Health and Human Services
Department of Mental Health

The Budget includes $4.8 billion ($1.9 billion General Fund) for the Department of Mental Health (DMH), an increase of $1.2 billion ($48.7 million General Fund) from the revised 2006 Budget Act level. This net change primarily reflects continued growth in the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program, the impact of Proposition 83, also known as Jessica's Law, elimination of the Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness program, and the removal of one-time costs for prior-year AB 3632 mandate claims.


STATE HOSPITALS
 The Budget includes $1.2 billion ($1.1 billion General Fund) and 10,445 positions for 2007-08, an increase of $137.4 million ($110.2 million General Fund) and 821.2 positions from the revised 2006-07 budget. This funding will support a total population of 6,095, an increase of 506 patients from the revised 2006-07 population level. This includes an increase of $4.3 million General Fund to contract for competency restoration services at the local level. Contracting for local mental health beds will expand services and address state hospital capacity issues.


SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR CLINICAL HEALTHCARE CLASSIFICATIONS
 The Budget includes salary adjustments for clinical staff that provide direct care services to patients at the state hospitals and psychiatric programs. These adjustments are in response to the following court decisions:

  • Salary Enhancements for Medical Services Personnel (Plata Case) - The Budget includes an increase of $7.1 million ($6.9 million General Fund) to bring salaries for classifications providing medical services to within 18 percent of the Plata court-ordered salaries for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This will allow hiring and retention of medical staff at state hospitals.
  • Salary Enhancements for Dental Staff (Perez Case) - The Budget includes an increase of $1.6 million General Fund in order to provide salary increases to DMH dental staff to retain existing staff and enhance the recruitment of additional staff.
  • Salary Enhancements for Mental Health Personnel (Coleman Case) - The Budget includes an increase of $5.5 million General Fund to increase the salaries of the same classifications of staff working in DMH psychiatric programs operating within Salinas Valley State Prison and the California Medical Facility at Vacaville. The Budget also includes $35.5 million ($34.7 million General Fund) to fund salary increases for impacted mental health classifications to improve hiring and staff retention at the state hospitals.

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
 The Administration recognizes the importance of providing mental health services in communities to reduce institutionalization. The Budget includes $3.5 billion ($776.8 million General Fund), an increase of $1.1 billion (a decrease of $72.9 million General Fund) compared to the revised 2006-07 budget for community mental health services.


EARLY AND PERIODIC SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT (EPSDT) PROGRAM
 The Budget includes $1 billion ($454 million General Fund) for EPSDT, a decrease of $37 million (an increase of $47.8 million General Fund) from the revised 2006-07 budget. In addition, $86.7 million General Fund is available to begin reimbursing counties for prior years' costs, which will be repaid over a three-year period commencing in 2007-08. Under this program, approximately 186,000 Medi-Cal-eligible children and young adults receive services to ameliorate a diagnosed mental illness.


EARLY MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE (EMHI)
 The Budget includes a $5 million increase in Proposition 98 General Fund to augment the EMHI program, which provides grants to local education agencies for supportive, non-clinical mental health intervention and prevention services to children (grades K-3) who have mild or moderate school adjustment difficulties. This augmentation will increase total program funding to $15 million in 2007-08.
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for Health and Human Services Back to Top

 Reductions to Build a Prudent Fiscal Reserve
 Department of Health Care Services
 Department of Public Health
 Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board
 Department of Developmental Services
image of black pointing arrowDepartment of Mental Health
 Department of Child Support Services
 Department of Social Services
PRINTABLE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Back to Top
Enacted Budget Summary - Health and Human Services (pdf * - 18K) -
Provides the entire Health and Human Services Chapter in pdf format.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Back to Top
Enacted Budget Detail - Health and Human Services
Displays Enacted Budget Detail information for Health and Human Services.