Attendees will learn how and where to obtain services
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) is partnering with the County of Santa Clara Health System, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Santa Clara County, and Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) to educate and empower local residents around mental health care through a series of events taking place at SCCLD libraries starting at the end of this month. The goal is to provide crucial information about accessing mental health care services.
“For too long the stigma around this topic, high costs and red tape have limited people’s ability to receive the assistance they need for better mental health and wellness,” said County Librarian Jennifer Weeks. “The library is a trusted information source and meeting place for members of the public to learn about available mental health services.”
Mental illness is more prevalent than most people realize. One in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. In Santa Clara County that equals about 340,000 adults – or enough people to fill Levi’s Stadium five times. Mental health parity requires that commercial insurance plans provide the same level of coverage for mental health services as they do for physical health services, but many people do not know their rights to care and coverage, or where to go to access services.
California Senate Bill (SB) 855 established the right to parity and requires insurers to cover medically necessary treatment for all mental health and substance use disorders. “Many patients, however, are not aware of their rights,” said Joe Simitian, Library JPA Board Member, Chair of the County Health and Hospital committee, and County Supervisor for District 5. “It can be hard enough for folks to acknowledge they need help, or that someone they care about is in crisis. By ensuring mental health parity, we can make it easier and more affordable for our residents and their loved ones to get the mental health and substance use care they need.”
Recognizing there is a great need for mental health services —and hearing the difficulty many are facing in accessing services —the County Health System, NAMI Santa Clara, and Bay Legal have developed a presentation to educate residents about their right to access medically necessary
mental health care. The 30-minute presentation explains how common mental health conditions are and how to recognize signs and symptoms. Information is also given on rights to mental health care, steps and resources to access care, and what to do if you encounter problems. Handouts with tips and resources will be provided.
“Helping people learn about their right to access behavioral health care is an important part of our work to promote better health for all in Santa Clara County,” said Edwin Poon, Deputy Director of Managed Care, Behavioral Health Services Department for the County of Santa Clara Health System.
LIST OF PRESENTATION DATES BY LOCATION:
| Campbell Library: | Wednesday, July 26, 6:00 - 7:00 pm (Orchard City Banquet Hall 2 South) |
| Cupertino Library: | Wednesday, August 9, 7:00 - 8:00 pm |
| Gilroy Library: | Monday, August 30, 6:00 - 7:00 pm |
| Los Altos Library: | Wednesday, September 20, 11:00 - 12:00 pm |
| Milpitas Library: | Monday, August 21, 6:00 - 7:00 pm |
| Morgan Hill Library: | Monday, August 7, 6:00 - 7:00 pm |
| Saratoga Library: | Tuesday, August 15, 7:00 - 8:00 pm |
About our Partners
NAMI Santa Clara County offers support and guides community members to mental health resources, such as finding a provider.
Visit https://namisantaclara.org or call NAMI Helpline at 408-453-0040 press 1 (M-F 10 am – 6 pm)
Bay Area Legal Aid offers legal advice on health access related issues like, plan enrollment, termination, and coverage denial.
Visit https://baylegal.org or call Bay Legal Health Consumer Center at 855-693-7285
