[We are on WhatsApp. Start following us now]
Listen to this note:
California Governor Gavin Newsom has introduced a new list of accountability tools on mentalhealth.ca.gov that will help people see exactly how many new treatment spaces are being built for outpatient visits, residential inpatient treatment beds, permanent supportive housing units, and veterans housing units.
The website also features new maps showing which counties have launched the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) program, which is intended to help Californians suffering from psychosis and schizophrenia.
Additionally, visitors will find maps to locate which counties are implementing reformed guardianship laws to support those who cannot care for themselves.
“Counties have the tools to make change, and now Californians will have the tools to track their counties’ progress. It’s up to all of us to make sure these life-saving transformations are made urgently at the local level,” Newsom said.
The website features a new guide for Californians and local leaders explaining who to contact, while also asking them to learn more about the progress being made in their county.
Last month, Newsom announced the release of up to $3.3 billion in Proposition 1 competitive grant funding to expand the number of treatment facilities and beds for people suffering from mental health conditions and substance use disorders, with a particular focus on people who are more severely ill, vulnerable or experiencing homelessness.
The first round of the Proposition 1 Behavioral Health Infrastructure Continuum Program (BHCIP): Launch Ready, Request for Applications (RFA) is now live and applications are due to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by December 13, 2024.
A second round of Proposition 1 bond funding — up to $1.1 billion — will support even more behavioral health facilities in 2025, the Newsom administration said in a statement.
Notably, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), in collaboration with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), will issue up to $2 billion in Proposition 1 funds to build permanent housing with in-home services for veterans and others who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have mental health or substance use disorder issues.
In total, these rounds of bond funding will invest $6.4 billion of voter-approved Proposition 1 funds into local communities by 2026 to build California’s behavioral health care system and improve the health and well-being of all.
You may be interested in: East Palo Alto to proclaim September as Suicide Prevention Month
