A New Standard for Behavioral Health Care in California
Our proposed standard for behavioral health care gives equal access to a variety of inter-related elements of prevention and care — regardless of where individuals reside and who insures them. This continuum of care is not intended as a menu of optional services from which a health plan or county might choose, but rather a full continuum we should strive to build in every part of the state. This document provides a coherent set of community-based prevention and early intervention strategies, outpatient care, and a range of 24-hour services that reduce hospitalization, institutional and long-term care, and incarceration.
These interlinked strategies share the common goal of promoting recovery so that all Californians achieve health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. The five core action areas of this community- based standard of behavioral health care are presented below and each component is further described in the rest of this document.
CONTINUUM OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INVESTMENTS
