Mission & Leadership

Mission

The mission of MHAC is to assist and encourage communities, families and individuals to experience hope, wellness and recovery from mental health and substance use disorder issues. The people and communities we aim to serve include those of all ages; sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; language, racial and ethnic backgrounds, national origin, and immigration status; spirituality and religious affiliations; or socioeconomic status.

Vision

MHAC envisions a society in which all communities, families and individuals can ENJOY full, productive and healthy lives free from discrimination of all kinds regardless of previous or current issues with their mental health or substance use issues. MHAC believes that every person deserves access to appropriate, voluntary services that are delivered in their local community with compassion and respect for each individual’s dignity and autonomy.

Approach

Our approach is based on advocacy and education to build and maintain local services and supports which are voluntary, accessible, compassionate and which provide equitable and inclusive services to diverse population to support full and healthy life experiences.

MHAC works towards full implementation of the Mental Health Services Act including the goal that prevention and early Intervention of mental illness and addiction will be the rule and not the exception. We envision a time when the behavioral health system is a “help first” system that seeks to prevent disability and empower people to achieve fulfilling lives. We also envision that MHAC is instrumental in making all the services, supports and policies including those that prevent mental illness and substance use from arising in the first place available as widely as possible.

We aim to ensure that there is adequate funding, insurance coverage and access to needed services including the elimination of treatment disparities. We also educate Californians about mental illness, about the efficacy of treatment and about the outdated myths that cause DISCRIMINATION and denial of services into all areas of the organization.