Aligning Health & Safety in California
Far too often, people with complex mental health and substance use (“behavioral health”) needs interact with multiple systems—including health care, criminal justice, emergency response, housing, and the courts—without receiving the coordinated, sustained support necessary for long-term recovery. This can leave people stuck in what feels like an unbreakable cycle of incarceration, hospitalization, and housing instability, resulting in repeated and avoidable contact with costly public systems.
In recent years, California has reallocated more than $10 billion to help communities break these cycles. But the work to truly address people’s needs requires an intentional, cross-system approach in each county that aligns behavioral health, criminal justice, and housing efforts. The CSG Justice Center is working with officials in California to improve coordination and messaging across these systems so that communities can create more effective pathways to care, recovery, and stability. (Read: A Vision for People-Centered Policymaking to Reduce the Number of People with Behavioral Health Needs in the California Criminal Justice System)
California’s investments are helping modernize the state’s health delivery systems and enhance accountability and transparency. They’re also expanding county and state capacity for behavioral health and homelessness prevention, treatment, and recovery. And they’re making it possible for people to access appropriate care in the least restrictive setting based on their needs and the safety risk they pose. (Watch: Maximizing BHSA, CARE Act & Medi-Cal for Justice-Involved Behavioral Health Populations)
Statewide Data:
- Data and Trends from 70+ Sources All in One Place
- 2-Page Overview: “Transforming Behavioral Health for Justice Populations: A California Snapshot”
Recent Initiatives for Justice-Involved Services in California
See the opportunities your community can tap to improve outcomes for people with behavioral health needs and justice system involvement:
Local Data Initiatives
- Public Health Meets Public Safety
- Board of State and Community Corrections Data Dashboards
- Housing Accountability Dashboard
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Dashboards
Statewide Service Initiatives
The following chart features initiatives that address the complex needs of people involved in the justice system across the state of California and shows the area of focus they work on:
Interested in how we can support your state or county?
Learn about the CSG Justice Center’s team of policy experts who help leaders in justice, health, and housing align state policymaking and local implementation.
This project was funded by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), which oversees 12 departments and 5 offices that provide a range of health care services, social services, mental health services, alcohol and drug services, income assistance, and public health services to Californians from all walks of life. Points of views or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of CalHHS or The Council of State Governments.