Families and consumers share how they formed partnerships that steered the planning, politics, and particulars in transforming the Los Angeles County community mental health system. The county is huge — stretching from the desert to the Pacific Ocean — and its population of 10 million is highly diverse. Following strict state guidelines in Proposition 63 (the Mental Health Services Act), the voices of consumers and family members were foremost in developing and implementing changes. Programs currently in progress include: wellness centers, system navigators to assure access, urgent care centers, integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment, and the employment of family members and consumers needed in the department’s new workforce.

• Nancy Carter, member, NAMI National Board of Directors, Santa Monica, CA
• Marvin Southard, D.S.W., director, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles, CA
• Debbie Innes-Gomberg, Ph.D., district chief, Adult Systems of Care, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles, CA
• Alysa Solomon, Ph.D., consumer systems advocate, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles, CA
• Moderator: Stella March, coordinator, StigmaBusters, NAMI National, Los Angeles, CA