TULARE COUNTY – After an investigation into their services, the county has made some significant changes to its mental health programs to increase community support and ensure vulnerable residents get the care they need.
According to a press release from Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Tulare County Behavioral Health has been actively engaged in identifying community needs, meeting state standards and enhancing the behavioral health system through community outreach and engagement with local partners, focus groups, community surveys and advisory boards.
“We acknowledge the importance of tailoring mental and behavioral health services to meet the diverse needs of our residents and those we serve,” the HHSA stated via press release.
The Disability Rights California (DRC) also launched an investigation into local services and identified areas for improvement. Tulare County Behavioral Health expressed its commitment to providing accessible, community-based mental health care and building on existing services to ensure the well-being of Tulare County residents.
The settlement agreement with Disability Rights California, dated Feb. 24, reinforced the county’s ongoing initiatives. Under the agreement, Tulare County Behavioral Health is making several key changes including:
- Strengthening 24/7 community-based crisis response services to ensure they are trauma-informed, culturally responsive and gender-affirming;
- Expanding mobile crisis teams to provide immediate, non-law enforcement intervention for individuals experiencing mental health crises;
- Collaborating with local school districts to implement behavioral health services that prioritize student well-being and reduce law enforcement involvement;
- Partnering with community-based providers to ensure culturally competent behavioral health care is available to underserved communities;
- Enhancing access to intensive behavioral health services such as Full-Service Partnerships, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and youth services to support individuals with housing, employment, education and therapy;
- Investing in permanent supportive housing with at least 20 new units county-wide and connecting 100 individuals to local housing opportunities via vouchers and housing supports; and
- Engaging community leaders from underserved communities and hosting stakeholder meetings to ensure continuous improvement and responsiveness to residents’ needs.
In collaboration with healthcare providers and community partners, Tulare County Behavioral Health explained it is working to implement improvements that foster inclusivity and accessibility.
“We cannot do this work alone,” the release stated. “Tulare County Behavioral Health continues to work diligently to build a robust behavioral health system for our community and remains focused on ensuring all members of our community receive the care and resources they need to thrive.”
According to the release, Tulare County Behavioral Health will partner with statewide experts, including Sandra Sinz, who has county behavioral health experience. This is meant to support the implementation process over the next three years and ensure all commitments are met.
The efforts to expand behavioral health services and crisis response programs are underway, and are meant to reduce reliance on law enforcement for crisis intervention while promoting voluntary and community-based treatment, said the release. This includes increasing local treatment facilities and expanding services to vulnerable populations.
