Analysis of 70 years of behavioral health funding uncovers how instability continues to threaten care in California, with periods of reform and investment too often followed by budget shortfalls, shifting political priorities, and program cuts.
California’s Proposition 1 has given San Francisco a significant opportunity to update its behavioral health system. In addition to providing new funding to address the state’s homelessness crisis, Prop 1 requires local governments to seek community input […]
Steinberg Institute founder Darrell Steinberg delivers remarks at UCLA celebration.
The Steinberg Institute is proud to announce the selection of four 2025 Steinberg Institute Champions, to be unveiled each week throughout May, in conjunction with Mental Health Month. The 2025 class is a group of exceptional Californians whose visionary leadership and tireless dedication are transforming the state’s behavioral health landscape. They are advocates, service
providers, and innovators working on efforts that directly address the goals of the Steinberg Institute’s Vision 2030 initiative.
The Steinberg Institute today released a new policy brief, “In Jeopardy: Prop 36 and Federal Cuts Put Californians with Addiction Challenges at Severe Risk,” outlining how recent policy shifts and federal budget threats could undo two decades of progress in California’s approach to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Proposition 36 threatens to roll back progress by establishing treatment-mandated felony for individuals charged with drug possession. Here’s why.
On March 26, Senator Angelique V. Ashby (D-Sacramento) introduced Senate Bill 319, the Public Safety Transparency Act, to ensure the effective implementation of Proposition 36. The Steinberg Institute is sponsoring SB 319 and has identified it as one of our 2025 legislative priorities, aligning with our Vision 2030 goals of improving behavioral health outcomes and reducing criminal justice involvement for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
Today, mayors from California’s 13 largest cities, in partnership with the Steinberg Institute and the California Behavioral Health Association, announce their push for presumptive eligibility and prioritization of the state’s most vulnerable populations under AB 348’s Full-Service Partnership (FSP) programs. AB 348 is being authored by Assemblywoman Maggy Krell (AD 6 – Sacramento).
California’s Mental Health Parity Act, strengthened by Senate Bill 855 (Wiener, 2020), requires all state-regulated commercial health plans to cover mental health and substance use disorders as fully as they cover other medical conditions. But a recent CalMatters investigative report by Jocelyn Wiener underscores the continued, urgent need for enforcement measures that hold insurance companies accountable for providing coverage.
SACRAMENTO (March 26, 2025) – Senator Angelique V. Ashby (D-Sacramento) introduced Senate Bill 319, the Public Safety Transparency Act on Wednesday, with the goal of ensuring the effective and transparent implementation of Proposition 36. The Steinberg Institute […]