Crisis Support for California Teens: How New Laws Are Trying to Reduce Gaps in Care

The majority of mental health concerns emerge during adolescence, often by age 14. In California, it is estimated that 30% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 met the criteria for serious psychological distress over the past year. In response to these numbers, California teen crisis support has been a core focus for statewide legislation. This article explores recent California laws for teen mental health and how they aim to reduce gaps in care.¹  It will also cover what parents should know about teen crisis support laws and the programs now available to help families access the right resources when they’re needed most.

Understanding the Youth Mental Health Crisis in California

The COVID-19 pandemic led to rising mental health concerns for adolescents across the United States, and specifically in California. Despite rising rates of youth depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, teens are experiencing barriers to accessing quality mental health treatment.¹ 

In addition, research has shown that there are inequities in access to mental health crisis services for youth. Some of the key barriers to accessing mental health treatment include the shortage of providers and their unequal distribution across different communities and regions.¹ 

Fortunately, there has been legislation addressing gaps in youth mental health care in California in recent years.

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Notable California Adolescent Mental Health Legislation

In 2022, the California governor released the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health. This is a $4.7 billion, multi-year initiative to transform youth behavioral health by strengthening school-based support, increasing the number of counselors, and improving access to services in homes and communities. Since then, multiple laws have been passed to align with the goals outlined in the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, including AB-665, SB-224, and AB-56.²

AB-665: Consent to Mental Health Services for Minors

In 2024, California Assembly Bill 665 (AB 665) was passed to allow minors aged 12 and older covered by Medi-Cal to consent to outpatient treatment without parental consent. Medi-Cal is California’s version of the federal Medicaid program, providing free or low-cost health coverage to eligible low-income individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. The bill plays a pivotal role in promoting equal access to mental health services for low-income adolescents, ultimately reducing gaps in teen mental health care in California.^3,4 

This is an important piece of legislation addressing gaps in youth mental health care because a main aim of the bill is to reduce barriers to mental health care, particularly for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth. According to Kim Lewis, Director of California Policy and Managing Attorney at the National Health Law Program, “AB 665 will remove a barrier that has prevented our most vulnerable youth from gaining access to critical mental health services. These should be accessible regardless of a youth’s insurance coverage.”⁴

SB-224: Mental Health Education

One area of focus for new mental health laws is increasing school and community-based crisis services in California. California’s Senate Bill 224 was introduced in 2022, and it requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools that offer health classes to include mental health instruction for students in grades 1–12. As a result, there has been an increase in funding for youth mental health programs in California schools to ensure mental health law compliance in schools.⁵ 

The main components of the required school mental health content are:⁶

• Signs and symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts/behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, anxiety, and PTSD

• Evidence-based services and supports

• Warning signs of common mental health problems

• How to seek assistance from professionals and services

• Culturally responsive practices

• Connection to overall health and academic success

• How mental health challenges affect different populations, ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds

• How to address mental health stigma

The inclusion of mental health education aligns with California’s health education framework, which focuses on a variety of health topics.⁶ SB-224 represents one of several state-mandated teen crisis services now required in California schools.

AB-56: Social Media Warning Labels

On October 13, 2025, California Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 56 (AB-56) into law, which will take effect in 2027. AB-56 will require social media platforms to display health warnings to users under 18 years old about the risks of social media use. This is another way to address the youth mental health crisis in California because research has shown that although there are benefits of social media for teens, there are also significant mental health risks. ^7,8 

The law will require that social media platforms include a black box warning for users under 18 for at least 10 seconds covering 25% of the screen, unless the user dismisses the warning by clicking a conspicuous “X” icon. In addition, after 3 hours of cumulative use and every additional hour thereafter, the warning must be shown for at least 30 seconds, covering 75% of the screen, which cannot be dismissed.⁷

The warning must say, “The Surgeon General has warned that while social media may have benefits for some young users, social media is associated with significant mental health harms and has not been proven safe for young users.”⁷

California Programs for Teen Behavioral Health Crises

There are now several programs available for crisis intervention for teens in California, including helplines, telehealth resources, and school-based programs. 

