Here are seven mental health policy changes, investments and more in California reported by Becker's since Feb. 14:
1. Santa Clara County broke ground on a 207,000-square-foot, $422 million behavioral health center. The Child, Adolescent, and Adult Behavioral Health Services Center in San Jose will include 77 inpatient beds, a pharmacy, emergency psychiatric services and mental health urgent care for youths.
2. Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to allocate $907 million for a new initiative to provide housing for homeless individuals with severe behavioral health issues. The Behavioral Health Bridge Housing program will provide "bridge housing" such as tiny homes, interim housing, rental assistance programs and assisted living settings.
3. Miriam Hamideh, PhD, was elected president of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association.
4. The state of California inked a $37 million contract with Next Generation Advanced, a emergency communications management company, to run its Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Crisis Lifeline network.
5. First lady Jill Biden, EdD, visited a Cohen Veterans Network mental health clinic in Oceanside in support of the White House's Joining Forces initiative, a national campaign aiming to raise awareness of what military families experience, highlight resources available to veterans and drive policy improvements that support the health and well-being of former service members.
6. Michele Broadnax was appointed to the board of directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness' Greater Los Angeles County chapter.
7. A partnership between Los Angeles County, L.A. Care Health Plan and Centene's Health Net will use a $24 million investment to offer free mental telehealth services to 1.3 million public school students.