Kaiser Permanente invests $150 million in California mental health care

OAKLAND, Calif. - Kaiser Permanente has announced a 5-year $150 million investment to support communities across California in accessing quality mental health care and services. This investment aligns with California's broader behavioral health priorities, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, the Master Plan for Aging, and Proposition 1 investments to strengthen the behavioral health continuum. Our investment will complement and advance these statewide strategies focused on youth, older adults, and underserved communities.

This investment will focus on 3 areas:

• Developing peer support programs for youth, older adults, and people in crisis
• Growing the mental health workforce by helping more people reach licensure
• Evaluating and sharing best practices to make sure the investment is lasting and has statewide impact

Together these efforts are intended to help address persistent barriers to mental well-being, including workforce shortages, uneven access to services, and the need for more culturally responsive, community-connected support focused on prevention and early intervention.

"Mental health is essential to a person's overall health and well-being, and too many people still face barriers when trying to get care," said Craig Albanese, MD, president, Integrated Care and Coverage, Kaiser Permanente. "This investment reflects both accountability and our deep commitment to helping build a stronger, more responsive mental health system in California - one that expands access, supports the workforce, and better meets the needs of the communities across the state."

The first 2 phases of work include:

• Paraprofessional care models: Train and certify an estimated 5,000 paraprofessionals who provide support to their peers, reaching approximately 75,000 Californians per year. Paraprofessionals are trained, nonlicensed members of the mental health workforce, including peer support specialists, community health workers, and certified wellness coaches, who extend services and resources into the community.
• Licensed workforce expansion: Support up to 1,900 trainees, 1,000 license-eligible mental health professionals, and up to 450 new licensed clinicians statewide, with focus on state clinician-deficit areas, multilingual care options, and mental health disparities.

This $150 million investment is part of Kaiser Permanente's 2023 Settlement Agreement with the California Department of Managed Health Care and reflects our continued commitment to strengthening timely, high-quality mental health care for communities across the state. We recognize how deeply mental health challenges affect individuals, families, and communities, and we know how important it is that people can get the care and support they need when they need it. Kaiser Permanente is investing in solutions that can help strengthen California's broader mental health care system.

In parallel, Kaiser Permanente has expanded its internal capacity and made substantial investments to improve mental health access to our members in California. Since 2020, we have invested more than $2 billion to expand mental health facilities, hire and train clinicians, and grow our provider network. Today, we offer more choice and access than ever before, meet or exceed all state requirements for timely access to mental health care, and continue to make it easier for members to find, schedule, and receive mental health services.

We know there is more work to do, and we are committed to that work. This community-focused investment reflects both accountability and action - and our belief that improving mental health care requires sustained commitment, strong partnerships, and continued innovation. Kaiser Permanente looks forward to working with the California Department of Managed Health Care, community organizations, academic institutions, providers, and state leaders to help build a stronger mental health system for all Californians.