As excerpted from the Record.
State Sen. Susan Eggman and the mayors of the 13 largest cities in California gathered virtually Monday morning to announce legislation to modernize the behavioral health care system in California, directly linked to the state’s homelessness crisis.
Eggman, who has a doctorate in social work and also served as a mental health provider, before her political career, said mental health is a hallmark of this year’s state budget. The former Stockton city council member said she hopes that the state will continue to make significant financial investments in behavioral health in next year’s budget proposal.
“The pandemic has only made these problems worse, but one of the silver linings I think coming out of the pandemic is the state’s budget surplus that gives us real opportunities to tackle these issues in a much more holistic and comprehensive way,” Eggman said. “[We’re] trying to modernize our laws and our care system as we pump billions of dollars of investment that we have not had the opportunity to do in decades.”