Below is a sample letter you can send to Jennifer Clancy,
the executive director of the Mental Health Services Oversight and
Accountability Commission. This is the group that will be making
recommendations on how the MHSA funding should be distributed.
Date
Jennifer Clancy
Executive Director
MHSOAC
700 N. 10th Street, Suite 202
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Ms. Clancy,
The California Association of School Psychologists (CASP)
represents the “first responders” when it comes to the mental health of today’s
students. As major stakeholders in the decisions over Mental Health Services
Act, school psychologists bring a unique perspective to the issue. They have
been educated in both psychology and school systems and understand how the two
disciplines can work hand-in-hand to ensure that today’s students are able to
learn.
Because the money in Proposition 63 is to supplement, rather
than supplant, County Mental Health funds, now is the time to expand mental
health services where it can do the most good – in the schools and in primary
health care..
Using the funds to pay for school-based mental health
programs is especially cost-effective. Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)
programs for children and youth in schools result in fewer severe problems
requiring intensive treatment. This, in turn, would make mental health a
central part of the schools’ mission and help each child and student meet their
greatest potential in school and life.
By funneling MHSA funding through the schools, mental health
workers will be able to reach children and youth, ages 0 through 25, and their
families, offering an opportunity for collaboration rather than duplication.
Please consider school-based mental health services when
distributing MHSA funding.
Sincerely,
Your name
Address
Email address
This link (http://www.dmh.ca.gov/ press/docs/2005/ MHSOAC_bios_members_07-07 -05.pdf)
will take you to brief biographies of each member of the Mental Health Services
Oversight and Accountability Commission. You may have something in common with
one or more of these members – from the same area of the state, have a family
member who works in the same occupation, etc. The more you personalize your
letter, the better chance you have of making an impression. Send mail to each
of them at the same address as Ms. Clancy’s at MHSOAC, 700 N. 10th Street,
Suite 202, Sacramento, CA 95814.
