The California Institute for Mental Health (CiMH) has contracted with the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide support the development of regional partnerships throughout the state. The planned activities are designed to support the development of a resiliency, recovery, and wellness-oriented; culturally and linguistically competent; and consumer and family member-driven mental health workforce, with the intention and expectation that services for consumers and family members will significantly improve as a result.

The philosophy of empowerment and recovery and the understanding that people with mental illness can and do recover, are key to the implementation of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Specifically, the MHSA calls for and mandates a culturally competent, recovery and resiliency oriented service delivery system responsive to the increasing diversity of California’s communities. The critical issue for the success of the MHSA is developing the workforce capacity necessary to support systems change through collaboration with consumers and family members. The increased employment of consumers and family is strongly supported as the leading indicator for the vision of system change inherent in the MHSA.

General questions regarding Workforce Regional Parnterships can be sent via email to swhipple@cimh.org.

CiMH contact person:
Sabine Whipple
Program Director
916.556.3480, ext. 138