California Association Of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations

TO TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES AND THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA TO EMPOWER, SUPPORT, AND ENSURE THE RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS, ELIMINATE STIGMA, AND ADVANCE SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BY CHAMPIONING THE WORK OF CONSUMERS AND CONSUMER-RUN ORGANIZATIONS.

LIVED EXPERIENCE, ADVOCACY AND DIVERSITY (LEAD): THE LEAD PROGRAM'S GOAL IS TO GENERATE AWARENESS OF THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS/CLIENTS AND ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A MAJOR ROLE IN THE ENVISIONING, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL AND STATE MENTAL HEALTH POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL RESULT IN ACCESSIBLE, HIGH QUALITY BEHAVIORAL/COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. THE LEAD PROGRAM, WORKING WITH LOCAL PEER RUN ORGANIZATIONS AS PARTNERS, COMBINES LISTENING SESSIONS, MEETINGS WITH POLICY LEADERS AND LOCAL AND STATEWIDE CONFERENCES TO GENERATE AWARENESS OF THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS.

OTHER PROGRAMS.

PAL SAMHSA: THROUGH THE SAMHSA STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK GRANT, CAMHPRO DEVELOPED THE PEER ACTION LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA (PAL), ADVISORY TO AND ACTION ARM OF CAMHPRO. THROUGH PAL AND RELATED ACTIVITIES, CAMHPRO', GOAL IS TO 1. INCREASE AND STRENGTHEN PEER-RUN ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS CALIFORNIA (CA), INCLUDING ASSISTING NEW PEER RUN ORGANIZATIONS TO FORM AND EXISTING PEER-RUN ORGANIZATIONS TO GROW; 2. ENHANCE PEER LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE BY PROVIDING ADVOCACY TRAINING AND POLICY EDUCATION, AND SUPPORTING PEER REPRESENTATION AT STATE-LEVEL POLICY BODIES AND VENUES; 3. GUIDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEER CERTIFICATION IN CA AND INCREASE PEER PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE; 4. INCREASE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF LOCAL CONSUMER-RUN PROGRAMS (CRP) AND THE STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT IN APRIL 2019 THROUGH MARCH 30, 2022, THE PEER ACTION LEAGUE (PAL), ENLISTED WELL OVER 350 INDIVIDUAL PAL MEMBERS, 33 ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS, AND FORMED ACTION COMMITTEES THAT MET 73 TIMES TOTAL. IN EACH YEAR PAL FACILITATED THREE STATE ADVOCACY WEBINARS AND FOUR GROW & SUSTAIN PEER RUN AGENCIES/PROGRAMS WEBINARS. FOR THE GRANT PERIOD, PAL FACILITATED A TOTAL OF EIGHT ONSITE/ONLINE REGIONAL EDUCATION FORUMS AND ONE STATEWIDE FORUM (IN THE LAST YEAR) AND HELD 10 QUARTERLY MEMBERSHIP WEBINARS AS PLANNED. IN ADDITION, PAL CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 32 MONTHLY PEER WEBINARS ROTATING TOPICS MONTHLY: UPDATES ON EFFORTS TOWARDS STATE PEER STANDARDIZATION, SPOTLIGHTS ON PEER SUPPORT BEST PRACTICES, AND 'PEER SUPPORT 4 PEER SUPPORTERS'. OVER THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, PAL SERVED A TOTAL OF 5,140 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT 52 OF 58 COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA WITH A TOTAL OF 146 ACTIVITIES IN TOTAL. THE AVERAGE EVALUATIONS OF EVENTS WERE 91%WITH A TOTAL OF 1,632 RESPONDENTS. ALSO, IN YEAR TWO THE STATE PASSED THE PEER CERTIFICATION BILL. PAL MET ALL GPRA IPP GOALS AND MOST MILESTONES. SOLUTIONS TO BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED ARE EXAMINED THROUGHOUT THIS REPORT.

ADVOCACY: PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMER ADVOCACY TO STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES AND POLICY LEADERS. PROVIDED AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, THE PERSPECTIVE OF MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS, MEANING THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES IN THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM, IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, HEARINGS, AND OTHER VENUES IN WHICH DELIBERATIONS OR DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE THAT AFFECT THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM OR THOSE SERVED BY THAT SYSTEM.