CalHOPE

CalHOPE provides free, confidential crisis counseling and behavioral health support to Californians recovering from natural and man-made disasters. The services provided by the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) are funded by the state of California to assist survivors with emotional and mental health support.⁹ 

Examples of the services available are digital mental health coaching and resources for teens and young adults ages 13-25, a warm line, and the CalHOPE schools initiatives. The Warm Line is a peer-run line offering free, confidential emotional support to adults and youth in California.⁹

California Family and Youth Helpline

In 2020, California launched the Family and Youth Helpline, which provides free, trauma-informed mental health support to families across the state.  The helpline is staffed by master’s-level counselors who can be reached by call, text, and live chat 24/7 at 855-427-2736. This program is vital for crisis intervention for teens in California. By offering the services free of charge and ensuring that calls are confidential, the helpline increases access to mental health crisis services for youth.¹⁰

California Department of Health Youth Initiatives

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a statewide effort to support the behavioral health of young people in California. It is also part of the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, which we discussed earlier.¹¹

The following services are provided by CYBHI for free for students in California:¹¹

• School-based mental health screenings 
• Parent-child therapy and counseling sessions
• Education about mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and treatment options
• Care coordination and case management to help students access community resources
• Support from Certified Wellness Coaches (CWC), who are trained professionals who help students manage stress and build healthy habits

According to the annual report of CYBHI, several important school and community-based crisis services in California have been implemented. For example, the Never a Bother campaign was specifically designed for teen suicide prevention in California. Similarly, the Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program allowed for the community to report and respond to youth suicides and suicide attempts.¹² 

These programs reflect California’s broader commitment to crisis intervention for teens, and early outcomes suggest they are making a difference. By increasing funding for youth mental health programs in California, it has become easier to access mental health crisis services for youth. As California youth mental health policy updates continue to roll out, ongoing evaluation will help determine how new laws improve crisis support for California teens.

Mission Prep: Providing Support for the Youth Mental Health Crisis in California

Whether your child is managing depression, anxiety, or another mental health concern, Mission Prep is equipped to provide quality treatment to address your teen’s unique needs. Our residential mental health treatment facilities in California cover a wide range of therapeutic support for teens, including specialized groups, individual therapy, and family therapy. If you are ready to get your teen the mental health support they need, call Mission Prep today. 

A trusted member of our team is here to answer any of your questions and provide treatment recommendations that make sense for your family.

References

1. Public Policy Institute of California. (2026, February 12). Teen mental health and school-based services in California. https://www.ppic.org/publication/teen-mental-health-and-school-based-services-in-california/ 
2. Rodriguez, O. (2022, August 18). Governor Newsom unveils new plan to transform kids’ mental health. Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/08/18/governor-newsom-unveils-new-plan-to-transform-kids-mental-health/
3. California Legislative Information. (n.d.). AB-665: Minors: Consent to mental health services. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB665
4. Blodnieks, C. (2024, July 1). Governor signs AB 665 into law, increasing mental health care access for low-income youth. National Health Law Program. https://healthlaw.org/news/governor-signs-ab-665-into-law-increasing-mental-health-care-access-for-low-income-youth/ 
5. California Legislative Information. (n.d.). SB-224: Pupil instruction: Mental health education. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB224 
6. California Department of Education. (n.d.). Health education framework. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/index.asp 
7. California Legislative Information. (n.d.). AB-56: Social media: Warning labels. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB56
8. Office of the Surgeon General. (2025, February 19). Social media and youth mental health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html
9. CalHOPE. (n.d.). https://www.calhope.org/
10. California Parent & Youth Helpline. (2025, July 29). California Parent & Youth Helpline | Parenting Help. California Parent & Youth Helpline. https://caparentyouthhelpline.org/ 
11. Department of Health Care Services. (n.d.). Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/cybhi
12. Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. (n.d.). https://cy
    bhi.chhs.ca.gov/