Bill Text: CA SB12 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 12 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Mental health services: youth.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - August 30 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB12 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB12-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 12

Introduced by Senator Beall

December 03, 2018

An act relating to mental health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 12, as introduced, Beall. Mental health services: youth.

Existing law, the Children’s Mental Health Services Act, establishes an interagency system of care for the delivery of mental health services to seriously emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and their families.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the continuously appropriated Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs.

Existing law authorizes the act to be amended by a ²/₃ vote of the Legislature if the amendments are consistent with, and further the intent of, the act. Existing law authorizes the Legislature to add provisions to clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote.

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would authorize the state and local governments to establish a series of at least 100 centers statewide to address the mental health needs of California youth. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to allocate or encourage the allocation of funding for that purpose, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Adolescence and young adulthood, from 12 to 25 years of age, comprise a critical developmental period in a person’s life. The brain is highly malleable, so forming healthy habits of mind and body can have a powerful, lifelong impact on the overall wellness of each child. Recent research demonstrates how especially important it is to establish this foundation during adolescence and young adulthood.

(A) One-half of adolescents meet the criteria for a mental disorder at some point in their lives.

(B) Seventy-nine percent of youth and young adults with mental health issues do not access care.

(D) Twenty percent of youth abuse alcohol on a monthly basis.

(E) Rates of youth marijuana use have reached the highest levels in history.

(2) Further complicating the critical mental health service crisis for young people is the reality that most adolescents and young adults are reluctant to seek help, for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) Lack of awareness and understanding of mental illness.

(B) Stigma associated with mental illness.

(D) Concerns about confidentiality and embarrassment in disclosing mental health concerns.

(E) Doubts about the effectiveness of the treatment available.

(F) Lack of affordable services and inadequate transportation to service locations.

(3) Accordingly, a headspace model will be established and funded in this state that will approach youth wellness in an innovative, comprehensive, and youth-friendly way, reaching adolescents and young adults in clinical sites, and ultimately online and in schools. The core components of the model will include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) A focus on mild to moderate mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.

(B) A one-stop site for access to integrated care services, including mental health, physical health, substance use, and educational or vocational support.

(C) Accessibility, such that the services will be affordable, destigmatized, appealing to youth, and confidential pursuant to existing state and federal laws.

(4) (A) The staff of these centers will be made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, substance use treatment counselors, and others to provide culturally and linguistically inclusive mental health services to all youth, regardless of insurance status, and no child will be turned away.

(B) These centers should provide a special focus on vulnerable and marginalized young people, including LGBTQ, homeless, and indigenous youth.

(5) In Australia, a network of 100 mental health centers serves 355,000 people throughout the country, each one with its own personality.

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would authorize the state and local governments to establish a series of at least 100 centers statewide to address the unmet mental health needs of California youth through a collaborative process of knowledge sharing and funding.

(c) It is further the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to allocate or encourage the allocation of funding pursuant to county Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds or by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, county behavioral health services departments, and relevant stakeholders to provide technical assistance to entities that will establish a headspace model.