California, like many other states, is in the midst of a challenging budget year. This year, in an effort to balance the budget, the Governor proposed defunding the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Benefit. As a member of Seneca’s policy team, I worked with senior leaders and partner organizations, like the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, to ensure that didn’t happen. I’m proud to report that the Legislature, at the recommendation of Senator Menjivar, rejected this proposal, temporarily maintaining funding for the benefit.

This fight was especially meaningful to me, as I began my professional journey as a Crisis Counselor with Seneca’s Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU). At the time my systems knowledge was limited, but I knew I wanted to embark on a career that was dedicated to helping those around me. Once I started, it didn’t take long for me to realize that our systems of care are complex – and that crisis care is lifesaving.

I remember working with a youth who had so many placements throughout their life and endured so much trauma that at the age of 13, they never learned to read or write. There were transgender youth who often waited significantly longer for inpatient care because there were very limited beds available to them. Not to mention the countless insurance issues that could impact a youth and their ability to receive the care they deeply needed. I cannot count the number of times I drove home thinking about the systems we, as a country, state, and county, have created and the tangled web of rules that dictate the kind of care that could be delivered.

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As I met more kids and families experiencing behavioral health crises, I wanted to have an impact on an even bigger level. I decided to pursue my master’s in policy work, where I learned the power of public policy. Policies are what dictate the services we can provide, the way we can provide them, and how they are paid for. They are a true reflection of what we as a community believe are important, and who we believe to be deserving of support and care. Today, as Seneca’s Policy Advocate, I work with our program leaders and external partners to ensure that we can create a system that works for the youth and families we serve.

One of my proudest and full-circle moments was working with my team and Seneca partners to ensure statewide funding for the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Benefit was maintained in the 2026-2027 California state budget. In California, counties are responsible for paying for a portion of behavioral health services – unless the service is mandated by the State. Currently, the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Benefit is a statewide benefit and therefore paid for with State dollars. As a result, mobile crisis services have been made available 24/7 in every county, ensuring those experiencing a behavioral health crisis have access to compassionate, trauma-informed care.

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Seneca, along with our partners, quickly realized that the proposal to eliminate statewide funding for the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis benefit, could force counties to reduce the hours mobile crisis services are available or even end mobile crisis programs altogether. Maintaining funding for the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Benefit relieves some crucial financial pressure from counties and ensures the benefit continues to be available statewide.

And as I gathered data, made calls, and wrote letters to legislative offices, I was reminded of my time as a Crisis Counselor, and I thought about the youth who came through the CSU doors. The ones who needed someone to understand what it was like to be a foster youth living far away from home, or who had previously been traumatized by law enforcement intervention instead of receiving compassionate care.  I also thought of those who had such positive experiences that they memorized the number of their mobile crisis provider, and who were given hope by crisis providers like Seneca. The impact of quality crisis care goes far beyond measure, and we will keep fighting to protect these services for years to come.