A community-wide approach to mental health services planning and policy development

The initiative described in this presentation had its origins in a tragic and fatal encounter between a law enforcement officer and a woman with a severe mental illness in 2002 in Austin, Texas. The incident engendered widespread discussion and debate, eventually resulting in a collaborative community approach to address the challenges faced by people with severe mental illnesses. In August of 2004, Austin's Mayor Will Wynn appointed the Mayor's Mental Health Task Force. This Task Force, composed of more than eighty individuals representing forty community-based organizations, was charged with developing recommendations to move Austin forward in becoming a national model of a mentally healthy community. After the submission of the Task Force's final report in January of 2005, the Mayor's Mental Health Task Force Monitoring Committee was appointed to ensure the report's recommendations and detailed action plan were actualized. This presentation will describe the mandate and work of the Task Force, the roles and functions of the Monitoring Committee, and the changes in policy and practice that have resulted from this collaborative community approach. The presentation will also describe the creation of a systems map to distill information across agencies and a community “score card” designed to assist in evaluating progress toward the development of a mentally healthy community. The aim of the presentation is to share how a community-wide approach to planning and policy development can effectively identify and reduce challenges for people with mental illness.