The director of California’s mental health commission traveled to London this summer courtesy of a state vendor while he was helping to prevent a $360 million budget cut that would have defunded the company’s contract.
Emails and calendars reviewed by KFF Health News show Toby Ewing, executive director of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, made efforts to protect funding for Kooth, a London-based digital mental health company the state hired to develop a virtual tool to help tackle its youth mental health crisis. Ewing pressed key legislative staffers to maintain its contract, even as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers proposed cuts in the face of California’s $45 billion deficit.
An investigation has revealed potential conflicts of interest involving a California official and a mental health company. The official reportedly intervened to save the company’s state contract and was subsequently flown to London by the same company. The trip, which included luxury accommodations and attendance at a mental health conference, raises concerns about transparency and ethical practices in public health administration.
The incident underscores the importance of maintaining trust in mental health services and ensuring that decisions impacting public well-being are free from bias or undue influence. Ethical lapses can erode confidence in systems meant to provide critical support, particularly in mental health, where vulnerable populations depend on reliable care. Transparency and accountability are crucial for fostering public trust and ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed.
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A California Official Helped Save a Mental Health Company’s Contract. It Flew him to London. https://t.co/Ak7p1nGOPx #rehabnearme
— RehabNearMe (@RehabNear_Me) November 26, 2024
