By Kim Johnson, Director of the California Department of Social Services In California, we are committed to preventing incidents of hate and hate crimes while supporting victims and survivors. …

By Judge Katherine Lucero (Ret.), Director, CalHHS Office of Youth and Community Restoration Following decades of on-the-ground advocacy work, research, and policy change, California passed Senate Bill 823 in 2020 — committing to the transformation of our youth justice system from one that focuses on punishment to one that prioritizes…

By: Mark Ghaly, CalHHS Secretary, and Dan Torres, CalHHS Chief Equity Officer Our collective sense of isolation is profound and yet our desire for belonging has never been greater. This has been perpetuated by the toll of the pandemic, which has impacted many of our communities especially hard. Social media…

Op-ed by Jacey Cooper, California’s State Medicaid Director & Chief Deputy Director for Health Care Programs at the Department of Health Care Services California is facing one of the most significant crossroads in health care access since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act more than a decade ago. Building…

Op-ed by Kassy Poles and Dr. Mark Ghaly as seen in Capitol Weekly Across California, youth struggle with mental health. A CDC survey found nearly half the state’s high school students had ongoing feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a rate that has risen by more than 50 percent since 2015…

Op-Ed by Secretary of CalHHS, Dr. Mark Ghaly I recently joined Governor Gavin Newsom in announcing legislation — Senate Bill 326 by Senator Susan Eggman and Assembly Bill 531 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin — that together outline reforms to modernize our behavioral health system. …