It doesn’t take much for a disabling mental illness to shatter the lives of individuals and families. But given the proper resources, it could take even less for the government and insurance companies to provide the necessary treatment to manage these kinds of problems.

Proposition 63 finally ends decades of neglect by ensuring that everyone will get access to a proven model of care that effectively treats these conditions. It would pay for this treatment with a one-percent tax on personal incomes over $1 million, which is probably one of the least impacting ways of funding the proposal. In addition to the social benefits, Proposition 63 would save the state hundreds of millions of dollars in improved productivity and reduced emergency room, homeless shelter and prison costs. In order to support the groundbreaking strides California is trying to take in addressing this long-overdue issue, vote “yes” on Proposition 63.