A decade of progress for mental health and substance use care in California
Today, behavioral health is at the forefront of California policymaking. But that wasn’t always the case. Over the last decade, California has seen:
- 8X increase in legislation focused on California’s mental health and substance use systems
- 2X increase in funding for public mental health and substance use disorder services
Since our founding in 2015, the Steinberg Institute has worked alongside legislators, advocates, and communities to help drive this shift—shaping policies and securing billions of dollars for programs that directly impact the lives of California’s most vulnerable. Along the way, we’ve also worked to change the conversation around mental health and substance use, helping move these issues from the margins to the center of state policy.
Advanced landmark legislation to protect and expand access to care
- Californians facing a mental health crisis will have someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go due to Assembly Bill 988, which established a framework and ongoing funding for the 988 crisis line and crisis care continuum
- Insurance companies are now required to provide the same level of coverage for mental health treatment as physical health due to Senate Bill 855, landmark legislation that placed California at the forefront of battling mental health discrimination
- People with lived experience can now be trained (and get paid) to provide peer care to people with mental health and substance use challenges due to Senate Bill 803, which created California’s Peer Support Specialist Medi-Cal Certification Process
- More than 7,700 supportive housing units will be built for people who are homeless living with a serious mental illness thanks to the No Place Like Home Program, approved by California voters in 2018.
Helped secure over $5 billion state funding for mental health and substance use initiatives
Expand evidence-based solutions and mental health treatment for Californians experiencing homelessness
Create innovative training, fellowship and retention programs to rebuild California’s behavioral health workforce
Annual funding for California’s 988 crisis continuum and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Annual funding to build apartments and provide wraparound services for people living with severe mental illness and experiencing homelessness
Build permanent supportive housing for people with mental illness who are or at risk of homelessness (Proposition 2)
Develop student drop-in centers, school/county partnerships, workforce development, and trauma screening programs
Expand early intervention services and add different languages to 988 Suicide andd Crisis Lifeline
October 13, 2025
AB 348
Ensuring our most vulnerable get immediate access to wraparound care
This law sets a new standard for caring for California’s homeless who are struggling with mental illness and addiction challenges by ensuring that our most vulnerable populations get immediate access to “whatever it takes” treatment, Full Service Partnerships (FSPs).
November 15, 2023
Launching our Vision 2030 initiative
Vision 2030 is our initiative that aligns policy, implementation, and accountability to improve outcomes for Californians with significant behavioral health challenges. Our goals: reduce cycles of homelessness, hospitalization, and incarceration for Californians with mental illnesses or substance use disorders — while strengthening and growing our behavioral health workforce.
September 29, 2022
AB 988
Launching the 988 crisis hotline
Key sponsor of first-of-its-kind law establishing a framework and ongoing funding for the 988 crisis continuum through a small telephone line fee.
Secured $20 million to launch California’s 988 hotline for mental health crisis calls, ensuring California leads the way in connecting people in crisis with trained mental health professionals.
September 29, 2020
AB 1766
Housing for people with mental illness
The state is now required to collect critical data on board and care homes that provide a crucial housing option for people with severe mental illness.
September 29, 2020
AB 890
Addressing the workforce shortage
Made an immediate impact on the workforce shortage by allowing licensed nurse practitioners to work at the top of their license without direct physician oversight.
September 25, 2020
SB 855
Requiring insurance coverage for mental health
Established California as the first state in the nation to require true parity, commercial health insurers are now required to cover needed mental health and addiction services, just as they cover treatment for physical health.
September 25, 2020
SB 906 / SB 803
Certifying people with lived experience for support
Brought California in line with the rest of the nation by creating a peer support specialist certification process. Now people with lived experience who have received training can provide (and be paid for) invaluable support to people seeking care.
November 6, 2018
Proposition 2
Housing for homeless facing mental illness
Secured the Governor’s, legislature’s, and voters’ support to leverage up to $2 billion in bonds, by redirecting existing state funds to build up to 20,000 permanent supportive housing units for people who are homeless and live with a serious mental illness.
September 30, 2018
SB 1152
Safe discharging of hospital patients
Instead of discharging homeless patients onto the street, hospitals now must develop discharge plans to ensure they end up in a safe place.
September 11, 2018
SB 1113
Workplace mental health support
Led the way to ensure the state develops and promotes the first-ever voluntary standards for workplace mental health. It’s time people who live with a mental illness are accommodated at work.
October 13, 2017
AB 1340
Training for primary care providers
Primary care providers now receive the basic training they need to recognize the symptoms of common brain health conditions and provide appropriate treatment or referrals.
October 2, 2017
AB 1315
Early detection of serious mental illness
Inspired the first of its kind public-private partnership to fund evidenced-based treatment for the early detection of psychosis and other symptoms of serious mental illness in young people before they become disabling.
September 25, 2016
AB 1299
Supporting foster youth
A 20-year gap in services for foster youth was closed by creating an immediate transfer of services and payment to ensure that these vulnerable young people receive an uninterrupted continuum of care when moving from one county to another.
October 3, 2015
SB 11 / SB 29
Decriminalizing mental illness
California law enforcement now receives increased training for de-escalation techniques, decreasing the likelihood of deadly outcomes when responding to psychiatric crisis calls.
January 5, 2015
Steinberg Institute Founded
Darrell Steinberg launches the Steinberg Institute, dedicated to advancing sound policies on mental health in California.
Help transform California’s behavioral health system
Together, we can ensure every Californian living with serious mental illness or substance use disorders has access to timely, effective care whenever and wherever they need it.