About Us

Mission

The California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies (CCCMHA) promotes comprehensive, responsive, and integrated service systems by enhancing the ability of nonprofit member agencies to provide mental health services that empower the people we serve to lead full and productive lives.

History

Since its inception in 1985, CCCMHA has endeavored to provide each agency executive with the support, assistance and camaraderie that can help make a difference in the often-difficult task of running a nonprofit mental health agency.  Like many of your agencies, CCCMHA has grown dramatically over the years.  As CCCMHA has expanded, our responsibilities and mandates have also increased exponentially. 

In 1999 CCCMHA was instrumental in the design and implementation of a pioneering, three county program that served homeless people, parolees and probationers with serious mental illness.  Using aggressive outreach and a "whatever it takes approach" to match services to client needs, these programs achieved significant clinical outcomes for those served and saved millions of dollars by reducing hospitalization and incarceration costs.

The passage in 2004 of Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, was CCCMHA's proudest moment.  It was not an easy decision for CCCMHA's board to commit such substantial resources to this effort when hardly anyone thought an idea such as this had a chance; however, their strong belief in the need to adequately fund mental health services prevailed, and it was largely through the advocacy efforts of this association that the Act was passed by the voters of CA. The passage of Proposition 63 has raised hopes and expectations throughout California, and while it will take years to fully realize its benefits Proposition 63 it will make an enormous difference in the lives of those who have heretofore been unable to access critically needed mental health services.

The year 2009 saw the beginning of an economic downturn that has repeatedly threatened the funding for mental health services in this state.  CCCMHA is working diligently with the larger stakeholder community to protect the funding base and ensure that as the public system grows through the implementation of national healthcare reform and behavioral health parity, there are adequate resources to meet the needs of those with a mental illness.

Our Staff

Rusty Selix, JD
Executive Director
Rusty has been Executive Director and Legislative Advocate for CCCMHA since 1987 and has grown the association considerably... Read more.

Michele Peterson, MPH
Policy Associate
Michele has been with CCCMHA since 2011. She is responsible for researching health care reform and other policy issues, and analyzing... Read more.

Pam Easley
Program Manager
Pam has worked for Rusty Selix for 22 years, providing meeting planning for all of his clients as well as a wide variety of other office... Read more.

Sarah Heine
Program Assistant
Sarah is the newest member to join our office. She gained her interest in policy work as an intern for former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was while working in Special Education...Read more.

Desiree Alarcon
Program Assistant
Desiree joined the office of Rusty Selix in 2005 and has responsibility for database and listserv management, coordination of office... Read more.

 

Board of Directors