CCCMHA Paper on DMH Reorganization

CCCMHA Recommendations to the Department of Health Care Services

CCCMHA comments on the DMH reorganization, and joins the county mental health directors in supporting the position of retaining mental health as a unit in one department of the Department of Health Care Services and not fragmented.  Other advocates include the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and the California Psychiatric Association.  Click here to read CCCMHA Recommendations.  

What compelled CCCMHA even more is the paper from UCLA that comes to the same conclusion. However, our paper differs from others, in calling for the establishment of a new department that brings mental health together with alcohol and drug programs, builds on the UCLA paper in recommending a gradual transition, and the need for outside expertise to build it correctly. 

In other respects, it generally follows previous discussions and builds on the following four papers:

• California Coalition for Mental Health Recommendations

• CCMH Appendix to Recommendations

• The AB 100 Work-group Report

• MHOAC Principles

• UCLA Paper