LOS ANGELES COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH
  Policy 100.07 Mental Health Services Act Annual Update
 
Policy Category: Administrative
Distribution Level:  Directly Operated
Responsible Party:  Mental Health Services Act Administration Division
 
Approved by Kalene Gilbert, LCSW, Mental Health Program Manager IV, on Mar 29, 2024
 
I.  PURPOSE
 
To ensure the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH/department) is compliant with Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5847 requiring county mental health programs to prepare and submit Annual Updates for Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) programs and expenditures.
 
II.  DEFINITIONS
 

Adults: Individuals 18 years - 59 years of age. 
 

California Code of Regulation: Regulations adopted, amended, or repealed by state agencies pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act. 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 and older are considered children and youth and are eligible to receive services. 
 

Client Driven: The client has the primary decision-making role in identifying their needs, preferences and strengths and a shared decision-making role in determining the services and supports that are most effective and helpful. Client driven programs/services use clients’ input as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation and the definition and determination of 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 Services and Supports: The component 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.  
 

Department: The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. 
 

Early Intervention Services: Services to individuals showing early onset of mental illness/emotional disturbance. 
 

Family Driven: Families of children and youth with serious emotional disturbance have a primary decision-making role in the care of their own children, including the identification of needs, preferences and strengths, and a shared decision-making role in determining the services and supports that would be most effective and helpful for their children. Family driven programs/services use the input of families as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation and the definition and determination of outcomes. 
 

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.
 

Mental Health Services Act (MHSA):  A law passed in 2004 designed to expand and transform California's behavioral health system to better serve individuals with, and at risk of, serious mental health issues, and their families. 
 

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.
 

Older Adults: Individuals 60 years and older. 
 

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI): The PEI component funds programs designed to prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and disabling, with an emphasis on improving timely access to services for underserved. 
 

Prevention Services: Services for individuals who are at risk for mental illness/emotional disturbance. 
 

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.
 

Transitional Aged Youth (TAY): Individuals between the ages 0f 16 and 25 
 

Unserved: Individuals who may have serious mental illness and/or serious emotional disturbance and are not receiving mental health services. 
 

Underserved: Clients of any age who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness and/or serious emotional disturbance and are receiving some services but are not provided the necessary or appropriate opportunities to support their recovery, wellness and/or resilience. 
 

Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC): The WICestablishes programs and public social services for promoting the public welfare. 


Workforce Education and Training (WET): Programs designed to enhance the public mental health workforce. 
 

III.  POLICY
 
The MHSA Annual Update shall:
  • Be developed and approved through a diverse local stakeholder process and
  • Include all the necessary elements required by Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 9. 
The Annual Update shall be adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Within 30 days of Board of Supervisor approval, the MHSA Annual Update shall be submitted to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC).

 
IV.  PROCEDURES
 
V.  AUTHORITIES
 
California Code of Regulations 3200-3300, 3315, 3320, 3630, 3640
Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 5830, 5840, 5347, 5813.5, 5847-5848, 5891, 5892(b)

 
VI.  ATTACHMENTS
 
There are no attachments associated with this policy.