Behavioral Health
At Children Now, we fight to ensure all kids have access to behavioral health services and supports in schools, communities, and medical settings. With youth and parents/caregivers at the center, we advocate for resources that our experience shows work to support the mental health of California’s kids. We then work to educate policymakers and advocate for large-scale funding initiatives and best-practices programs, in collaboration with strong coalition partners, to lift up and prioritize the behavioral health of California’s children.
We support kids’ behavioral health by advocating for:
Programs and funding initiatives that allow young people to avoid addictive substances and/or recover from addiction
Prevention, early intervention, and treatment supports and services that are readily available in schools, community sites, and medical settings
Environments that allow young people to avoid traumatic experiences, and programs that allow them to heal from any traumatic experiences they may have experienced
Online spaces that protect the mental health of youth
Our work has led to major progress in improving the behavioral health of California kids.
Preserving minimum county and state spending levels for kids’ mental health in Proposition 1.
Successfully passing legislation to protect kids online.
Ensuring schools are a safe haven for youth who disclose their substance abuse to adults, preventing suspension and/or expulsion.
Resources
Youth Behavioral Health Initiatives in California
California has implemented a host of programs and initiatives that impact children’s behavioral health care.
2025 BlueSky Youth Mental Health Survey
Blue Shield of California–in partnership with Children Now–set out to take the temperature of California Gen Z youth and their mental health.