2. TURNING POINT’S MISSION STATEMENT
“To provide public benefit through
helping people develop skills,
motivation, and resources to
become productive members of
society; healthy in body, mind,
and spirit.”
3. TURNING POINT
Turning Point of Central California is a large organization that
serves various communities populations in Central California.
These include:
Emotionally Disturbed Children
Families in Crisis
Developmentally Disabled Children
People with Substance Abuse Issues
Ex-Offenders
The Unemployed
The Homeless
Rural Mental Health is a division of Turning Point, which serves
adults throughout Fresno County who qualify for Mental
Health services.
4. COMMUNITIES SERVED
Rural Mental Health serves three rural communities:
Reedley
Sanger
Pinedale
At each of the three clinics, there are case managers for all levels of
service. There is also a psychiatrist and nurse that rotate between the
three clinics throughout the week. In addition, there are Marriage and
Family Therapy, Doctoral, BSW, and MSW interns placed throughout the
clinics. And the supervisor oversees all three clinics from a Pinedale
office.
5. ELIGIBILITY
In order to qualify for services, the consumer must be at
least 18 years old and have one of these serious mental
illnesses:
Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective
Bipolar 1
Bipolar 2
Major Depression
These illnesses may be accompanied by a form of anxiety (e.g. OCD, PTSD,
GAD), a personality disorder (e.g. Borderline Personality Disorder) or
psychosis.
6. MHSA (MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT)
In January of 2005, The Mental Health Services Act, or Proposition 63, was
passed. Its goal was to transform the public mental health system in
California in order to better serve those children and adults with a
serious mental illness.
Funds come from a 1% tax on California taxpayer's whose taxable income
exceeds one million dollars. They are deposited into an MHSA Fund and
may not be used for any other purposes. (ochealthinfo.com)
Turning Point services, as well as several other agencies, such as Fresno
County Department of Behavioral Health, Westcare, and Blue Sky, are
contracted through the Mental Health Services Act. (docstoc.com)
7. The levels of service, FSP, ICM, and OP, though
distinct, are on a continuum, with FSP consumers
requiring the most services, and Outpatient
consumer requiring the least. A consumer may
start out as an FSP and then move to ICM, and
finally OP, or vice versa. If the consumer is
managing their medication(s) and maintaining a
healthy lifestyle, the consumer will eventually
become more independent. That is in fact the
goal. Rural Mental Health will never terminate
services, unless the consumer is non-compliant.
RMH will continue to provide services to a
consumer, as long as he or she is willing to
cooperate and be active in their mental, physical,
and emotional health.
8. LEVELS OF SERVICE
FSP (Full Service Partner)
An FSP consumer is at the most risk. They require more contact with case
manager, medical and clinical staff.
The California Code of Regulations, Title 9, Section 3200.130 defines an FSP as
“the collaborative relationship between the County and the client, and when
appropriate the client’s family, through which the County plans for and provides
the full spectrum of community services so that the client can achieve the
identified goals.” (dmh.ca.gov)
An FSP case manager, will normally have between 14-16 FSP consumers at
one time. Many times, the consumer will be in a transitional living center,
where the case manager will check on them once a week. In addition, the
case manager may help the consumer with transportation to and from the
clinic.
9. LEVELS OF SERVICE CONTINUED
ICM (Intensive Case Management)
The ICM consumers are contact by phone or home visit weekly in
an effort to provide continuity of care. They are less intensive
than FSP consumers, but need more services than an
Outpatient consumer.
“Intensive case management promotes independence and quality
of life through the coordination of appropriate services and the
provision of constant and on-going support as needed by the
consumer. The direct involvement of the consumer and the
development of a caring, supportive relationship between the
case manager and the consumer are integral components of the
intensive case management process.” (health.gov.on.ca)
Each clinic has an ICM case manager.
10. LEVELS OF SERVICE CONTINUED
OP (Outpatient)
Outpatient consumers are the most independent.
The ICM case managers also are the OP case managers.
11. FACT SHEET
Turning Point of Central California Was founded in 1970.
Rural Mental Health in Pinedale, Reedley, and Sanger were founded in 2008.
Turning Point is supported through grants, contracts, donations and fees with federal,
state, and governmental agencies (Turningpointwebsite.org).
There is a board of supervisors that govern Turning Point, and in turn, RMH.
Rural Mental Health holds various groups at all three clinics throughout the week, such
as an Employment, Women’s group, Art, DBT (Dialectical behavior therapy), and RIA
(Recover in Action). The consumers are encouraged to attend these groups.
RMH encourages its consumers to also attend groups that other agencies such as Blue
Sky have to offer.
The Rural Mental Health clinics offer cognitive behavioral therapy for consumers.
ICM and FSP case managers, therapists, nurses, a psychiatrist, and interns are all in
contact with once another, working together to provide the best possible treatment for
mental health consumers.
Once a year, the consumers are honored for their achievements at the Golden Starfish
Awards, held in October.
