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A recent campaign by Our Health California (OHC) resulted in extensive statewide engagement from the public, who took to multiple channels to urge California lawmakers to improve behavioral health services. The campaign goal was to provide the OHC community with an advocacy ask that they’ve taken action on before, while thanking legislative authors for their leadership in advancing mental health and addiction treatment.
Over the course of two months, the OHC community:
- Tweeted 1,155 thank you messages to three key legislators who introduced behavioral health bills: Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who introduced Senate Bill (SB) 66; Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), who introduced SB 445; and Asm. Rudy Salas, Jr. (D-Bakersfield), who introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 480
- Generated 4,221 signatures on a petition demonstrating support for proposals intended to improve mental health care
- Sent 8,127 emails urging California lawmakers to improve mental health care and substance use treatment
The OHC community has demonstrated an interest in behavioral health, and over the past two years has taken actions to support advancements in treatment. As nearly 6 million Californians will experience a mental health crisis in their lifetime, mental health and substance use disorder care will remain a top advocacy priority for the OHC community. Other OHC resources on mental health include:
Perception v. Reality: The World of a Teen Coping with Anxiety and Depression
Finding mental health help as a teenager
CHA launched OHC, a community of more than 1 million Californians, in 2014 with the goal of building healthier communities and advancing access to quality health care. The program has received six national awards for its social media and advocacy campaigns.
