FEBRUARY 2024 E-NEWSLETTER

Members have asked about Prop 1. While CAMFT is taking a neutral position on this proposition, the following has been provided to us from proponents/opponents of the proposition:

Supporters:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness – California
• County Alcohol & Drug Program Administrators of California
• Psychiatric Physicians Alliance of California

Opponents:

• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Mental Health America of California
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of California
• Disability Rights California

Support

• Housing is the number one issue in California. This addresses the housing shortage for those with addiction and mental illness.
• Focuses on individuals with the highest needs at risk or experiencing homelessness.
• Prop 1 fits with other initiatives such as CalAIM reforms, increase responsibility of Medi-Cal MCPs, and the CYBHI.
• Allocates state-level funds to HCAI to implement a statewide behavioral health workforce initiative and CDPH for population-based mental health and substance use disorder prevention programs.

Opposition

• Divert funding from core mental health services for addiction treatment and housing. It takes money from upstream services and puts it into downstream services that are a lot less effective at resolving issues for people with mental illness.
• Mental health services would lose up to $1 billion each year. As such, grants for mental health services will be in major danger of being cut including community-based organizations that serve LGBTQ, minority, and other underserved communities.
• More control to the state and away from local counties – with the additional 5% to the state.
• Takes a system that supports all people with behavioral health conditions to focus more on those at risk or experiencing homelessness (much more narrow).

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