California Proposition 1 Mental Health: Election 2024

Prop 1

There is only one way to vote statewide, which voters will decide on March 5th. Mental health suggestion #1.

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What would it do?

The two-pronged measure would fund a $6.4 billion bond to significantly expand the state's mental health and substance abuse treatment infrastructure. The bulk of the funding, $4.4 billion, will be used to build 10,000 inpatient and residential treatment beds across the state. The rest would fund permanent supportive housing, and half would be set aside for veterans with mental illness and addiction disorders.

The second part of the measure would require counties to change the way they spend existing mental health dollars by directing counties to prioritize housing people who are chronically homeless.

Why is it on the ballot?

California faces a shortage of about 8,000 adult psychiatric beds, according to a Rand Corporation study. Shortages span the spectrum of care, from acute crisis-stable beds to long-term subacute and community residential service beds. At the same time, demand for youth and adult mental health services and acute hospital admissions to psychiatric treatment is at an all-time high.

The state has also failed to reverse the course of the growing homelessness crisis. More than 170,000 Californians are homeless, with the majority living on the streets without shelter. Mental health and addiction disorders are highly prevalent among California's homeless population, at 82% and 65%, respectively. However, research shows that the root causes of homelessness in the Golden State are decreased income and lack of affordable housing.

This is the only statewide measure on the March 5 primary ballot and is exactly what Gov. Gavin Newsom wanted. He supported the merging of the two laws into this bill. Congress then agreed to pass a competing bond policy and a vote on three constitutional amendments that were postponed until the Nov. 5 general election.

for

$12.1 million raised

Mr. Newsom is the main proponent and architect of Proposition 1. He and his supporters argue the proposal would help combat the state's worsening homelessness crisis, an issue Newsom campaigned on before winning his first term. be. They argue that the county's mental health funding is not reaching the people who need it most: chronically homeless people with mental health diagnoses and addictions, and that the state has been unable to meet the population's needs over the past 20 years. argues that the mental health system needs to be updated to respond to how the world has changed. Year. City mayors and county supervisors were some of the earliest supporters of the proposal.

supporter

California Teachers Association
Service Employee United Nations California
California Business Roundtable
california chamber of commerce
california labor federation
California Hospital Association
California Medical Association
California National Alliance on Mental Illness
Steinberg Institute

media recommendation

against

1000 dollars raised

Opponents say the proposed changes to the county's mental health system will alienate current clients and lead to cuts in services. Specifically, each county would have to redirect about $1 billion a year from local services to housing. That money comes from a 1% tax on millionaires' tax, known as the Mental Health Services Act, approved by voters in 2004.

Opponents also object to an 11th-hour amendment to the proposal that would allow funds to be spent on involuntary treatment facilities.

Opponent

media recommendation

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