Mission Statement
Thirty-three small California county mental health directors have banded together within the organizational structure of CMHDA to participate in joint-risk pools, to fund training and staff development opportunities, and to advocate for equitable funding on behalf of small county mental health programs.
The mission of the CMHDA Small Counties Committee is to provide a forum for small counties to review, discuss and make recommendations to the CMHDA Governing Board on issues that that have a unique meaning to small county mental health departments including, staffing issues, training and financial concerns. The rural nature and geographic expanse of many of these counties reflects the diversity of needs and resources in California, and the Small Counties Committee assures that this diversity is recognized and valued as an important component of the mental health system in California.
The Small Counties Committee has developed a number of position papers advocating for adequate resources and reduced administrative burden for the member counties who are challenged to meet the statewide requirements of a complicated mental health system.
2009-2010 CMHDA Small Counties Committee Priorities and Accomplishments (Posted: June 25, 2010) (PDF 62 KB)
Small Counties also comprise the membership of the Small Counties Emergency Risk Pool (SCERP). The SCERP is established through a Joint Powers Memorandum among the counties to assure that the risks associated with inpatient Medi-Cal consolidation do not adversely impact those counties with a population under 200,000. The SCERP membership has access to financial, training and other resources that are developed to manage inpatient psychiatric hospital risk and create alternatives to inpatient care.
Committee Leadership
- Scott Gruendl, Chair
- Glenn County
- Noel O'Neill, Co-Chair
- Trinity County
- Anne Robin, Co-Chair
- Butte County
- Don Kingdon, PhD – CMHDA Contact
- dkingdon@cmhda.org
- Monica Scott-CMHDA Support
- mscott@cmhda.org