Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) in Contra Costa County

Prevention and Early Intervention Planning

Background

Prevention/Early Intervention (PEI) is the second part of MHSA for which Contra Costa Mental Health is conducting an extensive community planning process. Community Services and Supports (CSS)planning was completed in 2005. The requirements for PEI planning and programs are very clearly defined by the State Department of Mental Health and the MHSA Oversight and Accountability Commission. Their definitions for this process include:

Prevention in mental health involves reducing risk factors or stressors, building protective factors and skills, and increasing support. Prevention promotes positive cognitive, social and emotional development and encourages a state of well-being that allows the individual to function well in the face of changing and sometimes challenging circumstances.

Early Intervention is directed toward individuals and families for whom a short-duration (usually less than one year), relatively low-intensity intervention is appropriate to measurably improve mental health problems or concerns thereby avoiding the need for more extensive mental health treatment or services; or to prevent a mental health problem from getting worse.

Key Priority Populations - Are defined by the State DMH as: Underserved cultural populations, individuals experiencing onset of serious psychiatric illness, children/youth in stressed families, trauma exposed, children/youth at risk for school failure, children/youth at risk of juvenile justice involvement.

Key Community MH Needs to be addressed by the County plan may include: Disparities in access to mental health services, psycho-social impact of trauma, at-risk children, youth and young adult populations, stigma and discrimination, and suicide risk.

Our Planning Process

Building on the strengths of our recent CSS planning process, CCMH is now forming a Stakeholder Workgroup to review community input and data and define key elements of our Prevention/Early Intervention Plan.

Prevention and Early Intervention Contract Awardees

- Quarterly Reporting Form (Word Doc)
- General Description of the PEI Plan that was approved by State DMH (PDF)
- Description of PEI Programs for CCMH (PDF)
- PEI Outcomes We are Looking For (PDF)

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