Legislative Advocacy

CALBHB/C's Governing Board supports legislation in response to issues reported from CA's 59 local mental/behavioral health boards & commissions, providing written and in-person advocacy at the Capitol. Join with us by writing to your legislators after reviewing "Understanding your Role" (below).                                                     - Scroll down for sample letters. - 

Understanding your Role

Supported Legislation
  1. As Individuals: Individuals can and should write to their state legislators! Legislators especially appreciate hearing from residents within their districts.
  2. As Advisory Bodies: Local mental/behavioral health boards/commissions are in an advisory role. In most counties, legislative advocacy is handled through the Board of Supervisors / Executive Office. ​Boards/commissions may wish to recommend specific legislation to their Governing Body (in most cases Board of Supervisors) and MH/BH Director (the BH Directors also advocate through their statewide association, County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA). 
  1. Workforce - AB-565 (Maienschein) Public health workforce planning. SB-539 (Caballero) MHSA WET Fund
  2. Children/Youth--AB 734: Foster family support services pilot programs providing strengths-based, skills-based, trauma-informed coaching; SB 582: Creates parity and access to school-based mental health services. (Restores triage grant funding.); SB12:  Mental Health Centers for Youth.
  3. Peer Provider Certification—Peer support standardization to promote recovery and self-sufficiency--SB10
  4. Adult Residential Facilities (ARF) (Board & Cares) for adults with Severe Mental Illness
  5. Access to Mental Health Care (two Medi-Cal visits in the same day)--SB66

Sample Letters
Find your Representative
SB-10:  Peer Provider Certification
SAMPLE LETTER:
SB-12:  Mental Health Centers for Youth
SAMPLE LETTER:
​​​SB-66:​ Medi-Cal: Same Day Visits.
SAMPLE LETTER: ​ 
SB-582: Youth mental health and
​substance use disorder services.
SAMPLE LETTER:
AB-565 Public health workforce planning
SAMPLE LETTER:
AB-734: Foster family support services pilot programs with strengths-based, skills-based, trauma-informed coaching
SAMPLE LETTER:​
AB-1034 Adult Residential Facilities (ARF) (Board & Cares)
ARF Disaster Plans,
SAMPLE LETTER: 
AB-1766: Adult Residential Facilities (ARF) (Board & Cares)
ARF Data Collection
SAMPLE LETTER: 

OFFICE

717 K STREET, SUITE 427
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

mission

cALBHB/C supports the work of california's 59 local mental/ behavioral health boards and commissions by providing resources, training, and opportunities for communication and statewide advocacy.

Local boards are responsible for reviewing community mental health needs, services, facilities and special problems, and serve in an advisory capacity to local governing bodies and local mental/behavioral health directors per CA Welfare and Institutions Code 5604.2.
Donations are welcome. CALBHB/C is a nonprofit organization.