Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council Community Feedback Survey Available Now

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) receives federal grant money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help adults and children who have mental illnesses or substance use disorders live successfully in the community. Because every state is different, each state can decide the best ways to use this money to make sure people dealing with mental illness or substance use get the help they need.  A planning council of people who individuals living with mental illness or substance use or their loved ones assists DMH in deciding how to spend the grant money in the most helpful way.

This survey is from both DMH and the Mississippi Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council. We want to know how you think this grant money should be used to help adults and children with mental illness and substance use disorders live in the community. Anyone can take this survey. We especially encourage people who have mental illnesses or substance use disorders and their families to take the survey.  You know better than anyone what has and hasn’t helped you and what might help you in the future.

As you take the survey, please keep these things in mind:

 

• This money can be used for services that already exist or it can be used to fund new ideas.  You may have an idea that would help a lot of people that no one else has thought of. We want to hear it.
• This money is to help adults and children with mental illness and/or substance use challenges live in the community.  Think about things that help all adults and children live in the community such as jobs, doing OK at school and having friends and things to do.  How could this money be used to help people with mental illness and/or substance use challenges have those things? It doesn’t have to be a formal service. It can be just a way of providing support.
• This money can be used in the mental health system or in another system that helps people with mental illness and/or substance use challenges live, work, go to school and have friends in the community.
• This money can be used to help prevent issues with mental illness and/or substance use and to evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches.

Your answers on this survey are anonymous. We will not be able to tell who you are when we read your answers. If you have questions about this survey and would like to talk to someone before taking the survey, you can contact the Co-Chairs of the Mississippi Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council: Dr. Scott Willoughby (swilloughby@smsh.ms.gov) and Ms. Tiffany Tine (tiffany_tine@nmsh.state.ms.us). If you have any technical issues with the survey please contact Ms. August Irving (August.Irving@dmh.ms.gov) or Dr. Mallory Malkin (Mallory.Malkin@dmh.ms.gov).

Again, answers on this survey will be used to help the Department of Mental Health and the Mississippi Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council know what services and supports would help people with mental illness and substance use challenges live successfully in the community and how the grant money should be used to make those things happen.  Results of the survey and plans for spending the grant money will be published on the Department of Mental Health website and shared by organizations and individuals on the Mississippi Behavioral Health and Advisory Planning Council.  If you would like to be individually contacted about the results of the survey, you can give your name and email address at the end of the survey.

Click here or scan the qR code below to take this survey