1. (a) The County shall design and implement an Innovative Project to do one of the following:

   1. (1) Introduce a mental health practice or approach that is new to the overall mental health system, including, but not limited to, prevention and early intervention.
   2. (2) Make a change to an existing practice in the field of mental health, including but not limited to, application to a different population.
   3. (3) Apply to the mental health system a promising community-driven practice or approach that has been successful in non-mental health contexts or settings.

2. (b) A mental health practice or approach that has already demonstrated its effectiveness is not eligible for funding as an Innovative Project unless the County provides documentation about how and why the County is adapting the practice or approach, consistent with subdivision (a)(2) above and with section 3930(c)(3). For example, the change can include specific adaptation(s) to respond to unique characteristics of the County or a community within the County such as an adaptation for a rural setting of a mental health practice that has demonstrated its effectiveness in an urban setting, or vice versa.

   1. (1) For purposes of this section, a mental health practice is deemed to have demonstrated its effectiveness if there is documentation in mental health literature of the effectiveness of the practice.

      1. (A) “Mental health literature” refers to any report, published or online, including, but not limited to, peer-reviewed articles, nationally circulated (online or print) articles, reports of conference proceedings, program evaluation reports, and published training manuals.

3. (c) Primary Purpose: The County shall select one of the following as its primary purpose for developing and evaluating the new or changed mental health practice referenced in subdivision (a) of this section.

   1. (1) Increase access to mental health services to underserved groups as defined in Title 9 California Code of Regulations, Section 3200.300,
   2. (2) Increase the quality of mental health services, including measurable outcomes,
   3. (3) Promote interagency and community collaboration related to mental health services or supports or outcomes,
   4. (4) Increase access to mental health services.

4. (d) Focus on Mental Health and Mental Illness: An Innovative Project may affect virtually any aspect of mental health practices or assess a new or changed application of a promising approach to solve persistent mental health challenges, including but not limited to, administrative, governance, and organizational practices, processes, or procedures; advocacy; education and training for services providers, including nontraditional mental health practitioners; outreach, capacity building, and community development; system development; public education efforts; research; services and interventions, including prevention, early intervention, and treatment.

   1. (1) “Persistent mental health challenge” means a priority issue related to mental illness or to an aspect of the mental health service system that the County, with meaningful stakeholder involvement, decides to address by designing and evaluating an applicable Innovative Project.
   2. (2) The challenge addressed must be consistent with the selected primary purpose for Innovative Projects referenced in subdivision (c) of this section.

Note: Authority cited: Section 5846, Welfare and Institutions Code. Reference: Section 5830, Welfare and Institutions Code.

History

1. New section filed 7-16-2015; operative 10-1-2015 (Register 2015, No. 29).