FLOURISH

FLOURISH Initiative

Mission

The FLOURISH Initiative seeks to help youth, pregnant people, and families foster a lifetime of mental wellness and resilience. Fā€‹LOURISH uses training, technical assistance, and data support to provide proactive, health-promoting strategies at the state and local level to support MCAH programs.

FLOURISH stands for:

  • F
    for Foster mental wellness
  • L
    for Leverage resources
  • O
    for Optimize early interventions
  • U
    for Uplift communities
  • R
    for Reinforce social drivers
  • I
    for Implement evidence-based practices
  • S
    for Strengthen resilience
  • H
    for Holistic approaches to mental health

Learn more about FLOURISH Values and Guiding Principles.

FLOURISH Focus Areas

The FLOURISH Initiative uses the following focus areas to drive activities that enhance mental wellness:

Policy and Systems Integration:

Integrate mental health considerations into existing policies, systems, and environments, advocating for sustainable changes that support mental wellbeing across all levels of the MCAH population.

Health Equity and Social Supports:

Address social determinants of health and reduce disparities by building and leveraging social support systems to promote equitable mental health outcomes.

Training and Capacity Building:

Enhance the skills and knowledge of the MCAH workforce and partners through comprehensive training and technical assistance in evidence-based and community-defined practices.

Primary Prevention and Early Intervention:

Focus on upstream efforts to prevent mental health challenges before they arise, encouraging early intervention and promoting overall wellbeing.
Visual of FLOURISH Initiative Progress

Visual of FLOURISH Initiative Progressā€‹

solving puzzle 

Phase 1 Julyā€“December 2023

  • Build FLOURISH team
  • Conduct needs assessment to identify strengths and opportunities
group chat 

Phase 2 Januaryā€“June 2024

  • Action planning
  • Engage partners on potential strategies
  • Select top priorities
holding world 

Phase 3 Julyā€“December 2024

  • Develop strategic plan
  • Continue building capacity and expertise
  • Begin local learning communities
checklist 

Phase 4 Januaryā€“June 2024

  • Implement strategic plan
  • Monitor and evaluate
  • Continuous Quality Improvementā€‹

Data

The FLOURISH Initiative uses data to inform its efforts. Data shows that primary prevention improves health outcomes for MCAH populations. This initiative promotes prevention strategies for individuals and families to access resources, services, and support to improve mental wellness. Existing mental health data dashboards include information from the state, county, and regional level. These dashboards include data related to maternal mental health outcomes, adolescent mental health outcomes, youth suicide, and adverse childhood experiences. The FLOURISH Initiative also works to identify gaps in mental health data and proposes ways to fill these gaps.

Future of Public Health

The FLOURISH Initiative is part of California's Future of Public Health Plan. This plan is a new investment aimed at transforming public health in the state. FLOURISH seeks to help address California's mental health crisis with a focus on supporting primary prevention in children, adolescents, pregnant people, and families.

What MCAH Programs Currently Do

Family and group of teens  

The MCAH Division

  • Promotes primary prevention of mental health concerns through programs and initiatives that:

    • Advance health equity.

    • Create connections between systems.

    • Strengthen family and individual resilience.

    • Expand and improve community resources.

    • Establish trust through dedicated home visitors.

  • Uses population data to monitor changes in mental health indicators

  • Promotes secondary prevention (screening and referrals) of mental health concerns within home visiting and case management programs.

Related Programs and ā€‹Initiatives

Call out box text

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available:

Call 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancyā€‹ā€‹

Page Last Updated :