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. 

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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