OMHSAS Mission and Vision

Every person with serious mental illness and/or addictive disease, and every child and adolescent who abuses substances and/or has a serious emotional disturbance will have the opportunity for growth, recovery and inclusion in their community, have access to services and supports of their choice, and enjoy a quality of life that includes family and friends.

The current goals of OMHSAS are to:

• Transform the children’s behavioral health system to a system that is family driven and youth guided.
• Implement services and policies to support recovery and resiliency in the adult behavioral health system.
• Assure that behavioral health services and supports recognize and accommodate the unique needs of older adults.

OMHSAS Guiding Principles
The mental health and substance abuse service system will provide quality services and supports that:

• Facilitate recovery for adults and resiliency for children;
• Are responsive to individuals’ unique strengths and needs throughout their lives;
• Focus on prevention and early intervention;
• Recognize, respect and accommodate differences as they relate to culture/ ethnicity/race, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation;
• Ensure individual human rights and eliminate discrimination and stigma;
• Are provided in a comprehensive array by unifying programs and funding that build on natural and community supports unique to each individual and family;
• Are developed, monitored and evaluated in partnership with consumers, families and advocates; and
• Represent collaboration with other agencies and service systems.