If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988, text 988 or chat online for support.
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Transforming Behavioral Health in CALIFORNIA
Mental Health For All
California is transforming our entire mental health and substance use disorder system. The result: better behavioral health care for all Californians.
A Vision for Mental Health
Launched under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, Mental Health for All is California’s coordinated effort to build a stronger, more equitable and more accountable behavioral health system for Californians. Mental Health for All addresses every step of the behavioral health healing journey, from prevention and early intervention, to treatment and long‑term recovery.
Together with Proposition 1, which includes the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Infrastructure bond, the state is investing more than $14 billion to close gaps in care, reduce stigma and hold the system accountable for results.
Every part of this work is guided by health equity—making sure people of all backgrounds can get care that works for them. That means outreach and support for those who often face the biggest barriers to care, in the spaces and languages that are most appropriate for their needs.
The Continuum of Care
California is building out its behavioral health continuum of care from prevention to supportive care, which is composed of seven pillars and three cross-cutting initiatives. The goal is to make sure every Californian can access high-quality mental health and substance use disorder treatment when and where they need it.
Prevention
Identifying needs early in schools, homes and communities.
Early Intervention
Addressing issues before they escalate into bigger problems.
Parity in Care
Ensuring behavioral health covered the same as physical health.
Outpatient Care
Therapy, medication and treatment that fits into daily life.
Crisis Care
Help in the moment: 988, mobile response teams and stabilization.
Inpatient Care
Short-term hospital and residential care, when needed.
Supportive Care
Housing, employment and recovery supports.
Workforce and Facilities/Housing
More clinicians trained, more treatment beds, more housing where recovery can happen.
Equity
Oversight and Accountability
How California holds itself, counties and providers accountable.
How We Measure Progress
We worked with experts to set 14 statewide population behavioral health goals: seven goals to improve wellbeing and seven to reduce harm. Health equity is built into every goal, with progress measured by demographics like age and race/ethnicity so disparities are visible and addressed.Â
Goals for Improvement
1. Improving care experience
The interactions and quality of care people receive. Care that is welcoming, culturally responsive and trauma-informed can lead to better outcomes.
2. Improving access to care
Getting the right services at the right time. Better provider availability, easier navigation and shorter wait times help people get care when they need it.
3. Improving prevention and treatment of co-occurring physical conditions
Treating the whole person. Integrated care that addresses mental and physical health together helps people manage chronic conditions earlier and live healthier.
4. Improving quality of life
How people feel about their lives in their own culture and on their own terms. Better behavioral health helps people live more fully every day.
5. Improving social connection
The number, quality and variety of relationships in someone’s life. Strong connections help prevent and manage behavioral health conditions and support the recovery journey.
6. Improving engagement in school
Showing up, participating and finishing school. Earlier behavioral health support is associated with stronger school engagement.
7. Improving engagement in work
Doing meaningful paid or unpaid work. Behavioral health support helps people stay engaged, perform well, and feel satisfied with their lives.
Goals for Reducing Harm
1. Reducing suicides
Suicide is a complex public health challenge with biological, psychological, social, and cultural drivers.Â
2. Reducing overdoses
Drug-related overdose deaths decreased in 2024 for the first time in 14 years, but we must continue on this path and there is more work to do to make sure outreach and treatment reach the hardest-hit communities.
3. Reducing untreated behavioral health conditions
When mental health and substance use conditions go untreated, symptoms get worse. Awareness, early diagnosis and timely care prevent more serious outcomes.
4. Reducing institutionalization
When clinically appropriate, care should happen in the community in the least restrictive setting, with supportive housing and flexible services for those who need them.
5. Reducing homelessness
People without housing need stable homes to heal. Our initiatives connect people to safe places to live and recover.
6. Reducing justice involvement
More than half of incarcerated people live with a behavioral health condition. Coordinated care between justice systems, counties and behavioral health providers and other partners improves outcomes.
7. Reducing the removal of children from home
Early, intensive support for families helps prevent removals tied to abuse or neglect, reducing childhood trauma and improving long-term outcomes.
Initiatives Across California
California’s transformation spans across many programs and reforms, including:
Initiatives that improve and fund systems
- Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Initiative
Expands Medi-Cal services and support for people with significant behavioral health needs. - Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP)
Provides grants for constructing, acquiring or rehabilitating facilities for expanding behavioral health service capacity. - Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act
Passed by voters in March 2024, this bond authorizes $6.4 billion in general obligation bonds to bolster behavioral health treatment facility infrastructure and permanent supportive housing. - Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA)
Passed by voters in March 2024, BHSA modernizes the Mental Health Services Act to emphasize treatment of SUD alongside mental illness. - California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM)
Includes shifting to a coordinated, whole-person model of care, as well as improving case management, social support services, value-based payments and justice-reentry strategies. - California’s Mental Health Parity Act and Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires health plans to cover behavioral health benefits more equitably with physical health benefits.
