Innovation

About MHSA Innovation
The MHSA Innovation component is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new or changed practices in the field of mental health, with a primary focus on learning rather than filling a need or a gap. Five percent of the MHSA funds are dedicated to the Innovation component. Each project must be approved by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Innovation projects are time-limited to a maximum of five years, after which an alternative source of funding must be identified if the project is deemed successful.

Innovation projects must serve one or more of the following purposes:

• Increase access to mental health services to underserved groups
• Increase the quality of mental health services, including measureable outcomes
• Promote interagency and community collaboration related to mental health services or supports or outcomes
• Increase access to mental health services

By providing the opportunity to "try out" changed or new approaches that can inform current and future practices, Innovation projects contribute to learning one or more of the following ways:

• Introduce a mental health practice or approach that is new to the overall mental health system, including, but not limited to, prevention and early intervention
• Make a change to an existing practice in the field of mental health, including, but not limited to, application to a different population
• Apply to the mental health system a promising community-driven practice or approach that has been successful in non-mental health contexts or settings

For more details about Innovation project requirements, please follow the link to the Innovation Regulations