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Advocacy and Legal Issues links

Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board meets on the 3rd Friday of every month from 8:00 - 9:30 am at the OC Board of Education offices, 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa. “Advises and reports on policies and goals of county alcohol and drug programs.” For information, call (714) 834-5481.

OCHCA Children’s Services Coordination Committee meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month from 8:30 - 10:00 am on the 5th Floor Conference Room A of the County Hall of Administration, 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. The Committee “Advises on programs and issues concerning the service delivery system for wards (Probation), dependents (Social Services), and/or seriously emotionally or behaviorally disturbed children and their families.” for information, call (714) 834-5834.

OCHCA Mental Health Board meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 9:00 - 10:30 am in the Planning Commission Room of the Hall of Administration, 10 Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana. Their purpose is to advise on the county on the community’s mental health needs, services, facilities and special problems. For more information, call (714) 834-5481.

OCHCA Mental Health Services Act - Community Action Advisory Committee (MHSA-CAAC) meets on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month from noon - 3:00 pm at the OCHCA Building, 405 W 5th St, Room 433, Santa Ana.

Membership is open to all past or present consumers of mental health services in Orange County. Also open to their family members and caregivers. Family members are considered to be those considered family by the consumer, regardless of blood or marriage. The Committee’s duty is to advise the OCHCA Behavioral Health Services on issues related to the delivery of mental health services funded through the MHSA. Their goal is “to assist the Health Care Agency (HCA) in ensuring that these services are of high quality, accessible, culturally competent, client-driven, consumer and family, recovery and resiliency-focused and cost effective.” A light lunch is served and parking is validated.

OCHCA Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Services Task Force meets from 10:00 am - noon on the 1st Wednesday of every month on the 2nd Floor of the St Joseph Justice Center, 480 S Batavia in Orange. Their goal is: “To advocate for the development, implementation and evaluation of high quality, culturally competent, behavioral health services (Mental Health Services and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services) capable of meeting the dynamic and diverse needs of all ethnic groups in Orange County.” Contact (714) 834-5481.

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Advocacy and Legal Issues

• Assertive Community Treatment Association, Inc. (ACTA)
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
• CA Assn of Mental Health Patients’ Rights Advocates CASRA
• California Healthy Workplace Advocates - Stop bullying!
• California Institute for Mental Health
• California Mental Health Directors Assn
• California Network of Mental Health Clients
• California Statewide Independent Living Council
• Kathi Stringer’s Mental Health Review - Awesome Consumer Advocate in CA!
• Mind - UK Advocacy Site with great mental health info
• MindFreedom International - Advocacy Group
• National Assn for Rights, Protection and Advocacy
• added May 27 National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations
• National Council on Disability
• National Empowerment Center
• National Mental Health Consumers Self-Help Clearing House
• National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives - information about preparing a Psychiatric Advance Directive
• added May 27 NARPA - National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy
• Protection and Advocacy Inc.: non-profit disability rights organization
• PsychRights - Law project for psychiatric rights
• Treatment Advocacy Center - A national nonprofit dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses