Report 2012-122 Recommendation 4 Responses

Report 2012-122: Mental Health Services Act: The State's Oversight Has Provided Little Assurance of the Act's Effectiveness, and Some Counties Can Improve Measurement of Their Program Performance (Release Date: August 2013)

Recommendation #4 To: Health Care Services, Department of

To ensure that counties have the needed guidance to implement and evaluate their MHSA programs, Health Care Services should commence this regulatory process no later than January 2014.

6-Month Agency Response

DHCS continues to work with the Accountability Commission to review the current MHSA regulations and to develop additional regulations.

DHCS completed the initial draft of MHSA audit and appeals regulations. The draft regulations will be provided to the California Mental Health Directors Association (CMHDA) by late February 2014 for review and comment. DHCS anticipates making these regulations available for public comment in the spring of 2014. We anticipate that final regulations will be adopted beginning in the fall of 2014.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

DHCS began working in collaboration with the Accountability Commission in July 2013 to review the current MHSA regulations and to develop additional regulations. Draft regulations will be made available for public comment in the spring of 2014. We anticipate that final regulations will be adopted during the fall of 2014.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented

All Recommendations in 2012-122

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.