Last week, CHA held its Behavioral Health Care Symposium, attended by hundreds of clinical professionals, hospital leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders. This annual gathering highlights the important work hospitals are doing alongside many others to improve behavioral health care across the state. Sessions at the symposium highlighted successful collaborations among hospitals, counties, and health plans.
There are positive signs on the behavioral health horizon in California. Proposition 1, approved by voters this year, includes a $6 billion bond to support people with significant mental health and substance use disorder needs and expand the state’s behavioral health system.
With the support of CHA, key legislation was passed this year, including AB 1316 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks), which requires Medi-Cal coverage for emergency psychiatric care in hospital emergency departments and enables prompt patient transfers to inpatient psychiatric facilities without delays; SB 1238 (Eggman, D-Stockton), which expands the types of facilities that can be designated to evaluate and treat individuals who are gravely disabled due to substance use disorders; and SB 42 (Umberg, D-Santa Ana), which streamlines the process for health care providers to refer individuals suffering from behavioral health issues to the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) program.
There is still much to be done. A few statistics tell the story:
- Nationwide, almost a quarter of adults with a mental illness are not able to receive the treatment they need.
- Nearly one in three patients in California hospitals has been diagnosed with behavioral health conditions.
- 12% of all emergency department visits are by someone in need of behavioral health care.
- More than one out of 10 hospitalizations each year involve an individual with an alcohol or other substance use disorder.
The challenge is daunting, but this year’s symposium makes it clear that California hospitals, health care professionals, policymakers, and others are taking critical steps to improve behavioral health care in our state. They are doing it through collaboration, aligning on best practices, embracing compassionate care, and advocating for policies that support comprehensive behavioral health services.
Step by step — that is how progress is made.
