PR: NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 19, 2024
CONTACT: Ashley Saechao, Community Development Coordinator, (530) 780-5338, mhsa@shastacounty.gov

NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

Mental Health Services Act

Innovation Plan: Psychiatric Advance Directives Phase II – Multi-County CollaborativeD

SHASTA COUNTY – Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency is making available for public comment a request for funding for its Mental Health Services Act, Innovation Plan: Psychiatric Advance Directives Phase II – Multi-County Collaborative. The public has an opportunity to provide input regarding this proposal through a 30-day public comment period. An electronic copy of this proposal can be found at www.shastamhsa.com. Hard copies are available upon request by contacting mhsa@shastacounty.gov.

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) has been around for more than 30 years and is currently a paper document that can be upwards of 30-pages and is simply unavailable during a behavioral health crisis. In Phase I, the collaborative developed a digital version of the PAD with input from key stakeholders. 

Phase II of the Psychiatric Advance Directives project seeks to solve questions arising from the initial project, which cannot be answered without in-depth testing and evaluation. Phase II will be completed through the “live” testing of a digital PAD and the digital Platform. Some of the outstanding questions to identify will be: how does using a trained facilitator enhance access, use, and completion of the PAD; does training first responders and hospitals reduce recidivism in the jail or hospital settings; do healthcare advocates assist in reducing unnecessary incarcerations or hospital placement; does a technological product protect an individual’s rights; does the electronic PAD offer in-the-moment crisis de-escalation; do hospitals honor pre-determined medications and physical/behavioral health information; and are digital PADs easy to use and access?

Public comments are to be received no later than 5 p.m. on May 19, 2024. Comments must be sent to the attention of MHSA Administration, 2640 Breslauer Way Redding, CA 96001; or emailed to mhsa@shastacounty.gov.

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