Threat to funding underscores importance of youth-led prevention

MHSA addresses a broad continuum of prevention, early intervention, and service needs and the necessary infrastructure, technology, and training elements.

A proposal from Governor Newsom to modernize the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has children’s advocates concerned. Passed by voters in 2004, the MHSA taxes personal incomes over $1 million to fund direct mental health services, wraparound supports, prevention, and workforce development.  MHSA funds earmarked for youth prevention help fund The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, known as the Youth Community Ambassador Network. That’s because counties are required to spend 20% of their MHSA funds on Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) programs; and 51% of PEI funds must be spent on individuals aged 25 and younger. With MHSA revenue projected at $3.5 billion this year, there should be at least $322 million available for youth prevention statewide. That would change under the Governor’s proposal.  

Under the proposal, nearly one-third of MHSA money (roughly $1 billion) would be diverted to housing unhoused individuals with severe mental illness or drug addiction. PEI would be replaced by a “Prevention” category and receive 5% of total MHSA revenue. If in effect today, there would be $160 million available for prevention—with no set aside for children and youth. This would be a huge blow to organizations like ours that rely on PEI funding to support innovative youth-led programs. We recognize the critical need for housing support and see the proposal as unfairly pitting children and youth against the needs of adults with severe mental illness.  

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our systems are ripe for transformation. Ambitious state efforts like the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and California Community Schools Partnership Program put forth a vision of the future where youth and families play a central role in shaping and upholding the institutions that serve them. Current MHSA regulations have enabled youth-led and community-based prevention and early intervention efforts, which are foundational to the future our state aspires to realize. The proposed changes run counter to that vision. We fear the result would be MHSA losing its focus on prevention and there’s no existing public funding to fill the gap.  

The L.A. Trust School Health Policy Roundtable is working in coalition with statewide advocates to urge the state to preserve existing investments in children and youth mental health.

Take action
If you share our concerns, we urge you to call or email your state representatives now and let them know! This Advocacy Toolkit created by Children Now includes everything you need to take action.

Feel free to send questions/comments to Gabby Tilley at g.tilley@thelatrust.org.