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

Kaiser Permanente in Oakland on Aug. 2, 2022. Photo Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

Mental Health

Kaiser in the hot seat as California lawmakers blast company for skipping mental health hearing

California lawmakers called an informational hearing on mental health services at Kaiser Permanente, but the company didn't attend.

By Jocelyn Wiener • May 7, 2025

A person with long hair speaks into a microphone while seated at a desk during a public hearing. Others are seated in the background, slightly out of focus.

Mental Health

An overdose killed her son. Then, California lawmakers asked her to help save others

Ryan Matlock died of a fentanyl overdose after seeking addiction treatment. Today, his mother is urging lawmakers to get tougher on health insurance plans.

By Jocelyn Wiener • May 6, 2025

A person with long dark hair stands among trees, partially obscured by green branches and soft sunlight filtering through the foliage. The individual faces away from the camera, wearing a light-colored textured top, blending into the tranquil forest setting.

Mental Health

They called for urgent help with a mentally ill loved one. Why California police refused

Police agencies — under scrutiny and worried about their own liability — increasingly won't respond to someone in a mental health crisis unless that person is committing a crime. So who will transport people in psychosis to get help? And who will keep those around them safe?

By Lee Romney • April 28, 2025

A person in a suit sits at a wooden desk in an office, looking directly at the camera with one hand resting near their chin. The desk is cluttered with office supplies, personal photos, and decorations. Behind them, a framed artwork featuring a large red circle hangs on a wood-paneled wall, flanked by tall vertical windows.

Mental Health

Inside LA’s mental health court: Meth, homelessness and the judge who wants to help

Addiction and homelessness are a constant presence in L.A.'s mental health court. Its judge wants defendants to "feel like someone who's deep in the system of power cares about them.

By Joe Garcia • April 23, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in support of Prop. 1 during a press conference at the United Domestic Workers of America building in San Diego on Feb. 29, 2024. Photo by Kristian Carreon for CalMatters

Mental Health

California has big plans for improving mental health. Medicaid cuts could upend them

Potential cuts to Medicaid have Californians bracing for changes that could weaken recent gains in mental health care and addiction treatment.

By Ana B. Ibarra • April 7, 2025

Students walk through the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters

Commentary

Protect California’s international students so they don’t ‘walk on eggshells’ in fear of ICE

California ranks No. 1 in international students, who are afraid of escalating ICE activity on campus. Colleges pledged safeguards but their protections are limited.

By Nuo Chen • March 24, 2025

Illustration of a silhouette of a person in freefall, set against a background of concentric circles composed of insurance health claim forms in bold orange and black

Mental Health

Insurance denials can devastate mental health patients. California is considering how to fix that

'Everybody’s been denied some form of care,' said one California mental health advocate. Now, lawmakers are advancing new bills on behavioral health coverage.

By Jocelyn Wiener • March 20, 2025

Mental Health

California is spending billions on mental health housing. Will it reach those most in need?

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to see tangible results from the $6.4 billion mental health bond voters approved last year. Moving fast carries a risk of neglecting under-resourced communities.

By Kristen Hwang • March 6, 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.

Mental Health

‘Will I be safe’? Transgender California youth feel threatened by Trump’s executive orders

Calls to LGBTQ crisis lines spiked after President Donald Trump's election. His policies target health care for young transgender people, creating uncertainty for a vulnerable community.

By Jocelyn Wiener and Kristen Hwang • March 5, 2025

Two elderly individuals hold hands, their wrinkled fingers intertwined. One person wears a pastel blue sweater and light pink pants, while the other wears a plaid long-sleeve shirt. Sunlight casts a warm glow on their hands, highlighting the gold rings on their fingers.

Commentary

Elders and caregivers in California deserve better than funding hurdles and shuttered programs

Programs helping Californians care for dementia or Alzheimer’s patients already struggle. Recent proposals to cut Medicaid money makes this bad situation worse.

By Courtney E. Martin • February 19, 2025