SACRAMENTO – California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith announced the intent to award more than $1.9 million grant to help reduce mental health disparities in American Indian communities.
 
CDPH’s California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) will distribute the funding to the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB), a Sacramento-based organization that has served the American Indian population for 47 years and has worked to develop common policies on health care issues.
 
“CDPH recognizes that many of the promising mental health services in our most diverse communities need additional support in order to improve their effectiveness,” said Dr. Smith. “The department is committed to funding organizations that are doing meaningful work in their communities to reduce mental health disparities among groups of people who have historically been underserved.”
 
Disparities in mental health services are found among all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions.

The CRDP aims to reduce these disparities among five target communities, including African Americans; Asians and Pacific Islanders; Latinos; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ); and Native Americans.
 
CRIHB has long been a central focal point for American Indian health in California and will help ensure that the CRDP resources reach communities and individuals in need of services.

The organization works to improve the health status and social conditions of American Indians by providing advocacy, shared resources, training, and technical assistance.

CRIHB will provide technical assistance to community projects that are implementing prevention and early intervention programs focused on reducing mental health disparities, which may include increasing cultural awareness in American Indian communities.
 
The California Reducing Disparities Project will award a total of $60 million to 41 grant recipients statewide between 2016 and 2022.

The CRDP is funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63) that was passed in November 2004. This act imposes a 1-percent income tax on personal income that exceeds $1 million.