The California Department of Mental Health notified the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency on May 17 that the Mental Health Services Act Community Services and Support Plan was approved.

Part of the $25 million in funding will directly impact homeless youth who utilize services at San Diego Youth & Community Services’ Storefront, San Diego’s only emergency shelter program for homeless, runaway and other street youth.

The plan was developed by the Health and Human Services Agency in collaboration with community stakeholders and community members, such as clients, youth and family members. Workgroups considered needs, issues and MHSA requirements to make recommendations that were synthesized into a plan reviewed by the public, then forwarded to the state.

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) became law on Jan. 1, 2005, after California voters approved the measure in November 2004.

Henry Tarke, San Diego County’s assistant deputy director of mental health services, said the MHSA was being rolled out into four different phases, and the three other phases – prevention and early intervention, innovative programs and information technology – will be rolled out this fall.

Tarke said that although there isn’t a program specifically targeting the GLBT community, some services are embedded within other programs funded by the MHSA. “As an example, we’re funding a program that’s going to reach out to the homeless runaway youth, and we’re aware that has a large percentage of gay boys in particular,” he said.

SDYCS Storefront director Jan Stankus-Nakano estimates that about 15 percent of homeless youth in San Diego are GLBT. She said SDYCS submitted a proposal in March and found out in early May they would receive approximately $335,000 in funding for five years under the MHSA.

Stankus-Nakano said because SDYCS has not been able to administer extensive mental health services in the past, many youth at the Storefront have struggled to obtain medications to alleviate various mental disorders that typically occur within this population in late adolescence.

“In the past, we’ve done our best to provide counseling and case management and work through the Medi-Cal system to try to get them seen, which is almost difficult to none because, number one, they’re minors, and secondly they’re somewhat chaotic in their lifestyles,” she said. “Now we’ll be able to, upon intake, have them assessed for psychiatric and mental health services and start them right away in some really intensive treatment.”

According to SDYCS, 123 youth transitioned from the Storefront shelter to a more-permanent, safe living environment last year. Youth can access the shelter with or without a referral, and are assured temporary housing until their lives have been stabilized with the help of professional staff and volunteers.

Stankus-Nakano said as a result of the MHSA funding, the Storefront will be hiring a total of six employees, including a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a part-time outreach rehab worker, two consultants and a mental health director. She said they are close to hiring the mental health director.

The outreach rehab worker will be on the streets to do on-the-spot, brief mental health assessments with homeless youth.

“They won’t have to be in-shelter to receive the services,” she said. “Kids who are on the street but are not ready to commit to a more stable lifestyle can still access mental health services through this. It’s really exciting.”

The 2005-06 operating budget for county mental health services allocates $127 million for adults and $80.3 million for children. Over $25 million annually will be provided to San Diego County for mental health services under the MHSA.

“The approval of this plan will address the needs of many individuals in our community,” said Alfredo Aguirre, acting mental health director.

New programs under the MHSA include: a North County walk-in assessment center, $2 million in expanded outpatient services for schoolchildren, and almost $7 million in intensive case management services/housing resources for young adults, adults and older adults with serious mental illness, many of whom may be homeless.

Tarke said he believed San Diego County was the 15th county to be approved for the MHSA funding of 58 counties in California. He said the 2006-07 budget increased by 25 percent due to the additional funds.

“That’s significant in that California and San Diego have been very underfunded,” he said.

The Center hosted a community forum in May 2005 to seek input into how San Diego County was to distribute funds received under the MHSA, also known as Proposition 63.

“We’ve looked at the available RFPs [requests for proposal] and there wasn’t anything that we wanted to pursue at this time,” said Patrick Loose, director of programs and operations at The Center. “There’s no specific carve-out for LGBT.”

Loose would not comment on whether or not the county took into consideration any of the feedback from the forums held last year.

Nancy Wallis, Family Health Centers of San Diego regional director of special populations and satellite services, said some of the funding from the MHSA has augmented existing contracts they have with the county. She said one was done automatically and the other through a competitive bid process.

Wallis said the money that is allocated in these contracts can certainly service the GLBT population, but it’s not targeted funding.