California Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a $4.7 billion investment designed to overhaul its mental health services for children and adolescents in a budget strategy unveiled last week.
"We’re overhauling our mental health system with an unprecedented all-of-the-above approach to connect families with the care and supports their kids need to grow up healthier and stronger,” Mr. Newsom said Aug. 18.
The new investments would expand mental health services and create new programs.
Highlights of his plan include:
- Hiring 10,000 mental health professionals in schools
- Providing scholarships up to $20,000 for mental health workers who spend two years working in schools
- Offering tuition assistance and loan forgiveness for behavioral health providers
- Increasing virtual mental health services
- Training educators on trauma-informed care
- Creating more tools for parents to learn and support the mental health of their children
- Adding Medi-Cal services that financially support parents and children's mental health needs
- Expanding capacity of mental health clinics and community-based health services so more children can receive care
Other investments include:
- $4.1 billion to services connecting kids and families to essential services, including health screening and meals
- $5 billion to Medi-Cal's CalAIM to help integrate mental healthcare into medical services for low-income children
- $1.4 billion to expand the healthcare workforce to better meet the needs of California's children and families