The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) engages community members through YourDMH stakeholder group meetings. The authors surveyed group members to understand their satisfaction with the groups and perceptions of group representation and inclusiveness. The authors present recommendations for improving DMH stakeholder groups that center on ways to foster equitable engagement in a safe and inclusive environment.

Evaluation of YourDMH, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's Community Stakeholder Engagement Groups

Samantha Matthews, Graham DiGuiseppi, Rebecca L. Collins, Nicole K. Eberhart

ResearchPublished Dec 20, 2024

To engage communities across the county in their strategic planning process, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) created YourDMH stakeholder groups. By regularly convening these groups, DMH aims to communicate its goals, processes, and procedures; better understand local needs and allocate resources; and assess the impact of its work.

In this report, the authors evaluated YourDMH by fielding a survey of group members to understand their satisfaction with the groups and perceptions of group representation and inclusiveness. The authors also aimed to identify future topics of interest that would enhance participation. The authors provide recommendations to improve YourDMH. These recommendations focus on ways to enhance representation and foster equitable engagement in a safe and inclusive environment, particularly for mental health consumers.

Key Takeaways

  • Just over half of participants were satisfied with YourDMH stakeholder meetings, and most reported that they know how to get involved.
  • With respect to representation, just under half of respondents reported that they felt heard and valued by DMH and that their feedback makes a difference, and only about one-third reported that they felt their community was adequately represented in meetings.
  • Mental health consumers were significantly less satisfied with the stakeholder groups than were respondents who did not identify as consumers. Mental health consumers gave the groups lower ratings for inclusiveness and for being safe places to be honest and voice concerns. Mental health consumers also reported not feeling adequately represented at meetings.
  • Respondents noted that more information on DMH and a sense that their feedback was valued and impactful would increase their participation.
  • In addition to information on DMH, respondents desired more information on mental health service delivery, funding, legislation, and policies.

Recommendations

  • DMH group leadership should foster a safe and inclusive environment in stakeholder meetings.
  • DMH group leadership should ensure equitable engagement among mental health consumers.
  • DMH group leadership should improve representation of various communities, including mental health consumers.
  • DMH group leadership should provide stakeholders with more information on DMH goals and strategies, service delivery, funding opportunities, and legislation and policies related to services.
  • DMH group leadership should demonstrate how stakeholder feedback is used to make changes and improve DMH services.

Topics

Document Details

  • Copyright: California Mental Health Services Authority
  • Publisher: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2024
  • Pages: 12
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA3569-3
  • Document Number: RR-A3569-3

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Matthews, Samantha, Graham DiGuiseppi, Rebecca L. Collins, and Nicole K. Eberhart, Evaluation of YourDMH, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's Community Stakeholder Engagement Groups. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3569-3.html.
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This research was funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), via the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and carried out within the Access and Delivery Program in RAND Health Care.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

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