- Office of Suicide Prevention
Builds partnerships, shares data and promotes evidence-informed strategies to reduce suicide.
Initiatives that provide care across life stages
- Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI)
A multi-billion-dollar effort to bring behavioral health services to schools, homes, clinics and digital spaces. - Master Plan for Aging
A 10-year plan for older Californians, including behavioral health. - Master Plan for Developmental Services
A plan to make things better and more fair for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. - Master Plan for Early Learning and Care
A plan for supporting young children and families. - Workforce for a Healthy California
Scholarships, loan repayment and training for the behavioral health workforce.
Initiatives for crisis, safety and stability
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Free and confidential 24/7 support by call, text or online chat. - Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act
A civil court process for people with schizophrenia and related disorders. - Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative
Behavioral health care and housing support for people leaving jail or prison. - Mobile Crisis Services
Helping Medi-Cal and commercial members during crises, wherever they are.
Initiatives supporting housing and community living
- Behavioral Health Bridge Housing
Housing for people experiencing homelessness with serious behavioral health needs. - Competitive Integrated Employment
Support for finding and keeping work. - Homekey+
Permanent housing options, including for veterans.
Initiatives to reduce overdoses
- California Opioid Response Project
Projects and activities to access addiction medication, counseling and overdose prevention. - CalRx Naloxone Access Initiative
Expanding access to low-cost, lifesaving overdose‑reversal medication. - Naloxone Distribution Project
Providing no-cost naloxone to eligible California entities to combat opioid-related overdose deaths.
Transparency, Progress and Accountability
The state publishes data on behavioral health progress. The data are used to track improvements over time and can be used to hold counties accountable for outcomes. They include:
DHCS Behavioral Health Public County Profile Â
California’s first public dashboard showing how every county invests in and delivers behavioral health services. Beginning in 2026, every county must submit a three-year BHSA County Integrated Plan. Beginning in 2029, counties must produce a Behavioral Health Outcomes, Accountability and Transparency Report (BHOATR) annually showing how they are meeting state and local outcome measures, reducing disparities and spending behavioral health funds. Additional information coming in late summer 2026.
Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Awards Dashboard
Reflects where BHCIP has funded new residential treatment beds and outpatient facilities.
California Open Data: Behavioral Health
Includes network adequacy, hospital encounters, workforce supply and Medi-Cal quality measures.
Hospital and Workforce Behavioral Health Data in California
Includes behavioral health spending and costs, aggregated data about patients and the workforce and the landscape of service and hospitalization.
California Opioid Settlements Expenditure Reports
California and its cities and counties publish use and expenditure reports for funds received from opioid settlements.
Supply and Demand Modeling for California’s Behavioral Health Workforce
California’s Supply and Demand Modeling provides a detailed, role and geography specific view of the state’s current and future behavioral health workforce. The model integrates licensure data with demographic, utilization and population health indicators to estimate both workforce supply and projected demand across counties and regions.
California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Evaluation Hub
Independent evaluations of CYBHI and its impact, as well as data dashboards, county case studies, special topic reports and more.
Behavioral Health Investigation Reports
Investigations of commercial health plans to see if they are following the law and providing access to the behavioral health services their members need.
Learn More and Get Updates
Stay up to date on California’s behavioral health transformation via the CalHHS Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF) e-mail list.
To receive updates from California state agencies on statewide efforts to expand mental health services, treatment and housing, sign up for the Mental Health for All Newsletter.
Learn more about California’s behavioral health programs and initiatives under CalHHS:
Find Help
When you’re in crisis
Are you or someone you know in immediate crisis? Call 988, text 988 or chat online.
Free, confidential, 24/7. Available in many languages. When you need support
Mental health is an essential part of your health care. If mental health or substance use is affecting your daily life, contact your doctor and ask for help, including treatment like therapy and medication.
Don’t have insurance? Visit Covered California or Medi-Cal.
Have coverage but can’t get treatment? Contact the Department of Managed Health Care by calling 1-888-466-2219 or filing a written complaint. If you use Medi-Cal, contact your county Medi-Cal office.
Find your county’s Behavioral Health Plan.
Staying healthy
Feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or worried? California offers free mental health support and wellness resources, many in multiple languages.
For youth, young adults and families: CalHOPE
For kids, parents and caregivers: BrightLife Kids and Soluna
For older Californians: Friendship Line California
For American Indian and Alaska Native people: CalHOPE RedLine