CPS Spring 2026 – Survey Collection Period

May 18-22, 2026

Vandana Joshi, Ph.D. Vandana Joshi, Ph.D.
UCLA Program Director

DHCS Information Notice

Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: 04/27/2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS (04/27/26)

  • Preparations for 2026 Data Collection are underway!
  • New flyers available in these languages: Arabic, Korean, Russian, and Tagalog
  • Reason code online link has been updated to include language of survey form
  • Please make sure to regularly check the CPS website for the most up-to-date FAQs
  • If you wish to use your own teleforms for data collection, please email us to receive the .TFT files
  • 2026 CPS Information Webinar (conducted March 17, 2026)
  • To access the UCLA BOX folders or to update contact information: SGourley@mednet.ucla.edu.
  • For general inquiries about CPS please email our general mailbox: CPSInfoUCLA@mednet.ucla.edu.

About the MH-Consumer Perception Survey

CA Dept of Health Care Services (CA-DHCS) utilizes the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Project (MHSIP) survey tool to collect Consumer Perception Survey (CPS) data from patients receiving mental health services from publicly funded mental health programs in California. In 2021, UCLA Integrated Substance Use and Addiction Programs (ISAP) began coordinating data collection for DHCS, under the leadership of Vandana Joshi, Ph.D (VJoshi@mednet.ucla.edu).

As a reminder, data will be collected in two ways:

  1. Counties can have consumers and family members of youth submit data directly to UCLA through an ONLINE survey tool, provided by UCLA.
  2. Counties can download, disseminate and collect data via PAPER survey forms provided by UCLA as pdf-fillable files.

Counties that are collecting their own online data or scanning their own forms should reach out to UCLA for TFT files and codebooks (will be available by March 13, 2026).

Online and paper surveys are available in all eleven-threshold languages, in addition to English.

Forms are available for Adults, Older Adults, Youth (YSS), and Family/Parents of Youth (YSS-F).

Adult and Older Adult forms are available with or without Quality of Life survey items and counties may choose to use either type of form.

Online survey links and related materials will be made available for download after March 13, 2026.

Data collected on paper forms should be sent directly to UCLA-ISAP for scanning using FedEx only – UCLA will provide pre-paid mailing labels – further information and instructions will be shared at the CPS training. Counties sending paper forms to UCLA must do so in a timely manner. For CY 2026, completed forms must be received by UCLA by June 12, 2026. PLEASE NOTE: UCLA will no longer accept USPS, UPS, or other forms of mail delivery.

Please notify UCLA staff by June 1, 2026, if you plan to scan your own paper forms or collect data via your own online survey portal; instructions on how and when to upload the data files to the HIPAA compliant UCLA Box folder are forthcoming. Counties scanning their own paper survey forms or collecting data via a non-UCLA online survey must submit the data in the format specified in the codebook (see below).

Check back often for updates and more information. If you have any questions or need technical assistance regarding the CPS Data Collection process, please contact the staff at UCLA:

Vandana Joshi, Program Director
vjoshi@mednet.ucla.edu

Marylou Gilbert, Program Coordinator
MarylouGilbert@mednet.ucla.edu

(Read more...)

ONLINE SURVEY INFORMATION AND LINKS

  • Six unique Online Survey links for the Spring 2026 CPS will be available to test after March 13, 2026. The online links during the actual survey window will remain the same. All data that is entered outside of the survey data collection period will be excluded.
  • Responses entered through the online survey portal during the survey period are confidential, HIPAA-protected, and directly submitted to the UCLA project team.
  • The online surveys are available in all eleven-threshold languages (Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese) in addition to English.
  • Please notify UCLA staff if you plan to collect data via your own online survey and upload the data files to a HIPAA compliant UCLA Box folder. Counties collecting data via a non-UCLA online survey must submit the data in the format specified in the codebook.
  • CLICK LINKS BELOW FOR ONLINE SURVEYS:

PAPER SURVEYS

CPS Spring 2026 PDF-Fillable Survey Forms

Survey form Language
Adult English Spanish
Adult + Quality of Life English Spanish
Older Adult English Spanish
Older Adult + Quality of Life English Spanish
Youth (YSS) English Spanish
Family/Parents of Youth (YSS-F) English Spanish
  • The surveys should be properly sealed and labeled with a FedEx label that has been prepared by UCLA (see SHIPMENT FORM AND COVER SHEET below). UCLA must receive paper surveys by June 12, 2026.
  • Please notify UCLA staff by June 1, 2026, if you plan to scan your own paper forms and upload the data files to the HIPAA compliant UCLA Box folder:
    • Counties scanning their own paper survey forms must submit the data in the format specified in the codebook.
    • For counties scanning their own survey data, UCLA must receive the data files by July 20, 2026.

CODEBOOKS

PAPER SHIPMENT FORMS

STATEWIDE REPORT

TRAINING

RECORDING REASON CODES FOR NOT COMPLETING THE SURVEYS

  • Please note the method to record Reason Codes for not completing a survey for consumers who are offered an online or a paper survey.
  • Instructions:
    • Reason codes are used to document why a consumer does not complete the CPS Survey during the survey collection week.
      • Options include:
        • Refused (Ref) - Client refused to complete the survey
        • Impaired (Imp)- Client is too impaired (mentally or physically) to complete the survey
        • Language (Lan) - Client is unable to complete survey as survey is not in a language the client understands
        • Other (Oth) – any other reason
    • Documentation/entry of Reason Codes must also include County code, Date, and CSI County Client code.
    • Documentation/entry of Reason Codes can be completed by the clinic administrative staff.
    • Reasons for all six survey types can be completed on the same link.
      • An ongoing count of your county’s Reason Code entries will be automatically generated and tallied
      • Be sure to enter your county code with two digits (enter leading zeroes for county codes 01-09)

IMPORTANT DATES

  • March 17, 10AM-12PM - CPS Training Webinar.
  • May 18-22 - CPS Spring 2026 Survey Period.
  • June 01 – Notify UCLA if counties will be providing electronic data (teleform or electronic survey data).
  • June 12 - Counties send completed CPS paper forms to UCLA via FedEX. UCLA will provide FedEx labels. Survey forms must be received no later than June 12, 2026.
  • June 19 - The online link to Record Reason Codes will be available until June 19, 2026.
  • July 20 - Counties scanning their own paper survey forms must submit the data in the format specified in the codebook and upload to HIPAA compliant UCLA Box folder no later than July 20, 2026.