Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the professional licensure requirements in Sacramento?
A. Clinician.

Q. What employment (mental health related) opportunities exist in the state?
A. Clinician, program coordinator, planner.

Q. What does the Sacramento County, Mental Health Division do in my community?
A. Facilitate funding from the State, clinical treatment, evaluate local providers.

Q. What are the most common problems people get help for at a mental health treatment center?
A. Many people receive help for depression -- a persistent and significant sadness that may interfere with work, play, relationships or your sense of hopefulness. Others seek help regarding marital and family relationship problems. They also look for help with social and interpersonal problems. Other problems bringing people into treatment occur when the use of alcohol or other substances negatively impact people’s lives, their work, or relationships with others, or when they get into trouble with the law. Some individuals receiving community mental health treatment have a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia. All these problems are treatable and treatment has helped many people.

Q. My sister is severely mentally ill. Can she receive services locally without going to the State Hospital?
A. Your local mental health center can assess the extent of your sister’s illness and determine if she can be treated locally. Most people can be treated locally. Community mental health centers throughout the state are now staffed to provide services to persons who have a severe mental illness.

Q. How do I access mental health services?
A. Outpatient mental health services are available in every county within the state. Check out our community providers resource list for the program nearest you.

Q. I want to talk to someone but am afraid my husband will find out. What should I do?
A. Mental health services provided by community mental health centers are confidential. That means that information you share will not be disclosed to anyone without your express written consent unless you threaten to harm to yourself or others. The fact that you seek services cannot even be disclosed without your consent.

Q. What if I can’t pay a lot for services?
A. Community mental health programs funded by the State provide services on a sliding fee scale, based on your ability to pay.

Q. What significant changes have occurred in the last 10 years in mental health treatment?
A. Research that connects mental illnessses with treatable brain disorders; the development of many new medications that are more effective and that have far fewer side effects; that any mental health treatment is most effective when the person being treated remains in full charge of their life and views treatment as something they manage with the help of the mental health professional.

Q. What is the biggest myth about mental illness or treatment?
A. Persons with serious mental illnesses are different from others who develop other serious illnesses, such as cancer or suffer heart attacks.

Any question about any of the above information, please contact us at (916) 366-4600 or email information@mhasc.org