News Mashup for September 2020
California’s Rising Rates of Youth Suicide and Self-harm
On September 28, 2020, the California State Auditor released a report on suicide prevention efforts in school districts and relevant state agencies. The report, entitled Youth Suicide Prevention, uses public health data from 2009-2018 to show increasing annual rates of youth suicide (up 15%) and other incidents of self-harm (up 50%), with the largest rate increases occurring in rural and northern counties. Suicide rates for males age 12-19 are shown to be three times greater than that for females, while the rates of self-harm were three times higher for females than for males in the same age bracket. Local education agencies (LEAs) are identified as key resources for early detection and referral of at-risk young people, but most “lack the resources and policies necessary to effectively address rising rates of youth suicide and self-harm.” In the report’s letter to the Governor, State Auditor Elaine Howle points to 2007 legislation requiring the California Department of Public Health to establish a program for school-based health centers in order to increase student access to mental health practitioners, noting, however, that as of July 2020 the department had failed to develop a plan or submitted a funding request. Concurrently, the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission released its 2020-2025 strategic plan for suicide prevention on September 28. Click on the links below to learn more.
Auditor of the State of California (2020, September 28), Youth Suicide Prevention. California State Auditor Report 2019-125. Sacramento, California. Retrieved on November 6, 2020 from http://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2019-125/index.html.
California Mental health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (2020, September 28) Striving for Zero, California’s Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020 – 2025. Sacramento, California. Retrieved November 7, 2020 from https://mhsoac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/Suicide%20Prevention%20Plan_Final.pdf
Bill Preserving LCFF Grants for Education of At-risk Youth Vetoed (SB 1835)
State Assemblymembers, Shirley Weber and Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced AB 1835 in August 2020 to close a loophole in the State’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that allowed education funding intended for at-risk youth to be diverted to other purposes. Introduction of the bill followed a State Auditor report published in November 2019, which concluded “the state has not ensured that funding is benefiting students as intended” because LCFF funds are not required to be spent solely on the education of at-risk youth (English learners, youth in foster or low-income households) and because there is no mandate for tracking local LCFF expenditures.
As written, AB 1835 “require[d] unspent funds identified pursuant to these provisions to continue to be required to be expended to increase and improve services for unduplicated pupils, and would require each local educational agency to report the amounts of unspent funds identified in its local control and accountability plan.”
The bill was approved by the Assembly on June 8, 2020 and by the Senate in August 28, 2020. While acknowledging the good intentions of AB 1835, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill on September 30, 2020 citing flaws that prohibit its straightforward implementation, and promised that a “simpler solution” will be outlined in his January 2021 budget proposal.
In a recent CalMatters commentary, Dan Walters takes a wary view of the Governor’s promise, emphasizing that “the diversions are not only wrong unto themselves, but they are especially bothersome because the children that LCFF is meant to help are probably falling further behind this year because schools were closed to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.” Click on the links below to learn more.
Auditor of the State of California (2019, November 5) K-12 Local Control Funding. The State’s Approach Has Not Ensured That Significant Funding is Benefiting Students as Intended to Close Achievement Gaps (Report 2019-101). Sacramento, CA. Retrieved on 16 October 2020 from https://www.bsa.ca.gov/reports/2019-101/auditresults.html
Walter, D. (2020, October 14). Veto Hurts Educations of At-risk Kids. Retrieved on 16 October 2020 from CalMatters. Available at: https://calmatters.org/commentary/2020/10/veto-hurts-educations-of-at-risk-kids/
Bill Expanding Youth Mental Health and Addiction Coverage Approved (SB 855)
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 855 into law on September 25, 2020. The bill, introduced by State Senator Scott Wiener and co-sponsored by the Kennedy Forum and the Steinberg Institute, provides significant expansion of mental health, substance use, and addiction services provided under health plans.
