals from birth through 17 years of age. Individuals age 18 are considered children and youth and are eligible to receive services.
Client Driven: Utilization of clients’ input as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation, and outcomes.
Community Collaboration: A process by which clients and/or families receiving services, other community members, agencies, organizations, and businesses work together to share information and resources to fulfill a shared vision and goals.
Community Program Planning Process (CPPP): The process to be used by DMH to develop Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plans, and updates in partnership with stakeholders to: Identify community issues related to mental illness resulting from lack of community services and supports; Analyze the mental health needs in the community; Identify and re-evaluate priorities and strategies to meet the mental health needs of Los Angeles County.
Community Services and Supports (CSS) Component: The section of the Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plans that refers to service delivery systems for mental health services and supports for children and youth, transition age youth, adults, and older adults.
Early Intervention Services: Services to individuals showing early onset of mental illness and/or emotional disturbance.
Early Intervention Program: Treatment and other services and interventions, including relapse prevention, to address and promote recovery and related functional outcomes for a mental illness early in its emergence, including the applicable negative outcomes that may result from untreated mental illness.
Family Driven: Utilization of input from families as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation, and outcomes.
Full Service Partnership (FSP): A model of care offering intensive services which promotes access to medical, social, rehabilitative, and other community supports with a focus on resiliency and recovery allowing clients to achieve their identified goals.
Full Service Partnership (FSP) Service Category: The service category of the CSS component of the Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plans.
Innovation (INN) Projects: Projects designed to test time-limited new or changing mental health practices that have not yet been demonstrated as effective. The purpose of the INN component is to infuse new, effective mental health approaches.
Innovation Component: The section of the Three-year Program and Expenditure Plan that consists of one or more Innovative Projects.
Innovation Funds: Mental Health Services Fund distributed to the County pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5892, subdivision (a)(6).
Mental Health Services Act (MHSA): A law passed in 2004 designed to expand and transform California's behavioral health system to better serve individuals (and their families) with, and at risk of, serious mental health issues.
Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission (MHSOAC): The MHSOAC oversees the implementation of the MHSA and ensures stakeholders are at the center of the decision-making process.
Mental Illness: A syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological or biological processes underlying mental functioning. Mental illness is usually associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other important activities. Older Adults: Individuals 60 years and older.
Outcome Measure Application (OMA): The data application used by DMH to capture FSP and PEI efficacy of the program.
Outreach: A process of engaging, encouraging, educating, and/or training, and learning from potential responders about ways to recognize and respond effectively to early signs of potentially severe and disabling mental illness.
Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI): The component which funds programs designed to prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and disabling, with an emphasis on improving timely access to services for underserved.
Prevention and Early Intervention Component: The section of the Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan and Annual Update intended to prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and disabling.
Prevention and Early Intervention Funds: The MHSA funds allocated for prevention and early intervention programs pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 5892, subdivision (a)(3).
Prevention Program: A set of related activities to reduce risk factors for developing a potentially serious mental illness and to build protective factors. The goal of this program is to bring about mental health including reduction of the applicable negative outcomes listed in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5840, subdivision (d) as a result of untreated mental illness for individuals and members of groups or populations whose risk of developing a serious mental illness is greater than average and, as applicable, their parents, caregivers, and other family members.
Prevention Services: Interventions for individuals who are at risk for mental illness and/or emotional disturbance.
Program: A stand-alone organized and planned work, action, or approach that evidence indicates is likely to bring about positive mental health outcomes.
Prudent Reserve: Reserved capital funded with monies allocated to the Community Services and Supports component and cannot exceed 33% of a county's average distribution for the previous five years.
Serious Mental Illness: A mental illness that is severe in degree and persistent in duration, which may cause behavioral functioning which interferes substantially with the primary activities of daily living, and which may result in an inability to maintain stable adjustment and independent functioning without treatment, support, and rehabilitation for a long or indefinite period of time.
Stakeholders: Individuals or entities with an interest in mental health services in the Los Angeles County including: Individuals with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and their families; Providers of mental health services and collaborators; Educators and representatives of education; Representatives of law enforcement; Other organization that represents the interests of individuals needing mental health services.
Strategy: A planned and specified method within a program intended to achieve a defined goal.
Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Program: Direct activities to reduce negative feelings, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, stereotypes and/or discrimination related to being diagnosed with a mental illness, having a mental illness, or to seeking mental health services and to increase acceptance, dignity, inclusion, and equity for individuals with mental illness, and members of their families.
Suicide Prevention Programs: Organized activities to prevent suicide as a consequence of mental illness.
Transitional Aged Youth (TAY): Individuals between the ages of 16 and 25.
Underserved: Clients who are receiving some mental health services, but do not have adequate access or awareness of the full array of services and supports available to achieve their identified goals.
Unserved: Individuals who may have serious mental illness and/or serious emotional disturbance and are not receiving mental health services.
Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC): The WIC establishes programs and public social services for promoting the public welfare.
Workforce Education and Training (WET): Programs designed to enhance the public mental health workforce. | 