The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at UC Davis launched Oct. 1, 2014 with initial funding from California’s Mental Health Services Act. Here is a quick summary of the Center’s launch:

Governor Jerry Brown signed the state budget in June 2014, allocating $15 million to UC Davis and UCLA to launch two centers. Partial funds arrived at UC Davis a few months later.

After a ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 1, 2014 UC Davis BHCOE moved quickly to establish an office, hire staff and solidify leadership. The Center structure consists of three core units, an administrative core consisting of lead Dean Frederick J. Meyers, MD, MACP, from the School of Medicine, Director Cameron S. Carter, MD, and Center Administrator Jessica Hicks, MBA, a policy and education core led by former Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg who also assumed the position of Visiting Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and an outcomes core led by Carolyn S. Dewa, MPH, PhD.

The awardees listed on our "Research" page show great collaboration and diversity, as is the hallmark of research at UC Davis, The Center’s mission is to expand research opportunities, accelerate innovation for future funding, with a vision of better understanding the brain and behavior. The Center’s mission is to bridge sciences with policy and educate the next generation to be leaders for mental health.

The Center’s sustainability beyond its initial funding is a top priority for the coming year.

Read more about the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) here.

For an overview of the Mental Health Services Act, as well as the story behind the Behavioral Health Center's launch, watch this video. 

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