Breakdown: Mental Health | CalMatters

Taun Hall stands on the porch of her Walnut Creek home next to a green ribbon, the international symbol for mental health awareness. She and some of her neighbors display the ribbons in remembrance of her son, Miles, who was killed last year by Walnut Creek police during a mental health crisis. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Who responds to nonviolent crises? New urgency to remove police from the equation

by Jocelyn Wiener July 1, 2020July 2, 2020

Efforts aim to dispatch mental health teams — not armed officers — for most crises calls involving mental illness and homelessness.

coronavirus mental health

Watch: Taking care of your mental health during the pandemic

by CalMatters staff April 8, 2020April 9, 2020

A pedestrian walks past a homeless sleeping on Fifth Street in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

Closed community spaces due to coronavirus will leave the homeless out in the cold — it’s a disgrace

by Guest Commentary March 20, 2020March 20, 2020

Gov. Newsom wants to overhaul California’s mental health care system. Here’s a plan for that

by Guest Commentary March 4, 2020March 3, 2020

Before the latest accident left him critically injured, Mark Rippee ate a snack of rolls and coffee on November 22, 2019 in Vallejo. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

After accident they warned about, sisters of mentally ill man blame the state — and beg governor to act

by Jocelyn Wiener February 26, 2020February 26, 2020

A pedestrian walks past a homeless sleeping on Fifth Street in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

Inside the governor’s bid to fix homelessness: changing how California deals with mental illness

by Jocelyn Wiener February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

Mark Rippee, who developed schizophrenia after a traumatic brain injury, has been living on the streets for years

“We’ve lost our compass.” For California’s most visible mentally ill, is a return to forced treatment a solution — or a false promise?

by Jocelyn Wiener December 30, 2019January 13, 2020

Dozens of mental healthcare workers picket outside of Sacramento Medical Center to protest long wait times for patients and overwhelming case-loads at Kaiser Permanente facilities. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Mental health care outcry targets Kaiser — and state regulators

by Jocelyn Wiener December 18, 2019December 18, 2019

Californians aren’t getting the mental health care they’re legally guaranteed. Why not?

by Jocelyn Wiener December 8, 2019January 15, 2020

Watch: How California’s mental health system fails people, families

by Byrhonda Lyons August 8, 2019August 9, 2019