Evaluation plan for the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health Services

Health Care -- Introduction of Evaluation Plan:

Los Angeles Department of Mental Health Services

The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health Services (LADMH) is the largest mental health department in the United States. Treating more than 250,000 patients of all ages every year, LADMH stresses the importance of community for adequately addressing mental health issues. Furthermore, in order to serve its stated mission of enriching lives through partnership with the community, the Department has developed six long-term goals supported by multiple short-term goals.

The Mission of the Organization Responsible for Implementing the Program

The stated mission of the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health Services (LADMH) is "Enriching lives through partnership designed to strengthen the community's capacity to support recovery and resiliency" (Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, n.d.)

The Program's Short and/or Long-Term Goals

LADMH is a comprehensive program that stresses the importance of community for effectively addressing mental health issues (Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs, 2010). The organization has six long-term goals supported by multiple short-term goals. The first long-term goal, to "Enhance the quality and capacity, within available resources, of mental health services and supports in partnership with clients, family members, and communities to achieve hope, wellness, recovery and resiliency," is supported by the short-term goals of: developing a system providing a balanced and "transformed continuum" of services to as many County clients as possible, according to the program's resources; providing integrated mental/physical health and substance abuse treatment to improve service quality and the clients' well-being; assisting clients' establishment of their own goals and the best process for achieving those goals; inclusion and support of clients' families as a vital aspect of the clients' recovery (Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, n.d.). The second long-term goal to "Eliminate disparities in mental health services, especially those due to race, ethnicity and culture" is supported by the short-term goals of: developing programs for early intervention for underserved populations; working with underserved communities to provide services in ways that reduce and overcome traditional barriers to treatment such as socioeconomics, culture, race, language, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation; develop programs that reach out to and educate the population in order to reduce the stigma of mental health treatment, promote tolerance of and increase compassion for persons suffering from mental illness, and reduce the incidence/severity of mental illness (Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, n.d.).