| On November 2nd, 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63, a ballot initiative to provide the funds to transform our public mental health system. The Mental Health Services Act, as Proposition 63 is now called, promises to create a system that keeps individuals in their communities rather than in institutions or on the street. The transformed system is to be based on principles of recovery that help persons with serious mental illness experience a satisfying quality of life: to live, work, learn, and participate fully in the community.
As stated by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (July 2003), “Recovery from mental illness is now a real possibility…Yet, for too many Americans with mental illness, the mental health services and supports they need remain fragmented, disconnected, and often inadequate, frustrating the opportunity for recovery…Instead of ready access to quality care, the system presents barriers that all too often add to the burden of mental illnesses for individuals, their families, and our communities.”
Madera County is ready to take on the challenge of the Mental Health Services Act to review and transform the way services are provided in order to promote recovery and open the door to a satisfying quality of life for individuals with serious mental illness. The County is conducting an ongoing comprehensive countywide planning process in an effort to involve individuals, families, and the community in developing programs and supports that will create new opportunities for recovery. If you are interested in participating please contact David Weikel, MHSA Coordinator at (559) 6757026 or (888) 2759779 toll free. (You may also email suggestions to dweikel@maderacounty.com.) You may volunteer in many ways including serving on one of the planning groups or volunteering to assist with community meetings or with clerical or other tasks related to the planning process.
Please make a difference! Let your voice be heard regarding how we can transform our system and become a community of support for individuals with serious mental illness.
Janice Melton LCSW
jmelton@maderacounty.com
Director of Behavioral Health Services
P.O. Box 1288
Madera, CA 93639
5596757926 or 5598882759779 |
