Local appointed to Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
—Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Ken Berrick, CEO of local Atascadero mental health nonprofit Seneca Family of Agencies, as a Commissioner on California’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) Thursday.
The MHSOAC oversees the implementation of the Mental Health Services Act and advises state leadership on mental health policy in California. The MHSOAC provides vision and leadership in holding public mental health systems accountable, eliminating disparities, promoting wellness and ensuring positive outcomes for individuals with mental health needs. “I couldn’t be more excited about working with the commission and staff to continue the amazing work of the Mental Health Services Act,” Berrick said.
As a Commissioner, Berrick will bring his more than three decades of experience with complex challenges inherent to the public mental health system especially as it relates to children and families. He is founder and CEO of Seneca Family of Agencies, a California-based nonprofit that provides a broad network of child and family mental health, education and permanency services. “Ken’s appointment to this position recognizes his dedication to unconditional care and will enable him to bring Seneca’s Unconditional Care model to the forefront of California’s mental health services,” Tina Lehman, Seneca’s San Luis Obispo Program Director, said.
Berrick is a two-time former President of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, member of the CEO Council for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and serves on numerous policy planning groups in California at county and state levels. He is also an elected member and President of the Alameda County Board of Education and Past-President of the California County Boards of Education. In 2014 he was recognized by California Mental Health Advocates for Children and Youth as Advocate of the Year, and in 2017 was a recipient of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.
Berrick is co-author of the books Unconditional Care: Relationship-Based, Behavioral Intervention with Vulnerable Children and Families (Oxford University Press, 2010) and Unconditional Education: Supporting Schools to Serve All Students (Oxford University Press, 2019).
View the official announcement here: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2018/12/13/governor-brown-announces-appointments-87/
