Dr. Rebecca Turner Re-Elected to Lead San Francisco Mental Health Board: Feb. 27, 2006
 San Francisco, CA – Feb. 27, 2006 – Professor Rebecca Turner of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University has been elected to her second term as chair of the Mental Health Board for the City and County of San Francisco, a body charged with ensuring that clients and family members receive quality mental health services.
 Turner stated she was pleased that Mental Health elected James L. Vice Chair. A management consultant who serves public member on California State Board Psychology. Mr. McGhee “brings wealth of experience and energy to the Board,” said Dr. Turner. “I am sure we will work together as strong team."
“The Mental Health Board’s reach has been enhanced by the passage of Proposition 63 (the Mental Health Services Act) in California,” said Dr. Turner. “Over the past year, we held public hearings in all San Francisco neighborhoods. We heard dramatic stories as people described the need for mental health services and the problems in their neighborhoods that threatened their sense of safety and well-being. The heightened levels of violence in several neighborhoods, notably the Tenderloin, Western Addition, and Bayview, have had devastating effects on families and individuals.” Dr. Turner noted that Supervisor Sophie Maxwell (District 10) recently attended a Mental Health Board meeting to share her concerns about the impact of violence on mental health needs in her district as well as insufficient mental health services within the foster care system. Supervisor Maxwell reported that nearly 60% of the young men who have been murdered have spent time in the foster care system, and nearly 70% of the young men in prison have also been part of the foster care system. She notes the missed opportunities for interventions for those who are at risk of engaging in or being the victims of violence. These types of concerns are central to the newly formed Select Committee on Gun and Gang Violence, chaired by Supervisor Maxwell. In the past year, the Mental Health Board also held a hearing on the impact of crystal methamphetamine on individuals as well as their families. This was prompted by Supervisor Bevan Dufty, a member of the Mental Health Board, following the tragic death of a man in his district from crystal meth. Continued use of this drug can cause permanent and serious impairments, as well as death from an overdose. The Mental Health Board engages in education and advocacy, conducts program reviews and advises the Community Behavioral Health Services, which is part of the Department of Public Health. The Mental Health Board’s members are appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In general, in the last year, the Board's hearings have shown that there is a crying need for expanded mental health care, and the citizens of California responded to that need by passing Proposition 63, which raises approximately $600 million a year through a 1% surcharge on incomes above $1 million per year. This funding will expand mental health services for children and adults with severe mental illness, provide prevention services, and support for families and caregivers. The funding assists individuals and families without insurance and those whose insurance coverage has been exhausted. Dr. Turner is a member of CSPP's core faculty and served as the Director of its PhD Program in Clinical Psychology from 2000 to 2003. Her research has focused on various aspects of emotion, stress and interpersonal relationships, for which she received a grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1999. She is currently a consultant to several research groups in areas such as stress in organizational life, the study of alternative treatments for depression, and methods for the measurement of psychological and physiological stress. Dr. Turner, who has been affiliated with CSPP since 1994, has also served as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She remains on the volunteer faculty at UCSF, conducting seminars with medical students on psychosocial issues in patient care. In the last decade, she worked at a San Francisco crisis and outpatient clinic. She has also consulted with business and government on how to develop individuals and their talents to enhance organizational effectiveness. A member of the American Psychological Association, Division of Consulting Psychology, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Dr. Turner received her PhD in Psychology from George Washington University in Washington, DC and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. For more information:
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