SACRAMENTO (June 9, 2026) — Despite hospitals having hired more than 1,000 nurses to comply with new state staffing ratios at acute care psychiatric hospitals, an unworkable June 1 deadline has already resulted in fewer mental health services for Californians.
The new regulations did not account for the rigorous nurse readiness training needed before they are prepared to care for patients in psychiatric hospitals and keep them safe. They also failed to consider the need for fewer nurses overnight, when patients are sleeping and require different care considerations.
At a time when California needs 1,800 more psychiatric beds to care for children and adolescents in crisis, along with 2,000 beds for adults in crisis, policymakers, in response to a large union’s demands, have taken action that is indifferent to the mental health needs of Californians.
In the first week alone of the new regulations, there were at least four counties where beds were closed in psychiatric hospitals and more are expected. On average, each of the four counties — Kern, Contra Costa, Madera, and San Diego — lost 15% of their acute psychiatric hospital beds. The hardest hit was Contra Costa County, which lost 29% of its acute psychiatric hospital beds.
And more beds could close as hospitals continue to hire and train nurses, but face nationwide workforce shortages, with no additional resources to cover new costs. At the same time, hospitals need to develop a new care model that replaces seasoned mental health workers with nurses who have little to no prior experience or training with this patient population.
“California’s leaders have long championed better mental health care and more treatment beds, but this policy does the opposite — it has resulted in fewer mental health beds, lost jobs, and children and adults stuck in emergency departments as they have nowhere else to go for the specialized care they need,” said Carmela Coyle, President & CEO of the California Hospital Association. “As permanent regulations are developed, policymakers must prioritize patient access to life-saving psychiatric care. California must do better.”