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Community warns Alameda supervisors that Prop 1 changes could threaten prevention and early-intervention mental-health programs
Summary
Multiple community providers told the board that Proposition 1 and the state's changes to MHSA funding could reduce Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) programs; county health director said the current FY25 proposal maintains existing PEI investments and that state implementation guidance and local impacts will be considered through the Health Committee ahead of July 2026 changes.
Community-based providers from across Alameda County told supervisors on June 24 they are worried that state changes tied to Proposition 1 will reduce funding for Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) services that serve hard-to-reach and limited-English-speaking populations.
Speakers from Filipino Advocates for Justice, Korean Community Center, Asian Health Services, Pacific Islander Wellness Initiative and many small CBOs described PEI programs as a lifeline, urging the county to identify alternate funding and to preserve services when the state's Proposition 1 implementation takes effect.
Multiple speakers provided concrete examples: one nonprofit representative said the navigator program had helped more than 6,600 Alameda County residents with Medi-Cal enrollment in six months; another described youth outreach, culturally tailored counseling and crisis-prevention support sustained by PEI funds.
County response: Colleen Chawla, Director of Alameda County Health, told the board that the FY25 budget before supervisors "maintains the current investment in prevention and early intervention services" and reminded the meeting that Proposition 1 changes are not to be implemented locally until July 2026, when state guidance will clarify eligible uses. "All of the current investments in prevention and early intervention are maintained in the budget before you," Chawla said.
Board follow-up: Supervisors asked Chawla and staff to continue discussions in the Health Committee and to return with details on how Prop 1 implementation could affect local PEI programs and what alternate funding strategies the county might pursue.
Why it matters: providers argued that cutting upstream prevention and early-intervention services would increase downstream costs—hospitalizations, crisis responses and possibly incarceration—particularly for language-isolated and immigrant communities.
Next steps: health staff said they will brief the board and the Health Committee as state guidance becomes available and will seek strategies to sustain critical prevention programs as Proposition 1 takes effect over the next two fiscal years.
