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

A mural painted on the side of a beige concrete building shows two hands cradling a bright, glowing yellow flower with petals scattering outward. Below the image, text reads “THE HEART OF THE WORLD.” The building is part of a prison complex, with barbed wire fencing and a uniformed guard visible in the background, emphasizing the contrast between the harsh environment and the warmth of the artwork.

Justice

How San Quentin prisoners reached around the world to create ‘a piece of freedom’

California committed more than $200 million toward refashioning San Quentin as a hub for rehabilitation. Prisoners followed suit with their own plans to beautify the place with world-class murals.

Joe Garcia

• August 5, 2025

Two people wearing blue surgical masks hold signs in front of a giant letter block sculpture outside a hospital during a recent evening. One sign reads "I am Human" and the other reads "Gender Affirming Care is Hard Reduction" and includes two drawings of the transgender flag.

Health

A Trump order targets gender-affirming care for youth. California is suing to block it

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed suit seeking to overturn an executive order targeting gender-affirming care for people under 19.

Ana B. Ibarra

• August 1, 2025

At left, a person exits through a door. Light enters the dark hallway, as their silhouette is visible through the entering light. In the middle, a vertical handrail splits the frame. To the right, a close image of stairs and a person walking down them is visible. The image is abstract.

Commentary

I overcame homelessness and 30 years of addiction. Now I help others make the journey

Tommie Trevino knows how to make a comeback. He says treating mental health and emotional harm are keys to recovery for addicts.

By Tommie Trevino • July 30, 2025

A person stands in a dark room, looking out through two glass doors, while wearing a polo shirt that reads “The Lake” on the chest. Light is shining through the glass doors, illuminating part of the room and allowing the outside to be visible.

Mental Health

She kept challenging one of California’s biggest health insurers. Then, it tried to cut her off

A California addiction center found a way to compel Anthem to cover patients it rejected. Their dispute reflects a broader tug-of-war in mental health treatment.

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Byrhonda Lyons

• July 22, 2025

An overhead view of a person walking through a small patch of light in between a wide shadow at a school campus.

Commentary

What California still doesn’t understand about men’s mental health

Youth and young adults in California make up just 21% of the population but account for 57% of emergency room visits due to self-harm. It'll take more than awareness months to make a real difference.

By Ayo Banjo • July 17, 2025

A stylized digital collage shows two people talking on phones, facing each other across the image. On the left, a person with short hair, glasses, and a patterned shirt speaks with a concerned expression. On the right, a person with curly hair pulled back looks thoughtful while holding a phone to their ear. Scribbled white lines near each head symbolize confusion or emotional distress. The background features rough textures and warm-toned graphic shapes in orange and pink.

Mental Health

Mental health support centers are reeling from California budget cuts, with layoffs expected

Operators of mental health support lines are laying off staff and ceasing or curtailing services due to California budget cuts and a 2024 ballot measure.

Jocelyn Wiener

• July 3, 2025

Mental Health

California voters passed a $6.4 billion mental health bond. Now, see where that money is going

It can take a long time to build anything in California. The governor's office is trying to move fast on mental health projects funded by a new bond.

Marisa Kendall

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Erica Yee

• June 12, 2025

A Sacramento County Sheriff patrol vehicle is parked at a nighttime crime scene, illuminated by red and blue emergency lights. Yellow caution tape hangs from the vehicle's door and stretches across the scene. Additional patrol cars and flashing lights are visible in the background.

Mental Health

Listen: What happens when California cops refuse to respond to mental health calls?

A new podcast episode revisits CalMatters' recent story on police stepping back from mental health calls, and what that shift means for crisis response systems.

CalMatters Staff

• May 16, 2025

A student wearing a pink backpack walks down a hallway lined with several rows of orange lockers at a high school. Several colorful portrait paintings are displayed on the walls.

Mental Health

California promised to boost mental health in schools. Why one key program is behind schedule

Only 14 school districts and county offices of education have begun billing for behavioral health services under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Fee Schedule Program, according to state health officials.

Ana B. Ibarra

• May 8, 2025

A person with medium-length locs sits peacefully on a large mossy rock in a grassy, wooded area. They wear a light gray sweater and a patterned skirt, with jewelry including turquoise earrings and a pendant necklace. Trees and wildflowers fill the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Mental Health

Many Californians can’t get mental health help. Is it too hard to become a therapist?

Despite efforts to increase the number of mental health providers, many students say the training requirements are onerous and costly.

Adam Echelman

• May 7, 2025