CDCAN Advocacy Without Borders :: One Community

Mission:

The California Department of Mental Health (DMH), entrusted with leadership of the California mental health system, ensures through partnerships the availability and accessibility of effective, efficient, culturally competent services. This is accomplished by advocacy, education, innovation, outreach, understanding, oversight, monitoring, quality improvement, and the provision of direct services.
Responsibilities:

The California Department of Mental Health, located in Sacramento, has oversight of a public mental health budget of more than $4 billion, including local assistance funding. Its responsibilities include:

• providing leadership for local county mental health departments;
• evaluation and monitoring of public mental health programs;
• administration of federal funds for mental health programs and services;
• The care and treatment of people with mental illness at the five state mental hospitals (Atascadero, Metropolitan, Napa, Coalinga and Patton State Hospitals) and at the Acute Psychiatric Programs located at the California Medical Facilities in Vacaville and Salinas Valley; and
• Implementation of the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63), which provides state tax dollars for specific county mental health programs and services.