Press Releases

February 21, 2025 - Assemblymember John Harabedian Introduces Legislation to Expand Behavioral Health Treatment for L.A. Wildfire Victims - Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) and Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) announced legislation today to support the behavioral health needs and wellness of Los Angeles and California residents affected by wildfires.

February 4, 2025 - AB 384 removes delays to patient care during mental health emergencies - Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 384, the Mental Health Protection Act, sponsored by the California State Association of Psychiatrists (CSAP) and the California Behavioral Health Association (CBHA), which prohibits health insurance plans from requiring prior authorizations for a patient to be admitted to medically necessary 24-hour inpatient care for mental health and substance use disorders, and prohibits health plans from requiring prior authorizations for the medical care patients receive from a physician while enrolled in a 24-hour inpatient setting. 

January 13, 2025 - CBHA Responds to Governor Newsom's Proposed 2025 - 2026 Budget- On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom introduced his proposed 2025-2026 State Budget. At the start of 2025, California is navigating a complex fiscal landscape with a projected revenue of $16.5 billion and ongoing economic challenges, including inflation and national policy uncertainties. 

May 23, 2024 - Matsui and Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Community-Based Mental Health and Addiction Services. - Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Representatives Larry Bucshon (R-IL), Angie Craig (D-MN), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), and Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act, a bill which would provide a permanent authorization of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) model, allowing all states to incorporate this proven model into their behavioral health care systems. 

November 22, 2023 - California’s behavioral health system is in trouble… still. - When I was growing up, I was adamant I would never become a mental health professional. My Black, single mother worked tirelessly in private hospitals, her own private practice, and in community-based organizations for more than 30 years. 

November 15, 2023 - Steinberg Institute Vision 2030

October 18th, 2023 - CBHA Applauds Governor Newsom on Signing AB 1412 on World Mental Health Day: On World Mental Health Day, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1412 into law, removing the exclusion of borderline personality disorder (BPD) from the Pretrial Prison Diversion program. BPD had been unfairly excluded from this mental health program, but this change is a win for BPD patients and advocacy organizations. Approximately 1.6% of the U.S. population has BPD, and this change will provide them with access to care to reduce recidivism and aid in community reintegration. It's a step towards addressing the stigma and discrimination surrounding BPD and ensuring equal access to treatment.

May 31st, 2023 - Mental Health Education & Training Bill Passes Senate Floor: SB 509, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), passed the Senate Floor. The bill addresses the growing mental health crisis among California’s youth by implementing mental health education and training in schools.

May 12th, 2023 - Governor Newsom Revised Budget CBHA & CBHDA Joint Press Release: January Budget proposal reflects continued prioritization of California's behavioral health safety net transformation.  Sacramento, CA – The County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA) and the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA) released the following statement today

February 4th, 2023 - Gun Violence, Safety, & Trauma Townhall Hosted by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (SD 25): California and the nation are facing a gun violence epidemic. The number of firearm deaths in the United States grew by nearly 43% between 2010 and 2020 - reaching 45,222 deaths by the end of the decade. But what is the solution? And how does the violence impact community health?

May 13th, 2022 - Behavioral Health Advocates Come Together to Respond to Governor Newsom’s May Budget Revision: Over the past two years, mental health and substance use disorder has come to the forefront of conversations across America. COVID-19 increased and exacerbated existing inequities in our behavioral health systems of care that disproportionately affect communities of color. It is now estimated over 2.5 million youth in the U.S. have severe depression, and youth from BIPOC communities are at the greatest risk [1]. Additionally, fatal overdoses have skyrocketed with over 107,000 Americans dying by overdose in 2021. In response, advocates, the public, and our elected leaders have sounded the alarm

February 16th, 2022 - Establishment of the California Community Health Equity Alliance: It is estimated that over half (57%) of the US population of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment, and this unmet need is greater for racial and ethnic minorities. It's critical to note, rates of mental illness are similar among racial and ethnic groups. However, only one in three Black Americans who needs mental health care receives it. Historical racism and sociocultural factors impact these disparities in mental health and may impact help-seeking behaviors.

January 11th, 2022 - Behavioral Health Leaders Applaud the Newsom Administration’s 2022-23 Budget Proposal: On January 10th, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his proposed 2022-23 State Budget, showcasing a desire to invest in California Behavioral Health programming. The California Alliance of Child and Family Services and the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies have joined together to issue the following statement...

October 27th, 2021 - "Bridging the Gap Between Neighborhood Knowledge and Decision Makers" - Del Paso Heights: Gang prevention and intervention are possible with collaborative efforts that address the root causes of a different kind of violence. The violence of indifference, silence, and inaction from agencies and institutions afflict black and brown neighborhoods. Surviving poverty in Del Paso Heights was magnified, exacerbated, and almost insurmountable when crack cocaine and gang warfare nearly decimated the community. The response, as we know, was the over-incarceration of black and brown residents. In 2017, the Public Policy Institute of California found, 28.5% of the state's male prisoners were African American—compared to just 5.6% of the state's adult male residents.

