On August 22nd, California legislators held an information hearing on behavioral health and a hearing on Senate Bill 326, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to overhaul the state’s mental health services law. Some local mental health programs are supported by the so-called “millionaire tax,” which has generated billions of dollars in revenue since it was passed by voters in 2004. Most of these funds go to county behavioral health departments and other local agencies.
The governor hopes to use more of that money for housing and treatment for homeless Californians. The county and other stakeholders are concerned that the current program will lose funding to reach the numbers.
Katie Heidlun, director of state health policy at the California Health Care Foundation, was invited to testify at the conference. joint information hearing Held by the Congressional Health Committee and the Congressional Housing and Community Development Committee. Heidrun said in his testimony: Overview of Incidence of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in California (PDF) It then outlined four key goals for policymakers to consider as countries update their publicly funded behavioral health systems.
- We invest in care that is people-centred, evidence-based, practice-based, and culturally and linguistically accessible to all patients.
- Increase the number of licensed mental health providers, community health workers, peers and general counselors
- Hold payers, health plans, and providers accountable for the care they need to provide
- Funding to expand data collection to enable quality measurement within the behavioral health system
SB 326 passed the Congressional Health Committee on August 22 and is scheduled for vote at the Congressional Housing and Community Development Committee and is expected to be voted on at the Congressional plenary session in September.
Lisa Arifelis
Lisa Arifelis is the Senior Communications Officer focused on CHCF’s work to improve the integration of behavioral and physical health care, particularly in Medi-Cal, and to advance the Foundation’s market research and analytical publications.read more
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Jessica Brandy Leland
Jessica Brandi Refland is a freelance photographer, lecturer in journalism at San Francisco City College, and mother. Through her publications and operations Her work with non-profit organizations such as Smile, Tostan, and the California Health Care Foundation, she has traveled around the world, including West Africa, the Middle East, Kosovo, Burma, Haiti, and South America.read more
