Children, Youth, and Families MHSOAC Prevention/Early Intervention Action Plan Priorities for the First Three Years

One of the most groundbreaking elements of the MHSA is the requirement that 20% of funds be spent on prevention and early intervention programs. The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) emphasizes prevention and early intervention (PEI) as key strategies to transform California's mental health system and to " prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and disabling. " The MHSA prioritizes the prevention of suicide, incarceration, school failure or dropout, unemployment, prolonged suffering, homelessness, and removal of children from their homes as a consequence of untreated mental illness. MHSA-funded PEI programs are required to include  Outreach to people such as family members, employers, and primary care health care providers who have the potential to recognize early signs of severe and potentially disabling mental illness  Efforts to improve timely access to services for underserved populations  Access and linkage to medically necessary care for children, adults, and seniors at the earliest possible onset of severe mental illness, and  Reduction of stigma and discrimination associated with being diagnosed with a mental illness or seeking mental health services. MHSA early intervention programs are to include mental health services similar to those provided under other programs that have demonstrated themselves to be  Effective in preventing mental illnesses from becoming severe, and  Successful in reducing the duration of untreated severe mental illnesses and assisting people in quickly regaining productive lives. PEI programs, like all programs funded by the MHSA, are required to " emphasize client-centered, family-focused, collaborative, and community-based services that are culturally and linguistically competent and provided in integrated service systems. " What is Prevention? Prevention in a mental health context, according to the Institute of Medicine, is part of a spectrum of interventions that includes prevention, treatment, and maintenance. The Institute of Medicine offers the following definitions for the three components:  Prevention—interventions to prevent the initial onset of a mental disorder  Treatment—identification of people with mental disorders and interventions to reduce the length of time the disorder continues, stop the progression of severity, and stop the recurrence of the disorder or increase the length between episodes  Maintenance—interventions to reduce relapse and recurrence and provide rehabilitation.