CSAP has released the following statement calling for more qualified leadership at the federal level on health and behavioral health issues:
The California State Association of Psychiatrists, representing approximately 3,000 psychiatrists in the state, calls on the California congressional delegation and the Senate Mental Health Caucus led by United States Senator Alex Padilla to seek, for leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a qualified health leader with the training, experience, and integrity required to safeguard the health and well-being of all Americans.
The current HHS leadership has repeatedly spread falsehoods about medical preventative services and treatments, including those important for individuals with psychiatric illness. Inaccurate healthcare information increases stigma, spreads fear and can keep people from reaching out for help when they need it most. Inaccurate healthcare information can also restrict access to critical services that ease suffering, restore functioning, and prevent suicide. Without these critical services, criminalization and expanded use of civil commitment will curtail the ability of individuals with mental illness to lead productive lives.
A disregard for science threatens not only the integrity of our health system but also the lives and civil rights of millions of Americans who rely on effective, evidence-based treatment for psychiatric and other illnesses.
The United States needs Health and Human Services leadership that protects public health, relies on accurate data, upholds the principles of evidence-based medicine, and promotes care over fear. For these reasons, the California State Association of Psychiatrists joins the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and numerous other medical experts in calling for swift action.
The California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CALACAP) has also released the following statement.
On October 6, 2025, the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CALACAP) formally issued a public statement in response to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report and recent federal health policy pronouncements.
In the statement, CALACAP — representing roughly 2,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists statewide — raises serious concerns about how misleading assertions in the MAHA report and certain federal positions undermine access to mental health care,mischaracterize evidence-based treatments, and increase risk for youth.
Some of the urgent points we emphasize include:
- The importance of school-based mental health screening to connect struggling students to care.
- That the MAHA report misrepresents the safety and efficacy of FDA-approved psychiatric medications (SSRIs, stimulants, antipsychotics).
- That recent statements about autism risk lack support in rigorous scientific evidence and could mislead families.
We issued this statement not out of partisanship, but out of our duty of care to children, adolescents, and families. We urge our legislators and policymakers to trust evidence, protect access to care, and safeguard youth well-being.
We invite you to read the full statement, share it broadly, and join us in advocating for policies grounded in science and compassion.
Read the Full Statement