Mental Health Matters Month in Placer County

Did you know that one in four adults will have a mental health challenge in their lifetime? Chances are either you or someone you know is affected by mental illness. Unfortunately, many people with mental illness do not receive treatment largely because they do not recognize mental illness symptoms or because of stigma, the feeling of embarrassment or fear over how others will perceive them.

In an effort to raise awareness of mental health symptoms and reduce stigma the Placer County Board of Supervisors proclaimed May as Mental Health Matters Month in Placer County. The board, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, encourages all Placer County residents to pay attention to their mental health, get screened and speak up about what mental health feels like today.

This year’s theme for May is Mental Health Month – Life With a Mental Illness – is a call to action for our community to share what life with a mental illness feels like. The Life With A Mental Illness campaign is designed to help remove the shame and stigma of speaking out, so that more people can be comfortable coming out of the shadows and seeking the help they need.

In Placer County, residents report an average of 3.5 poor mental health days in a 30-day period.

Placer County offers free mental health treatment options that are available to the public in-person, over-the-phone and online. These resources include:

In-person

Placer County Adult System of Care offers services to adults including mental health, substance abuse treatment and counseling, in-home support, psychiatric medication, suicide prevention and much more. Mental health services for adults are available the following locations:

Roseville Office

101 Cirby Hills Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
916-787-8800

Auburn Office

11512 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
530-889-7240

Placer County Adult System of Care
888-886-5401

The Adult System of Care toll-free phone service provides services for crisis response, psychiatric emergencies or to report elder or dependent adult abuse.

The Placer County Children’s System of Care
886-293-1940

The Children’s System of Care helps meet the special needs of children and youth who may be at risk, and their families. Services include 24-hour response for minors at risk of abuse or neglect, mental health assessments and treatment, family counseling, behavioral services and a wide variety of other children’s and family social services.

Online

Take Action for Mental Health – an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Available in Spanish.
Suicide in Preventable – a statewide campaign for individuals to know the signs, find the words and reach out to prevent suicide.

In addition to the proclamation, the board unanimously approved three mental health related contracts presented by county staff, furthering the county’s commitment to reducing mental illness and providing services to its residents.

In the first of three contract approvals, the board approved the Department of Health and Human Services’ contract with Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc., to continue providing long-term psychiatric residential care in Placer County. Crestwood offers nine mental health treatment facilities aimed at improving the living skills of clients with chronic mental disorders to assist them in meeting rehabilitation goals and reintegrating them back into the community.

The board also approved annual contracts with group home providers who provide intensive residential mental health services for the Placer County Children’s System of Care. These contracts ensure timely and effective recovery and support services are delivered to youth in order to limit the time and duration of residential care and to help them acquire the skills necessary to return home as quickly as possible.
Lastly, the board approved a contract for community outpatient mental health services to be facilitated by private network providers. These network providers include counselors, therapists, and psychologists to maximize the availability of necessary specialty services while limiting the need for more costly hospitalizations and residential care whenever possible. This mental health private network provides outpatient services to youth and adults and currently includes 64 licensed independent practitioners.