October 13th, 2021 - Coalition Applauds Governor Newsom for Signing SB 14 and Bringing Mental Health Training and Excused Mental Health Absences to Schools: On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 14 (Portantino) into law, broadening the definition of excused student absences to include an absence for the benefit of behavioral health of the student, with parity to physical excused absences. The bill also recommends that the California Department of Education identify youth behavioral health training that will equip school personnel and students with skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health disorders (mental health and substance use disorders), provide knowledge of local resources and services, safely de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with a mental health challenge, and reduce stigma and increase help-seeking behavior

October 13th, 2021 - The MolinaCares Accord Awards CBHA $200,000 in Funding to Support 988 Crisis Call Centers: CBHA is excited to share that The MolinaCares Accord is including CBHA in the California Equity and Accessibility Initiative. Established by Molina Healthcare, MolinaCares oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. MolinaCares launched its California Equity and Accessibility Initiative with an initial $1.6 million to advance health equity throughout the state. The $200,000 grant awarded to CBHA will support training for staff at the 13 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call Centers in California to assist them as they prepare to take calls from the new 9-8-8 phone number.

July 27th, 2021 - A Bipartisan Informational Briefing Hosted by the Cities Thrive Coalition in Conjunction with the Congressional Mental Health Caucus Addressing "Building Mental Health Equity in the Wake of COVID-19": Over the past year, in California and across the nation, we have grappled with the individual and collective traumas of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, for many, another pandemic has plagued communities for much longer—a racial reckoning that challenges us to stand up against the systematic and structural racism that has resulted in inequities for BIPOC communities in all aspects of American Life. COVID-19 presented another contributor of chronic toxic stress, revealing the scope and magnitude of generational inequities for BIPOC communities, particularly in health care.

May 20th, 2021 - Let's Talk About It: What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines on May 25th: To date, 61,603 Californians have died from COVID-19. That's 61,603 families who have experienced trauma and loss that has had a rippling effect on communities. BIPOC communities have suffered at a disproportional rate from the COVID-19 pandemic, in large part because of the racial pandemic that has been going on in this country long before COVID-19. Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at nearly 2.5 times the rate of their white counterparts (61.6 deaths compared to 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people) [i]. Nearly half (49 percent) of the Latinx population say they or someone in their household had to take a pay cut or lost their job (or both) due to COVID-19, compared to 33 percent of all U.S. adults [ii]. As communities grapple with the trauma and loss from the COVID-19 and racial pandemics, we must have an open and honest dialogue about how to protect BIPOC communities moving forward, despite the inequities that exist not only in healthcare but every aspect of American society.

May 17th, 2021 - Stop The Hate: A Conversation About Anti-Asian Racism & Behavioral Health: CBHA is proud to invite you to Stop The Hate: A Conversation About Anti-Asian Racism & Behavioral Health on May 21st from 11 AM to 1 PM. During the pandemic, the AAPI community has been increasingly targeted and experienced acts and crimes of hate and violence, which has risen by 150 percent since last year, in many cases targeting the elderly. CBHA is convening legislators and community representatives to stand with the AAPI community, highlighting current legislation, best practices, and leading dialogue around what our state and county are doing to address the experience of the AAPI community during this pandemic.

May 14th, 2021 - Governor Gavin Newsom Takes Historic Leaps For Behavioral Health: The Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on Behavioral Health across California, both short and long-term, particularly for communities of color and those facing barriers to accessing care. Unless we take bold action to address this ongoing crisis, these behavioral health challenges will only continue to grow. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted his continued commitment to combating the behavioral health pandemic head-on in his May revision to the state budget.

December 10th, 2020 - CBHA is joined by Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, CBHDA, and Next GenPolicy co-sponsoring SB 14 (Portantino): A growing coalition of organizations have come out in strong support of SB 14 (Portantino). This bill would require the California Department of Education to identify an evidence-based training program for a local educational agency to use to train classified and certificated school employees having direct contact with pupils in youth mental and behavioral health. It would also provide 10th, 11th and 12th graders the opportunity to be trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of a behavioral health issue in their peers. Finally, ensures that youth absences from school for a mental health issue or appointment will be considered an excused absence in the same fashion absences for physical health ailments or appointments are treated.

December, 8th 2020 - Behavioral Health Leaders Unite to Support the Declaration of Racism as a Public Health Crisis: A growing list of city and county jurisdictions across the state are declaring racism to be a public health emergency or crisis. The California Alliance of Child and Family Services (CACFS) and the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA) stand in strong support of these actions as a first step in acknowledging the realities of systemic, institutional, and structural racism that leads to abuse of power and racial injustice.

December, 8th 2020 - Introduction of SB 14 (Portantino) Aims to Address California’s Growing Youth Mental Health Crisis: A coalition of organizations issued statements supporting SB 14. The bill, introduced by Senator Portantino, would require the California Department of Education to identify an evidence-based training program for a local educational agency to use to train classified and certificated school employees having direct contact with pupils in youth mental and behavioral health. It will also ensure that youth absences from school for a mental health issue or appointment will be considered an excused absence in the same fashion absences for physical health ailments or appointments are treated.

May 5, 2020 - Emergency Response to COVID Must Include Behavioral Health: Three behavioral health agency CEOs in the Bay Area describe the urgent needs facing mental health and addiction treatment providers statewide and the call for emergency federal stimulus funding to keep providers going. Blog by Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC, Vitka Eisen, President and CEO of HealthRIGHT 360, and Al Gilbert, President and CEO of Felton Institute

April 13, 2020 - CBHA Leads Advocacy for Federal Stimulus Bill: CBHA Urges Speaker Pelosi and Congress to Allocate $38.5 Billion for Behavioral Health Organizations Nationwide in Next COVID-19 Stimulus Package - Copy of Letter Sent to Speaker Pelosi