Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. In June, the health care organization announced a five-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.

Executives say the investment will complement and advance statewide strategies focused on youth, older adults, and underserved communities. This investment will focus on developing peer support programs for youth, older adults, and people in crisis; growing the mental health workforce by helping more people reach licensure; and evaluating and sharing best practices to make sure the investment is lasting and has statewide impact.

“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,” according to Craig Albanese, M.D., President of 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 two phases of work include establishing paraprofessional care models and a licensed workforce expansion. 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. Kaiser will train and certify an estimated 5,000 paraprofessionals who will provide support to their peers, reaching approximately 75,000 Californians per year. The organization will also expand its licensed workforce with 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.

The $150 million investment is part of Kaiser Permanente’s 2023 Settlement Agreement with the California Department of Managed Health Care. Executives say the investment reflects the organization’s “continued commitment to strengthening timely, high-quality mental health care for communities across the state.” In parallel to implementing the Settlement Agreement, Kaiser Permanente has expanded its internal capacity and made substantial investments to improve mental health access to its members in California. Since 2020, it has invested more than $2 billion to expand mental health facilities, hire and train clinicians, and grow its provider network.

Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. The organization serves 12.9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser is Hacienda's largest employer, with more than 3,000 employees. It became a Hacienda tenant in 1997 with both administrative and behavioral health functions as part of its presence.

For more information about Kaiser Permanente, please visit www.healthy.kaiserpermanente.org or www.about.kaiserpermanente.org/news.