Bill > AB87

This bill, the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act of 2013, aims to expand community-based mental health services in California by adding new provisions to the Welfare and Institutions Code. It seeks to increase access to early intervention, outpatient, and crisis stabilization services, thereby reducing reliance on more expensive inpatient and emergency room care. Key provisions include the addition of at least 25 mobile crisis support teams and 2,000 crisis stabilization and residential treatment beds, as well as 600 triage personnel to provide case management and linkage to services. The bill designates the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (authority) and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (commission) to administer competitive grant processes for capital capacity and program expansion, with funds appropriated from the General Fund and potentially other sources. The authority will award grants for crisis intervention, stabilization, residential treatment, rehabilitative services, and mobile crisis teams, while the commission will allocate funds for triage personnel. The bill also amends Section 5892 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to adjust the percentage of funds reserved for state administrative costs from 3.5% to 5% for the Mental Health Services Fund, and it includes an appropriation of $500,000 from the General Fund to the authority for implementing these grant programs, taking effect immediately as a budget-related measure.