Kern County Mental Health is trying to gauge how they can do a better job serving families and people suffering with mental illness.

Supervisor James Velasquez said the agency is taking feedback from its stakeholders this week, trying to develop plans for current and future programs.

“People want to see more programs around serving people with severe mental illness in kind of a creative, innovative sort of way, and meeting the needs for them in a holistic sort of way,” he said.

After gaining the feedback, Velasquez said the data will then be taken to the county’s behavioral health board, then supervisors, then the state after a 30-day public comment period.

The first meetings were held Monday. The remaining meetings are listed here.

– Anthony Pollreisz