The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), passed by California voters in 2004 as Proposition 63, has created opportunities for supporters of Transition Age Youth to advocate for policies and programs that will result in positive outcomes for more TAY who suffer from a severe mental illness (including, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic depression, and anxiety disorders).
Over the last year, CAYEN has obtained feedback, suggestions and opinions from TAY throughout the state about a number of issues that affect adolescents and young adults through surveys, focus groups, and numerous informal interviews and meetings. A significant finding suggests that a “one-stop” or “drop-in” center would be more effective in reaching and engaging transition age youth and young adults into mental health services and programs than programs and services delivered in a county mental health building or a mental health/psychiatric clinic.
The “One-Stop TAY Centers” would ideally have:
- TAY involved in all decisions,
- peer to peer supports,
- access to computers for job and education searches,
- a game room with pool tables, a TV, and board games,
- a family/community environment,
- laundry facilities,
- shower facilities,
- benefits assistance,
- housing and transportation assistance,
- probation assistance,
- counseling services/programs available,
- education and job placement assistance.
For more information on TAY centers, please visit our website www.ca-yen.org.
Visit the following links for more information on models of TAY centers currently in operation:
Alameda County- Youth Uprising
http://www.youthuprising.org/index.html
Humboldt County- The RAVEN Project, Youth Services Bureau
http://rcaa.org/ysb/stroutrch.html
San Mateo County- Edgewood Turning Point Drop-In Center
http://www.edgewood.org/whatwedo/community/turning-point.html
San Bernardino County- TAY One-Stop Center
Website is under construction, but this is the link to their development proposal and contact information.
http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/dbh/MHSA/CSS/CSS_Work_Plan_TAY1.pdf
http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/dbh/childrenservices/childrenservices.asp
CAYEN will continue to promote and advocate for the development of more TAY One-Stop Centers throughout the state. Contact us if you would like to join our efforts to make this happen in your county.
Get Involved to Be Part of the Solution!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
CAYEN Weekly Blog Entries - 7/14/08
Welcome! The Mental Health Association in California is pleased to announce the start of the California Youth Empowerment Network’s (CAYEN) weekly Blog.
CAYEN was created to empower and inspire youth who are part of the Transitional Age Youth (TAY) (ages 16-25) community to create positive change in the mental health system. Our network is youth driven and run by a steering committee made up entirely of transition age youth. To participate on the steering committee or to become a member of CAYEN, please email us, reachout@ca-yen.org, or fax us a completed membership application, 916-447-2350.
Each week, we will provide you information on issues that are current and relevant to you as an adolescent making the transition into an adult, independent-centered society. We invite you to post or email us your comments and suggestions for future topics and issues you would like to see on this blog. We also invite you to submit your own work on issues relevant to the TAY community to be posted on the blog or to submit your story to be posted on our “Youth Stories” section of the website.
CAYEN will accomplish its mission through policy and legislative mental health advocacy at the state and local county level; development of local CAYEN affiliates throughout the state; a focus on racial/ethnic-specific supports, particularly Latino (41% of California’s 15-24 year olds are Latino1); support and development of TAY Drop-in centers throughout the state; and education for TAY on SSI/SSDI and other benefits and resources available to you.
Get Involved to Be Part of the Solution!
1 State of California, Department of Finance, Population Projections for California and Its Counties 2000-2050, by Age, Gender and Race/Ethnicity, Sacramento, California, July 2007.
CAYEN was created to empower and inspire youth who are part of the Transitional Age Youth (TAY) (ages 16-25) community to create positive change in the mental health system. Our network is youth driven and run by a steering committee made up entirely of transition age youth. To participate on the steering committee or to become a member of CAYEN, please email us, reachout@ca-yen.org, or fax us a completed membership application, 916-447-2350.
Each week, we will provide you information on issues that are current and relevant to you as an adolescent making the transition into an adult, independent-centered society. We invite you to post or email us your comments and suggestions for future topics and issues you would like to see on this blog. We also invite you to submit your own work on issues relevant to the TAY community to be posted on the blog or to submit your story to be posted on our “Youth Stories” section of the website.
CAYEN will accomplish its mission through policy and legislative mental health advocacy at the state and local county level; development of local CAYEN affiliates throughout the state; a focus on racial/ethnic-specific supports, particularly Latino (41% of California’s 15-24 year olds are Latino1); support and development of TAY Drop-in centers throughout the state; and education for TAY on SSI/SSDI and other benefits and resources available to you.
Get Involved to Be Part of the Solution!
1 State of California, Department of Finance, Population Projections for California and Its Counties 2000-2050, by Age, Gender and Race/Ethnicity, Sacramento, California, July 2007.
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