Community/Family Resources
Useful Reading
- Understanding Your Mental Health Insurance Coverage
- Mental Health Parity
- Speak Up for Your Rights
- Accessing County Mental Health Services
- Your Right to Timely Access to Mental Health Services
- The Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and Provider Complaints
Hotlines
- Cocaine Hotline
800-COCAINE (800-262-2463) - Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Center
530-662-1133 - Suicide Prevention
800-273-8255
To Find Services
For general information and a list of county mental health departments
- Community-based Mental Health Providers in California
- California Dept. of Social Services
- Find a Therapist
- Therapist Locator
General Service and Advocacy Information
- National Mental Health Association
- Mental Health Association in California
- NAMI National
- NAMI California
- California Network of Mental Health Clients
- United Advocates for Children of California
- CA Alliance for Child and Family Services
- California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies
- National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
- Network of Care
Government Departments
- State Department of Mental Health
- California Institute for Mental Health
- Department of Healthcare Services
- Department of Managed Health Care
- Department of Rehabilitation
- California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs
- California Department of Aging
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Office of the Patient Advocate
Complaints
- Board of Behavioral Science Examiners
(Marriage, Family, Child Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists)
916-445-4933 - Disability Rights California
916-488-9955 - Department of Managed Healthcare
888-466-2219 - CA Office of the Patient Advocate
888-466-2219 - Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
202-467-5730
"Do you feel that your insurer may be out of compliance with mental health parity law?"
California's mental health parity law requires that insurers cover mental health benefits on equal terms with coverage of other benefits. Some insurers in California are apparently out of compliance with the state parity law. If you are being charged co-pays for mental health services that are greater than the co-pays required for other services, or if you are subject to annual visit limits or reimbursement caps for mental health services that are different from the visit limits or caps for other services, contact the Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-HELP (4357) .