Health
Psychedelic therapies show promise. Is California ready to bring them into the mainstream?
Psychedelics like mushrooms and mescaline could be decriminalized in California as advocates tout their therapeutic potential.
Mental Health
Commentary
Psychedelic therapies could be transformative for California’s ailing first responders
The California Assembly is considering a bill that would decriminalize naturally occurring psychedelic substances, which research has increasingly shown has a variety of therapeutic benefits. A retired New York firefighter, who uses psilocybin, says first responders in particular have a lot to gain from this legislation.
WhatMatters
Can CARE Courts ease California’s homeless crisis?
California is struggling with the intertwined crises of homelessness and mental illness. But are Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new CARE Courts the right prescription? That depends largely on whether county courts and mental health departments succeed as they roll out the program starting in October. And as CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang details, that’s definitely a work in […]
WhatMatters
No deal yet on Newsom mental health plan
From CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang: If Gov. Gavin Newsom was hoping amendments introduced to his mental health overhaul last week would sufficiently appease critics, Tuesday’s back-to-back committee hearings only revealed how much further he has to go to reach a compromise. The big idea: Newsom wants counties to prioritize behavioral health spending on homeless […]
WhatMatters
California parental rights battle gets louder
It was a tale of two opposing events on parents’ role in California schools — though one was postponed because of Tropical Storm Hilary. In one corner was the California Family Council, a nonprofit, religious organization rallying at the state Capitol on Monday with pastors, attorneys and Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District board […]
Mental Health
Gavin Newsom gives ground to critics on his mental health plan. Will voters back it?
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants counties to spend some revenue from California’s so-called “millionaire’s tax” on the state’s homeless crisis. That alarms advocates for programs that are getting that money today.
WhatMatters
Which bills are California ‘housing killers?’
The California Chamber of Commerce has its annual “job killer” list, with a track record of spiking bills that is the envy of other industry groups. By its count, only 58 of the 824 bills labeled “job killers” between 1997 and 2022 made it into law without at least significant changes it wanted. Similarly, California […]
Politics
Some of California’s best-paid public employees say they’re ready to strike. Here’s why
Almost half of the jobs for doctors and psychiatrists in California prisons are unfilled. Now, their union says it’s ready to strike over pay even as the state faces a steep budget deficit.
Commentary
California judge: I talk openly about my anxiety to reduce stigmas around mental health
The most traumatized people in a courtroom are the victims, survivors and bystanders who witnessed a crime. But judges experience secondary trauma as people retell their experiences. A Sacramento area judge with anxiety argues the importance of seeking out mental health care.
Mental Health
‘A lifesaving tool’: California’s new mental health crisis line sees a surge in calls
One California mental health crisis center grew its staff by almost 50% to accommodate that number of calls it’s been receiving since the state launched its 988 hotline.