Mental Health Services Act Assists Angelinos with Mental Illness

In 2005, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year, $280 million spending plan to assist the mentally ill, drawing down funds from the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act. Board members voted to allocate nearly half of the $90 million in annual funds to provide housing for 4,500 county residents with severe mental health problems, many of whom typically end up in jail or homeless.

The other half is slated to provide mental health services to more than 52,000 residents, including foster children, youth in the county’s probation system and juvenile halls and those who routinely seek care at county psychiatric facilities. Approximately $60 million has been allocated toward Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI), of which at least $30 million will fund programs targeting youth ages 0-to-25 years old.

First 5 LA recognizes the importance of mental health to a family’s overall development and well-being. This is why we are voicing our concerns in discussions on the development and implementation of PEI guidelines. At the state level, we have already participated in public forums requiring that the county commit a minimum of 51 percent of PEI funds toward youth ages 0-to-25 years old. In L.A. County, our goal is to ensure that developmentally appropriate prevention services are made available to children ages 0-to-5 and their families.