To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Declare Behavioral Health Board Alternate At-Large Seat Vacant
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT the resignation from Shelley Clark, DECLARE vacant the Alternate At-large seat on the Behavioral Health Board for a term ending December 31, 2027; and DIRECT the Clerk of the Board to post the vacancy.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
Proposition 1, passed as a ballot measure in April, 2024, mandating transformation of the public health system (Senate Bill 326: sections pertaining to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board).
Provisions of SB 326 included implementation of an integrated Behavioral Health Advisory Board by January 1, 2025. This integrated advisory body is to include designated members of the community prepared to address community mental health and substance use treatment services.
The mandated functions of the Behavioral Health Advisory Board include:
- Review and evaluate the local public mental health system
- Review and evaluate the local public substance use disorder treatment system
- Advise the governing body on community mental health and substance use disorder services
- Review and evaluate the community’s public behavioral health needs, services, facilities, and special problems where services are being provided
- Review county agreements
- Advise the governing body and the local behavioral health director
- Ensure citizen and professional involvement at all stages
- Submit an annual report
- Review and recommend appointment of the local director of behavioral health services
- Review and comment on county’s performance outcome date
- Assess the impact of the realignment of services
- Conduct a public hearing on the draft three-year program and expenditure plan and annual updates at the close of the 30-day comment period required by subdivision.
- Review adopted Behavioral Health Services Act plan and make recommendations to the local behavioral health agency.
- Provide an annual report of written explanations to the local governing body and Department of Health Care Services
Membership of the Board includes:
- 10 to 15 members
- 50% consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers
- One of these members will be 25 years of age or younger
- 20% will be consumers
- 20% will be families of consumers
- One member will be a veteran or veteran advocate
- One member will be an employee of a local education agency
- One member of the governing body (the Board of Supervisors)
- Term of three years
- Appointments will be staggered
Exception of the Board is to include:
- Member of the board, or their spouse, shall not be a county employee of a county mental health or substance use disorder service, an employee of the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), or an employee, or paid member, of the governing board of a mental health or substance use disorder contract agency
- Exception: a consumer of behavioral health services who has obtained employment in any of the above and holds a position in which the consumer does not have an interest, influence, or authority over a financial or contractual matter shall
- Abstain from voting on a financial or contractual issue concerning the member’s employer
It is proposed that Contra Costa County’s Behavioral Health Board members be appointed as follows:
- Board of Supervisor Member: 1 seat recommended by the Chair of the Board of Supervisors
- Consumer/Family member younger than 26: 1 seat as recommended by Behavioral Health Services to the Family and Human Services Committee
- Veteran or veteran Advocate: 1 seat as recommended by Behavioral Health Services to the Family and Human Services Committee
- Employee of a local education agency: 1 seat as recommended by Behavioral Health Services to the Family and Human Services Committee
- At-large: 1 seat as recommended by Behavioral Health Services to the Family and Human Services
- Consumer seat: 5 seats recommended by the Board of Supervisors
- Family Seat: 5 seats recommended by the Board of Supervisors
- 1 Alternate seat for Board of Supervisor Member
- 1 Alternate seat for At-large Member
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Alternate At-Large seat would not be declared vacant, which would hinder the ability to recruit to fill the position and could cause quorum issues for the body.