Behavioral Health

About Behavioral Health

California has a behavioral health care crisis, as more Californians need care, and there are not enough providers to deliver that care. As a last resort, those facing a mental health crisis turn to hospital emergency departments. The number of people going to an emergency department for mental health needs jumped 68% from 2010 to 2020; for children 12 to 17 that number climbed 31%. Creating a behavioral health care system means making access easier and more equitable, while ensuring patients receive care in the most appropriate setting.

2023 Behavioral Health Care Symposium Will Be Held in Sacramento for First Time

What’s happening: For the first time, CHA’s 2023 Behavioral Health Care Symposium (Dec. 12-13) will be held in Sacramento and have a heavy legislative focus.    

What else to know: The keynote speaker will be Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, (D-Stockton), chair of the Senate Health Committee and a leader on behavioral health in the Legislature.    

Growing Discharge Delays Leading to Hospital Overcrowding, Other Problems

California hospital patients are experiencing frequent, lengthy, and costly delays in care transitions. That’s the finding of a new CHA member survey investigating the extent and impact of discharge delays in three key hospital settings: emergency departments (EDs), general acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care.    While such challenges are long-standing, the volume of the […]