Mental illness is a major public health issue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 20% of U.S. adults live with a mental illness, like depression and anxiety. But understanding and addressing mental illness remains very challenging. A team of UC Davis experts were tasked with evaluating the services of 15 mental health crisis programs in California. These programs were funded between 2018 and 2021 by state mental health legislation called SB-82.