California’s mental health system is struggling to keep up with demand. Those seriously in need of treatment are trapped in a rotating cycle that takes them from living on the street, to the emergency room, sometimes to jail, then back to the street. Since more serious cases get the most attention, people with milder symptoms don’t receive needed care and often fall into the same cycle.
Today, only about a third of Californians with mental illness receive the care they need, and 31 of California’s 58 counties with a “high need” for mental health services report a shortage of mental health caregivers. It must change quickly if we are to get a handle on this serious public health/safety problem.
That’s why I joined Sen. Scott Wiener as co-author of Senate Bill 964. Sponsored b
