Who We Are
Behavioral Health Action is a coalition of more than 50 statewide organizations united to raise awareness about behavioral health issues in California. Our mission is to elevate, educate, and innovate in California’s behavioral health arena. Behavioral Health Action is a unique, first-of-its-kind alliance of hospitals, health care providers, groups representing children and youth, families and individuals, the criminal justice system, labor, local government, not-for-profit organizations, and business. We are engaging California’s leaders and bringing people together to talk about eliminating stigma and advancing positive solutions to behavioral health challenges.
Introduction
In the early months of 2019, dozens of California’s behavioral health leaders — through a coalition of more than 50 organizations known as Behavioral Health Action — began to develop a roadmap to improve behavioral health care in California. This document is the result. It includes:
- A vision for behavioral health care
- Guiding principles to ensure the vision best serves those in need
- A description of a recommended standard of community-based behavioral health care that should be available to all Californians
Underpinning all this work is the fact that California has, to date, invested heavily in reactive responses to behavioral health challenges rather than in prevention and intervention at the earliest opportunities.
To be successful in addressing California’s behavioral health crisis, strategies must mirror those made in primary health care, where the goal is to prevent illness and detect early warning signs as soon as possible. By investing in prevention, early intervention, and a continuum of services available in every community, Californians with behavioral health needs can avoid the need for acute care, hospitalization, incarceration, and institutionalization. The graphic below depicts the shift in investments California must make to successfully meet the behavioral health needs of today and tomorrow.
INVERTING THE TRIANGLE
