Orange County awarded $25 million this year for Expanded Mental Health Services

(Santa Ana) – Hundreds of Orange County adults, older adults, children and youth will benefit from new and expanded community mental health services made possible by additional funding provided through California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), also known as Proposition 63.

California Department of Mental Health Director Stephen W. Mayberg formally announced in Orange County today the State’s approval of the Health Care Agency’s MHSA Community Services and Supports Plan, with $25 million dollars to be awarded to the county this year. “We are very excited to begin this new era of public mental health services in Orange County and believe that expanded services will improve the quality of life for many of those who live with mental illness,” said Mark Refowitz, Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) Deputy Director for Behavioral Health Services. Supervisor Bill Campbell, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and Julie Poulson, HCA Director, also participated in the celebration.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors recently approved the development of the Older Adult Support and Intervention Services (OASIS) program that will serve mentally ill older adults who are in need of rehabilitative and recovery services, crisis intervention and on-going case management. This full service partnership will be Orange County’s first new program funded by Proposition 63. Many other proposals are under development and will go before the Board of Supervisors for approval in the coming months.

Proposition 63 was passed by California voters in November 2004. It funds services for people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, through an additional 1 percent tax on incomes over $1 million.

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