You can stop Waste, Fraud, Mission Creep in California Mental Health Services Act

As a result of mission creep, insider dealing, and lack of oversight, tens of millions of dollars of MHSA funds are being diverted to programs that do not serve people with serious mental illness, while the most seriously ill continue to go without treatment.

What is MHSA supposed to do? California voters passed Proposition 63 (Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), a 1% tax on millionaires to help people with "severe mental illness" and to "prevent mental illness from becoming severe and disabling". They did not pass it to "improve mental health" or provide social services programs to those who do not have "serious mental illness".

Why doesn't the public know about this diversion of funds?  

1. The MHSA Oversight and Accountability Commission has used MHSA funds to hire an $11 million P.R. firm to convince the public all is well. (Note: Hiring a PR firm is in itself a diversion of funds).
2. County mental health directors and recipients of diverted funds want to maintain their own funding. (Ex. NAMI CA once complained about MHSA, received $3 million, and then said the program works fine)  
3. Those who run MHSA programs tout their 'successes', but fail to mention that the people they 'succeeded' with were not the people MHSA funds are intended to serve. In fact, most programs don't even report the diagnosis of the people they serve which allows them to hide the diversion.

Why is this important to people with serious mental illness and Mental Illness Policy Org. California is the only state with more than enough money to provide good services for people with mental illness. But they are not. Money is not the issue. Leadership is. 

How can you help  Be a Whistle Blower. The auditor wants to hear about problems with MHSA. She needs your help. If you know MHSA Programs that do not serve people with serious mental illness, especially in Los Angeles, please send them to the auditor. Make them as specific as possible and include links, details that will allow verification. You know the California mental illness system better than the auditor, so send Ms. Howle the tips she needs:

Elaine M. Howle
California State Auditor
555 Capitol Mall
Suite 300
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone Number: (916) 445-0255
General Fax: (916) 327-0019
Executive Office Fax: (916) 323-0913

Email a copy of your information about programs that do not focus on serious mental illness to those trying to stop the diversion of MHSA funds.

Share this Widely, via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, anyway you can. Thank you. We need people to report abuse to the Auditor ASAP.

Learn more. Visit our site documenting problems with MHSA
http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/states/california/mhsa/mental_health_services_act_mhsa.html