The California Health and Human Services Agency announced the formation of Governor Gavin Newsom's Behavioral Health Task Force to address the urgent mental health and substance use disorder needs across California. 

T he panel will advise the Administration's efforts to advance statewide behavioral health services, prevention, and early intervention to stabilize conditions before they become severe. The mission of the task force is to develop recommendations for the Governor about how California can provide timely access to high-quality behavioral health care for all of its residents. 

To view the press release announcing the Behavioral Health Task Force,   click here.

Blue Shield of CA Pledges $20M to Support Behavioral Health Services

The contribution will support behavioral health services and initiatives to tackle the homelessness crisis in order to ensure that commitment to health and wellness is at the forefront.

 

Blue Shield of California has announced a $20 million commitment to the California Access to Housing and Services fund in order to enhance behavioral health services.

 

The fund, proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom in his 2020 to 2021 budget last week, aims to solve the state's homelessness crisis and proposes reforms to Medi-Cal to incorporate both physician and behavioral health.

'We Can't Have All Our Artists Die': How the Music Industry Is Fighting the Mental-Health Crisis

Musicians suffer from addiction and mental-health issues at an alarming rate. But with a new wave of initiatives and organizations seeking to help, the industry is taking action like never before

 

Lately, it's become clear that the number of artists suffering is staggeringly high. In a 2018 study from the Music Industry Research Association, 50 percent of musicians reported battling symptoms of depression, compared with less than 25 percent of the general adult population. Nearly 12 percent reported having suicidal thoughts - nearly four times the general population. According to a 2019 study published by Swedish digital-distribution platform Record Union, the numbers are even starker: It found that 73 percent of independent musicians have battled stress, anxiety, and depression.

 

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California Lawyers Association Announces Groundbreaking New Research Project on Lawyer Mental Health and Well-Being

 

The California Lawyers Association is pleased to announce its participation in a groundbreaking new research project designed to advance the understanding of and support for mental health and well-being in the legal profession.

 

The project, to be spearheaded by attorney mental health and well-being expert Patrick Krill, will be launched in late March and will build upon and expand findings from the landmark 2016 ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford study that Krill led. Along with his colleague Dr. Justin Anker, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, Krill is designing a survey that will assess the current prevalence of mental health and substance use problems among licensed attorneys and identify underlying risk factors and contributing causes for those problems.

 

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Cities Should Act on Homelessness or Face Lawsuits

 

Newsom task force says homelessness, task force, right to shelter, right to housing

Recommendations by Gov. Gavin Newsom's task force on homelessness in California propose a legally enforceable 'mandate to end homelessness' on the November ballot, echo the governor's request for more funding and call for a homelessness czar.

 

Declaring that moral persuasion and economic incentives aren't working to bring people in from the sidewalks, Gov. Gavin Newsom's task force on homelessness called Monday for a "legally enforceable mandate" that would force municipalities and the state to house the growing number of homeless Californians.

 

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