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Among the first casualties of the federal clawback include HIV outreach and PrEP promotion; vaccine misinformation and public health communication research; behavioral health programs targeting Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ populations; and crisis response services in tribal, rural and low-income communities.

But the administration’s decision to dismantle COVID-era programs — which were finally beginning to deliver real infrastructure for behavioral health — means they are choosing to rob Peter to pay Paul.

These funds were the only significant investments in behavioral health infrastructure in a generation, targeting deeply underfunded mental health and substance use services long before and long after the virus.

Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey, chief executive of the California Behavioral Health Assn. and a supporter of the bill, said the physical symptoms someone might experience during and after a natural disaster could include fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, difficulty falling asleep, brain fog, inability to concentrate and flashbacks.

“We think it’s unacceptable that the state has absolutely no idea how big of a problem this is,” said Lishaun Francis, senior director of behavioral health for the advocacy group Children Now, a sponsor of the bill.