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MHSA Annual Update

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) is a 2004 voter-approved proposition that created dedicated funding for the transformation of California’s public mental health service system.  Each county develops planning documents that are stakeholder informed in order to prioritize programs and services needed for each unique county region, community, and neighborhood.  A stakeholder can be anybody who has a stake in behavioral health care services in Riverside County and is concerned about Riverside wellness.

As part of that process, we encourage stakeholder feedback on the annual plan!  This year we provide an annual update, like a progress report, on Riverside’s MHSA Plan. 

Your feedback is important!

The full, draft plan is available here for your review (See below).  Summary documents were requested by our stakeholders in order to provide a quick reference to plan highlights and operations.  These include:

1. MHSA Plan Summary Highlights:  Reviews changes, plan progress and milestones, and key areas of planning development
2. Service Components Regional Grid: Organizes key programs across the MHSA service components by county region: Western, Mid-County, and Desert
3. MHSA and Planning Process Orientation: Provides some fundamentals about how MHSA is structured and how we seek and apply your feedback
4. MHSA in Action: A real story from a consumer served by a MHSA funded program 

Riverside County’s Draft MHSA Annual Update FY 2022-23 is located below:

You can also provide feedback using the MHSA Voice Mail Feedback Line at:

951-289-3305

The formal planning process, after the 30-day posting of the Plan, ends with a Public Hearing. This is an opportunity for your support, concerns, and ideas about Riverside County’s MHSA Plan FY 21-22 to be formally stated and recorded. These comments become part of the actual plan document that is reviewed by the Riverside Behavioral Health Commission, adopted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, and submitted to the California Department of Health Care Services.

Due to COVID-19 safety adaptations, there is no in-person Public Hearing this year and an alternative practice was developed that was designed to reach as many Riverside County participants that wanted to provide feedback.  This adaptation was piloted last year to much success:

Seen by over 12,000 people county-wide

Over 6,000 engaged with the post

A greater description of the factors used to determine this practice can be found under the “Community Planning and Participation Process” section of the draft plan.

What to expect this year:

• April 11:  30-Day public posting on our Department Webpage, and through our social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Announcements provided in both English and Spanish, and include a link to the full plan and the electronic feedback form.

• May 09 – May 22: A video presentation of the MHSA Plan overview, similar to the presentation of a standard public hearing, posted daily on all our social media accounts including YouTube. Posts will  include a link to the full plan, the electronic feedback form, and a voice mail telephone number.  Callers can simply leave their feedback or provide a call back number if they would like follow up contact with Riverside County MHSA Administration. Presentation conducted in both English and Spanish and supported by a sign language interpreter.

• DVDs of the presentation also available for mail or pick up starting May 05. PLEASE request your DVD packets before May 01.  DVDs can also be closed captioned in some Riverside County languages. To request a DVD, please email with your mailing address or request to arrange pick up time: SeContreras@ruhealth.org

• Community feedback will be documented and provided to the Behavioral Health Commission for review and response. All input, comments, and Commission recommendations will be included in final MHSA Plan.

When large gathering restrictions are lifted, MHSA Administration will host community forums on the MHSA plan that will allow for greater interaction and interpersonal engagement. By regulation, the MHSA Plan can also be formally amended as planning adjusts to stakeholder feedback, developing service needs, economic changes, or new regulations.

We look forward to your participation!

 Please share this opportunity with other stakeholders and encourage all stakeholders to participate! We encourage you to post links to this page and related stakeholder materials to your own websites and social media.