WENDY HAWKINS, JAIMIE SHAFF, J. SCOTT ASHWOOD, ALEJANDRO ROA CONTRERAS,
STEPHANIE WILLIAMSON, NICOLE K. EBERHART
Evaluation of the California
Multi-County Full Service
Partnership Innovation
Project
Cohort Two
S
erious mental illness (SMI) is a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that limits or
interferes with major life activities.
1
In 2021, approximately 5.7 percent of adults in Califor-
nia reported experiencing an SMI in the past year.
2
People experiencing SMI face significant
barriers to attaining sustained wellness and recovery, including co-morbidities, access to
care, and housing instability.
3
California’s Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs are specifically
designed to address these complex
challenges.
4
FSP programs are financed
through the Mental Health Services
Act (MHSA) and aim to deliver
comprehensive and integrated care
to individuals diagnosed with SMI.
5
The primary objectives of these pro-
grams are decreased hospitalizations,
involvement with the criminal justice
system, and incidences of homeless-
ness. These objectives are worked
toward through a holistic array of
recovery-oriented services that focus
on individualized care. Additional
details about FSP have been described
in another RAND report.
6
KEY FINDINGS
■ The second cohort of three counties participating in the California
Multi-County Full Service Partnership (FSP) Innovation Project
successfully implemented key improvements: The counties identi-
fied and standardized measures and metrics for tracking process
and outcome measures, defined graduation and step-down
guidelines, and revised their enrollment guidelines.
■ The extent of on-the-ground implementation of the innovations
varied by county and innovation area.
■ Outcomes for FSP participants improved during the first 12
months after enrollment. Participants experienced increased days
of stable housing, decreased justice system involvement, and
reduced psychiatric inpatient admissions.
■ FSP participants experienced a bigger decrease in psychiatric
inpatient length of stay after the FSP Innovation Project. The
improvement in other participant outcomes was similar before and
after the project.
Evaluation Report