Previously, insurers read the California Mental Health Parity Act and the federal Affordable Care Act to allow limiting coverage to acute, short-term treatment. With the new law, California clearly requires that health plans must go beyond crisis support—covering mental health conditions in full, using the same standards of care as other medical conditions. In addition, insurers are disallowed cost-shifting to Medi-Cal or other state, county, or local programs. Supporters of SB 855 see this as a big win for mental healthcare parity. Upon its passage, the American Medical Association issued a press release opining, “This law sets a new precedent for all other states to protect patients with a mental illness or substance use disorder…Not having to fight insurance companies to use the generally accepted standards of care for our patients will improve treatment and save lives.” Click on the links below to learn more.
Wiener, J. (2020, September 25). California Poised to Become National leader on Mental Health and Addiction Coverage. Retrieved 16 October 2020 from CalMatters. Available at: https://calmatters.org/health/2020/08/california-leader-mental-health.
The Kennedy Forum (2020, September 25) SB855. Critical Legislation for Critical Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020 from The Kennedy Forum. Available at: https://www.thekennedyforum.org/sb855/.
American Medical Association (2020, September 28). AMA applauds California’s Groundbreaking Mental Health Reform Law [Press Release]. Retrieved 29 October 2020 from American Medical Association. Available at: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-applauds-california-s-groundbreaking-mental-health-reform-law.
Bill Authorizing Creation of Office of Suicide Prevention Approved (SB 2112)
On September 25, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2112, authorizing the creation of the California Department of Public Health, Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) to “advance our understanding of the causes of suicide in order to identify ways to prevent it, particularly among especially vulnerable populations.” The bill, which was authored by Assemblymember James Ramos, acknowledges that “suicide risk is especially acute for young people” and that the “state has an obligation to focus resources on combating the crisis of suicide.” Creation of the OSP awaits funding from an annual Budget Act or a designated statute. Click link to learn more.
Office of California Assembymember James Ramos, (2020, September 25). Governor signs Ramos bill (AB 2112) to create first statewide office of suicide prevention [Press Release]. Retrieved on November 6 from https://a40.asmdc.org/press-releases/20200925-governor-signs-ramos-bill-create-first-statewide-office-suicide-prevention
Bills Aimed at Juvenile Justice Reform Signed into Law (SB 203 and SB 823)
In January 2019, State Senator Steven Bradford introduced SB 203 requiring that legal counsel must be provided to youth under the age of 18 prior to custodial interrogation and before waiver of Miranda rights. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2020, amends the age limit specified in existing law that required “a youth 15 years of age or younger consult with legal counsel in person, by telephone, or by video conference prior to a custodial interrogation and before waiving any of the above-specified rights.” SB 203 aligns with policy long advocated by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry asserting that the development of mature decision-making continues well into early adulthood and that “parental presence alone may not be sufficient to protect juvenile suspects... [as] many parents may not be competent to advise their children on whether to speak to the police and may also be persuaded that cooperation with the police will bring leniency.”
The Governor signed into law a second juvenile justice bill on September 30th, SB 823. Authored by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review (and co-sponsored by the Pacific Juvenile Defenders Center), SB 823 transfers the responsibilities of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice, to the counties, with implementation funding from juvenile justice block grants. In addition to serving youth in closer proximity to their communities, the bill establishes the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) in the Health and Human Services Agency whose mission is to “promote trauma responsive, culturally informed services for youth involved in the juvenile justice system that support the youths' successful transition into adulthood and help them become responsible, thriving, and engaged members of their communities.”
Both SB203 and SB 823 were strongly supported by the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center as “usher[ing] in a new era in youth justice in California.” Click on the links below to learn more.
Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (2020, October 1) PJDC celebrates two legislative milestones: SB 823 and SB 203. Retrieved November 2, 2020 from Pacific Juvenile Defender Center. Available at https://www.pjdc.org/pjdc-celebrates-two-legislative-milestones-sb-823-and-sb-203.
Human Rights Watch (2020, September 30) California: New Law Protects Children in Police Custody. Retrieved November 2, 2020 from Human Rights Watch. Available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/30/california-new-law-protects-children-police-custody.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2013, March 7) Interviewing and Interrogating Juvenile Suspects. Retrieved November 4, 2020 from American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Available at https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2013/Interviewing_and_Interrogating_Juvenile_Suspects.aspx.
