California bill introduces minimum mental health staff requirement for hospitals

California lawmakers have submitted a bill that would require a minimum amount of staff in hospitals for behavioral health emergencies, SFGate reported March 21. 

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The legislation would require that each hospital in the state would have at least two psychiatric registered nurses, one trained staff member and a staff member capable of caring for a patient’s psychosocial needs outside of the facility’s psychiatric department. 

Californians with behavioral health diagnoses make up one-third of all inpatient hospital admissions, according to a 2020 California Department of Health Care Access and Information report.

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