MHSA Guiding Principles

The core values of the Mental Health Services Act are expressed in the six following guiding principles for planning and implementation:

Community Collaboration

A process by which clients or participants and/or families receiving services, other community members, agencies, organizations, and businesses work together to share information and resources in order to fulfill a shared vision and goals. WIC §§ 5830(a)(3), 5866; 9 CCR § 3200.060

Cultural Competence

Incorporating and working into all aspects of policy-making, program design, administration, and service delivery to achieve equal access to services of equal quality; treatment interventions and effective outreach services; proper identification of strategies to reduce/eliminate disparities; an understanding of the diverse belief systems concerning mental illness, health, healing and wellness; the understanding of historical bias, racism, and other forms of discrimination on racial/ethnic, cultural , and linguistic communities; including their mental health, the adoption of contractual services to address the needs and values; and strategies promoting equal opportunities. WIC §§ 5813.5 (d)(3), 5868(b), 5878.1(a); 9 CCR §3200.100

Client Driven

The client has the primary decision-making role in identifying their needs, preferences, and strengths and a shared decision-making role in determining the services and supports that are most effective and helpful for them. Client driven programs/services use clients’ input as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation and the definition and determination of outcomes. WIC §§ 5813.5 (d)(3), 5830(a)(2), 5866; 9 CCR §3200.050

Family Driven

Families of children and youth with serious emotional disturbance have a primary decision-making role in the care of their own children, including the identification of needs, preferences, strengths, and a shared decision-making role in determining the services and supports that would be most effective and helpful for their children. Family driven programs/services use the input of families as the main factor for planning, policies, procedures, service delivery, evaluation and the definition and determination of outcomes.

WIC §§ 5822(h), 5840(b)(1), 5866(b)(2) 5878.1; 9 CCR §3200.120

Wellness, Recovery, and Resilience Focused

Planning for services shall be consistent with philosophy, principles, and practices of the Recovery Vision which is to promote concepts key to the recovery for individuals who have mental illness: hope, personal empowerment, respect, social connections, self-responsibility, and self-determination. To promote client/participant operated services to support recovery. WIC § 5813.5(d); MHSA § 7

Integrated Service Experience

The client, and when appropriate the client’s family, accesses a full range of services provided by multiple agencies, programs and funding sources in a comprehensive and coordinating manner. WIC §§ 5878.1(a), 5802, 5806(b), 5813.5(d)(4); 9 CCR §3200.190