As the nation focuses on California's Senate race on Super Tuesday, the Golden State is considering a proposal to overhaul the state's budget for mental health services.
Proposition 1 would change how the state allocates mental health funds, pulling some funds from counties to the state level and requiring counties to decide how to spend the remaining funds. The proposal would also issue new bonds to build mental health facilities and increase the number of mental health workers.
Nearly four in five unhoused Californians said they had suffered from a serious mental health condition at some point in their lives, according to a 2023 study from the University of California, San Francisco.
Here's what you need to know about California's Proposition 1.
What does proposal 1 do?
Bonds built
If voters approve the proposal, the state would issue $6.4 billion to build behavioral health and housing units.
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The bond would make room for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment for 6,800 people at a time and build up to 4,350 housing units, according to the state Legislative Analysis Service.
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Changes in spending
Proposition 1 would amend the state's Mental Health Services Act, which governs the allocation of mental health spending.
The state would receive an additional 5% of its revenue from taxes on incomes over $1 million. The tax, which generates between $2 billion and $3.5 billion annually, will remain unchanged.
The proposal “requires counties to spend more of their MHSA funds on housing and individual support services such as employment assistance and education,” the analyst said. If passed, the proposal would require states to increase the number of mental health workers.
Currently, 76% of tax dollars funneled to the county go toward mental health treatment, housing, outreach, and crisis management programs.
If the proposal passes, one-third of the funding would go toward housing and rental assistance for homeless people with mental health and addiction issues. An additional 35% will go toward mental health treatment for the same individuals, and the rest will go toward preventive services for youth and workforce training and innovation projects.
Results of proposal 1
2024 CA General Results – Proposal 1 – Behavioral Health Services Program
