The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)—funded by Proposition 63—was enacted in California in November 2004. MHSA funding supports five unique components: (1) Community Services and Supports, (2) Prevention and Early Intervention, (3) Workforce Education and Training, (4) Capital Facilities and Technology, and (5) Innovative Programs. Innovative programs contribute to learning by testing new approaches to inform current and future practices.In September 2010, the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) initiated a community planning process to develop Sacramento County's first Innovation Project. Through community input, the Respite Partnership Collaborative (RPC) Innovation Project was created with the goal to create alternatives to hospitalization by increasing local mental health respite service options for community members experiencing a mental health crisis in Sacramento County. The project seeks to: (1) create learning opportunities on how the project is developed and administered, (2) integrate community feedback into program development and implementation, and (3) expedite the release of funds of respite services to community organizations. The RPC Innovation Project is administered by the Sierra Health Foundation: The Center for Health Program Management (the Center).As part of the Innovation Project, an evaluation contract was awarded to American Institutes for Research (AIR) to evaluate the 5-year RPC Innovation Project. The main evaluation objectives are to assess the extent to which the RPC Innovation Project does the following:Promotes successful collaboration between public and private entities (i.e., DBHS and the Center) in Sacramento County.Demonstrates a community-driven process. Improves the quality and outcomes of respite services in Sacramento County.The purpose of this annual report is to present early findings from evaluation activities conducted from June 2013 through June 2014. Evaluation methods employed include interviews, surveys, and document review
