Thursday, January 31, 2013

Crowd Source Better Care for Mentally Ill in California


We are going to improve care for persons with serious mental illness in California by crowd-sourcing the hunt for waste and fraud in Prop 63/Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)

MHSA funds meant to help seriously mentally are being diverted

MHSA funds are supposed to help people with serious mental illness. And many do. But funds are also being diverted elsewhere. The media has reported on MHSA funds being used for Wilderness Adventure Tours, Gardens for people of Hmong ancestry, massage chairs and tons of other programs not related to serious mental illness. They have also reported on programs that may be worthy and/or politically correct social services (ex tutoring, ending poverty, etc.)  but don't serve people who have mental illness. We have also reported on diverting, wasting, or giving away MHSA funds to well-connected 'consultants' and insiders. 

California State Auditor is investigating

Because of the media attention, the California State Auditor is looking closely at how California Counties (And especially Sacramento, LA, San Bernardino and Santa Clara) are not spending the money to provide real services to people with serious mental illness.

The Auditor Needs Our Crowdsourcing To Find the Waste and Fraud


The auditor doesn’t know the mental health system as well as families of persons with mental illness and those who work in the system do. So we need you to send her tips on how money is being wasted or diverted.
  • Are funds going to programs that do not serve mentally ill? Tell her
  • Are there too many meetings and not enough services? Tell her.
  • Are funds going to the politically connected? Tell her.
  • Are local organizations using MHSA money to prevent implementation of Laura’s Law? Tell her.

How to find waste, fraud and misuse of MHSA Funds

Make your communications, short and succinct. State how the money is being diverted and attach any documents or links you can. You can email or call. Your info is confidential.

Please go through the following documents and tell the auditors which programs
  1. don't help persons with serious mental illness
  2. don't reduce the duration of untreated mental illness
  3. don't prevent mental illness from becoming severe and disabling.

Here are some documents for each county you can/should look at in addition to sending your own info acquired elsewhere (ex on insider dealing or useless consultants, studies, etc.)

DOCUMENTS TO EXAMINE

Los Angeles
Santa Clara
Sacramento
San Bernardino
Other Counties

DETAILS


If you find something, tell the auditor what page of what document it is on and why you feel it is an inappropriate use of MHSA funds. You don't have to be from the county, or even state. You can send info on counties not listed above and from documents or sources not listed above.  You can go back to 2007, and should go as far back as possible. (If you have problems accessing the docs, we have copies).

Do not worry that someone else already looked at the document or reported the waste. Different people find different things or know more about some programs than others.

Where to send your findings

California State Auditor's Office
Attn: MHSA Auditor Dana Bralley
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 330
Sacramento, CA 95814
MHSA Tip Line: 916.445.0255 x446
Executive Office Fax: (916) 323-0913
MHSA_audit@auditor.ca.gov 

We would appreciate it if you send a copy to us


THANK YOU
Visit our Waste and Fraud in MHSA Page or our Laura's Law Page to learn more