b<LE
^
1r
z
J»s
^ ?ATCDi
OFFICE OF THE M AYO R
June 22, 2022
The Honorable Susan Talamantes Eggman
California State Senate
1021 0 Street, Room 8530
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Mental and Behavior Health Legislation - Improving and Expanding Access to Programs and Services - SUPPORT IN CONCEPT
Dear Senator Eggman:
On behalf of the City of Pasadena, we recognize there are several barriers to mental health care, including stigma, cost and access to appropriate care, which make it difficult for many individuals to achieve their best mental health. To address these issues, the City of Pasadena supports the concepts for legislation that improves access to programs and services for mental and behavioral health, places mental health on par with physical health services and offers frameworks and tools that provide care and support to people with mental health and substance use disorders.
Senate Bills 929, 1035, 965, 970,1154,1227, 1238 and 1416, are apackage of mental and behavioral health related legislation that begins to take a holistic view of our behavioral health continuum and provide increased opportunities and incentives for early intervention and prevention. Pasadena supports efforts to modernize portions of our treatment system to ensiire anyone in. need can receive the care that they need to provide for their own needs, safety, and dignity.
Senate Bill 1338 - Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Pro gram-is the proposed framework to deliver mental health and substance use disorder services to the most severely impaired Californians who too often languish, such has those suffering in homelessness, without the treatment they desperately need. While Pasadena supports the overall intent of the bill, additional stakeholder input is needed to ensure the objectives can be achieved without further burdening the already-strained courts and mental health systems in our state. We look 100 North Gi.irfield Avenue • Pasadena, CA 91109
C626) 744 4311 • Pax (626) 7443727
Mental and Behavior Health Legislation - Improving and Expanding Access to Programs and Services June 22, 2022
forward to continued efforts to amend and modify the legislation with hopes of receiving a coalition of broad support.
Finally, Pasadena eucourages additional legislation that helps support and expmid the mental health and behavioral health workforce, training for first responders to engage safely with people living with mental illness and encouraging age-appropriate mental health education, ..We aclmowledge that this legislation is still a work in progress, and we are committed to working toward a fraiiiework that is more feasible, sustainable and ultimately sti-engtheiis mental aiid behavioral health services for some of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities.
If you would like more information about our Support in Concept position or to discuss further, please contact David Reyes at [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincof^y,
^ 'J^^
VICTOR M.GORDO
MayorD
ec: The Honorable Chris Holden, California State Assembly The Honorable Anthony J. Portantino, California State Senate Cynthia J. Kurtz, Interim City Manager, City of Pasadena Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Director of Public Health
David Jones, Emanuels Jones & Associates
Jennifer Quan, Regional Public Affairs Manager, League of California Cities