Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission

On September 5 and 6, the Commission and the Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health (CCJBH) hosted the 2024 Words to Deeds convening at the Commission’s headquarters in Sacramento. Attendees of this event had an opportunity to collaborate with one another to help shape a unified narrative around behavioral health and California’s criminal justice system through discussions among agency and organization leaders in criminal justice and corrections, state and local governments, the judiciary, and directors and providers in the behavioral health system. Multiple Commissioners and staff had the opportunity to present at this event, including Commissioners Bill Brown and Rayshell Chambers, Chief of Research and Evaluation, Melissa Martin-Mollard, Ph.D, and Research Scientist Latonya Harris, Ph.D.

Join us Wednesday, September 11 at 10 a.m. PDT for a Special 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/gmDgkMhS

The Commission has been advised by the Governor’s Office of Appointments that they are seeking applicants for several appointed positions, including Commissioner positions here at the MHSOAC. If you have questions about what being a Commissioner for the State’s Mental Health Commission entails, please reach out to us at mhsoac@mhsoac.ca.gov. See the full list of appointment opportunities with the Commission here: https://lnkd.in/giwxgUae *The Commission is not involved in making appointments.

On August 29, the Commission, alongside Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), hosted a presentation of “The Beautiful Game” for Commission staff, partnering agencies, legislative staff, and private sector representatives. The film depicts how the “beautiful game” can help change perspectives around teams and individuals, as well as the homeless population. The film was followed by a panel featuring SSUSA Managing Director Lisa Wrightsman, as well as current and former players. Panelist shared their experience with SSUSA, how the program gave them a sense of belonging and meaning, and motivation to advocate for their own wellbeing.

On August 27, Commission staff visited the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) to observe their mobile crisis response program. SCOE’S mobile crisis response program provides middle and high school students deemed to be at risk of dropping out of school with crisis screenings and assessments, as well as crisis intervention focused on de-escalation. Solano County Behavioral Health’s School-Based Mobile Crisis team is funded by the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) grant in partnership with the SCOE. Learn more about the MHSSA: https://lnkd.in/gKYyhtnG

During our August Commission Meeting in San Diego, Descanso Elementary’s HOPE Squad presented to our Commissioners and Commission staff. Commissioners participated in the group’s “Hope Jar,” where they inserted messages related to hope, resilience, and support to be read aloud. The HOPE Squad offers support to their fellow students seeking a trusted peer to confide in. This program is funded by the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) through the San Diego County Office of Education. Learn more about the MHSSA: https://lnkd.in/gKYyhtnG

On August 13-15, Commission staff had the opportunity to attend the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Integrated Care Conference in Long Beach. One of the main goals of the Behavioral Health Services Act is to further integrate SUD into the health care system. Staff attended eight separate workshops during the conference, had the opportunity to work with experts and providers in the SUD workforce, and learned of the challenges and current trends with integrating SUD into the health care system.

Join us Thursday, August 22 at 9 a.m. PDT for this month's Commission meeting. This meeting will be held in person at 6401 Linda Vista Road in San Diego, and a teleconference link is also available. See the agenda and register to join the meeting here: https://lnkd.in/gWWwWGac

The Commission is pleased to announce that AB2711 (Ramos) and SB1318 (Wahab) passed through their respective appropriations committee on August 15. As these Commission-supported bills move to the House and Senate floors for a final vote, AB2711 would forbid a student from being suspended if they disclose their use of a controlled substance, alcohol, tobacco, or any other intoxicants, for the purpose of seeking support through services. SB1318 would require the State Department of Education to update the model policy to address crisis intervention protocols in the event of a student suicide crisis. Unfortunately, AB2161 (Arambula) was held in committee. The Commission looks forward to continuing our support of this key Early Psychosis Intervention Plus legislation.

On August 7, members of the Commission's Community Engagement and Grants team met with one of our K-12 Student grantees, the Jakara Movement. This collaborative meeting was held to discuss the Jakara Movement's upcoming youth-led statewide conferences, partnerships with schools and other entities, and the makeup of their student advisory group. "The Jakara Movement is a grassroots community-building organization working to empower, educate, and organize working-class Punjabi Sikhs, and other marginalized communities; to advance their health, education, and arts/cultural, economic, social, and political power." For more information on the Commission’s Grant and Funding Opportunities, click here: https://lnkd.in/gJDQEeEt