Mental Health

CalMatters and CatchLight are partnering on a three-year initiative to tell powerful stories about mental health in California. We’ll spotlight solutions, personal stories, investigate systems, and bring greater awareness to this historically stigmatized topic. This initiative is supported by:

Enlight Foundation
California Health Care Foundation
Flourish Impact Fund
Lisa Stone Pritzker Family Foundation
Resonance Philanthropies
Sarlo Family Foundation
Sand Hill Foundation
Stuart Foundation

Mental Health

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

Laws require health plans to provide patients equal treatment for mental and physical needs. But "parity" is often elusive — and critics say the Legislature and health officials have failed to fix the problem.

Jocelyn Wiener

• December 8, 2019

Woman suing for child sexual abuse holds a photo of herself as a young girl.

WhatMatters

Money flows to Sacramento as Newsom administration again slaps at GM and Toyota

Good morning, California. “President Trump talks a lot about America’s economic growth under his presidency, but when you look behind the numbers, you see that it’s California’s growth that has provided the economic rocket fuel for the nation.”—Gov. Gavin Newsom, on a projection that California will have a budget surplus of at least $7 billion […]

Dan Morain

and

Judy Lin

• November 21, 2019

WhatMatters

PG&E has a come-to-Newsom moment + how schools spend their bills + a mental health care initiative, perhaps

Newsom meets with PG&E chief to discuss utility's future. Audit finds problems in school funding. Certain groups miss out on food stamps.

Dan Morain

• November 6, 2019

Bobbie Harrison outside the Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center in Jackson, where she works. Photo by Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Higher Education

Amador County builds community college pipeline for mental health workers

Amador is one of six California counties without a physical community college. It also struggles to recruit mental health providers. A small online learning program could offer a solution to both problems.

Sammy Caiola, Capital Public Radio

• October 15, 2019

WhatMatters

In the past, homelessness barely registered as a political issue. Now, it’s a top concern

For the first time, California voters are ranking homelessness as the state's most pressing issue,

Dan Morain

• October 3, 2019

WhatMatters

Public health and cannabis vapes, police use of force and mental illness, and parents seeking a better life get a break

Hospitalizations tied to cannabis vaping. California to offer child care help for parent-students. Will new use-of-force law protect mentally ill?

Dan Morain

• September 30, 2019

Justice

Will California’s new law change how police treat people in mental crises?

Now that California has passed new laws meant to reduce police shootings, a key question is how much difference they’ll make in the ways officers respond to calls to help people in mental crisis. We discuss that question with Gov. Gavin Newsom, and examine two shootings from the past—one that the new law would likely […]

Laurel Rosenhall

• September 28, 2019

Justice

Breakdowns

How will California's new laws meant to reduce police shootings affect how officers respond to calls to help people in mental crisis?

Laurel Rosenhall

• September 28, 2019

WhatMatters

Where the tax debate is headed, Jerry Brown’s climate change fight, jail deaths, and swamp rats

Senator looks to remake California's tax structure as businesses gear up for fight. Jerry Brown launches new climate iniative. Mentally ill inmates die in San Diego.

Dan Morain

and

Judy Lin

• September 24, 2019

WhatMatters

Charter schools, gig workers, the Kochs, the streets of L.A., and a lobbyist who made a difference

Gig workers battle over future of work. Koch brothers machine takes on Kamala Harris donor-disclosure rule. Lawmakers try to remedy Section 8 shortage.

Dan Morain

and

Judy Lin

• August 29, 2019