Meeting Minutes  
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Mental Health  
Services Act Advisory Council  
3:00 PM  
Thursday, April 4, 2024  
1340 Arnold Drive, Suite 126, Martinez |  
https://cchealth.zoom.us/j/7050090662 |  
Call-In: 1-646-518-9805 Access Code  
7050090662  
Welcome - Review Working Agreement, Intros, Announcements  
(MHSA Staff) (10 mins)  
1
24-0952  
MHSA AC Mtg Materials 04.04.2024  
Attachments:  
Members Attending:  
Y’Anad Burrell, Douglas Dunn, Jaime Yan Faurot,  
Britanny Lawrence, Beth Limberg,  
Lucy Espinosa Nelson, Melinda O’Day, Marina Ramos,  
Roberto Roman, Jennifer Tuipulotu,  
Graham Wiseman, Amelia Wood  
Behavior Health Director: Dr. Suzanne Tavano  
Staff Attending:  
Janet Costa, Alejandra Escobedo-Sochet,  
Victoria Fairchild, Stephen Field, Liz Grove,  
Jaime Jenett, Tammy Joiner  
Public Participants:  
Daniel Barth, Caroll Carrillo, Lea Dewitt,  
Rhonda Deplazes, Jason Faurot, Jordon O’Connor,  
Jill Ray, Theresa Russell, Andrea Wagner  
Facilitator:  
Jennifer Bruggeman  
Audrey Montana  
Genoveva Zesati  
Recorder:  
Staff Support:  
Excused from Meeting:  
Absent from Meeting:  
Tom Gilbert, Mashal Kleven  
(Jennifer Bruggeman - MHSA Program Manager)  
• Welcome  
• Review Working Agreement  
• Introductions  
• Announcements  
o (Carol Carrillo) April is National Child Abuse, Prevention and Awareness Month. For  
information, please view the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) website at  
capc-coco.org.  
o (Douglas Dunn) May 18 is NAMI’s walk and sharing day. May 22nd is an online meeting with  
Alex Briscoe former Director of Alameda County Behavioral Health.  
o (Beth Limberg) Hope Solutions will have it’s major fundraiser called Ruby Boots party  
on April 20th in the evening at at the San Ramon Marriott. Will be dancing, singing,  
eating and auctions.  
o (Graham Wiseman) The Lafayette Community Foundation will have an event on June 1st  
at Lafayette Plaza. All are invited to attend.  
o (Brittany Lawrence) April is also Autism Acceptance Month. Remember those with mental health  
disorders when working with the autistic community.  
o (Jaime Yan Faurot) In the next few months will be an event for Peer Support Specialists called  
Peer Career Pathways. Will keep all posted of the date.  
o (Daniel Barth) Would be happy to come to an MHSA Advisory Council Steering Committee  
meeting to provide information and possible future presentation about our SOS (Safe Organized  
Spaces) new wellness center. Contact email: dbarth@sos-richmond.org.  
o (Jennifer Bruggeman) If anyone is having problems with the new County system of email notices  
for MHSA Advisory Council meetings, contact Audrey Montana.  
o (Dr. Suzanne Tavano) The new County system of sending email notices for the  
MHSA Advisory Council meetings is not user friendly. If looking on the County  
Calendar website and do not have a preregistered County invite, can be difficult to locate  
meetings. Response: (Jennifer Bruggeman) We can send calendar invites to individuals  
who always attend. (Audrey Montana) Will send an email prior to each meeting with the link  
to the County Meeting Calendar to access MHSA Advisory Council meeting and materials.  
Notes will be posted to Contra Costa County Meeting Calendar website for MHSA Advisory Council  
Audrey Montana will post notes.  
2
Report Outs:  
Grants for CDP's  
Cultural Humility Plan  
Presenter: Dr. Suzanne Tavano, PhD (Director Behavioral Health Services):  
• Grants and CDPs:  
o Insufficient time to address at this meeting. To be addressed another meeting.  
Presenter: Genoveva Zesati (MHSA Ethnic Services and Training Coordinator, ASA III):  
Presentation Slides: “Contra Costa Health – 2023-2026 Cultural Humility Plan”  
• Cultural Humility Plan:  
o The Cultural Humility Plan for this year is posted on the County Behavioral Health  
Services homepage. The link to the 2023-2026 Cultural Humility Plan:  
https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/29709/638457484253500000  
o The Plan is a report out of types of services and efforts provided by Behavioral Health  
Services in supporting culturally responsive and linguistically accessible services.  
Now working on the Community Fund Practices Project released last year.  
o Reducing Health Disparity (RHD) meetings held quarterly. The next meeting is  
July 1st from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm via Zoom and will review the Plan.  
o 2023-2026 Cultural Humility Plan slides  
Reviewed Table of Contents, needs, surveys, focus areas, community input  
A summary of the Community Defined Practices project is included in the Plan  
o Working on contracts with agencies and was able to award seventeen contracts.  
Comments and Response to Questions:  
•
(Dr. Susanne Tavano) We should look at PEI program and culturally defined practices.  
We are reaching into different communities. We are talking about reducing disparities  
and health equity. We should look at our new community defined practices and those  
under Innovation. We are trying for a large in-person conference in the next nine months.  
Strength & Sustainability - Upcoming Peer Conference Overview  
(Jaime Faurot & Andrea Wagner) (15 mins)  
3
24-0953  
Strength and Sustainability Conf Overview 3.25.24  
Attachments:  
Presenter: Jaime Yan Faurot (MHSA Advisory Council Member)  
Presentation Document: “Strength & Sustainability Conference Overview”  
• Strength & Sustainability Conference  
o Will be held October 7th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm  
o Focus is on peer support specialists  
o Annual Peer Leadership meeting to strategize and plan for the peer workforce, advocacy and  
building peer run business  
o Is a self-sustaining grassroots conference  
o Peers come together to have their voices heard  
o Look at what is working and not working  
o Want to tell our stories and have our voices heard  
o Also to hear voices of those underserved and those from marginalized communities  
o Not just networking but peers coming together collectively and building paths  
toward sustainability  
Presenter: Andrea Wagner (Managing Member, Lavoy Wagner, LLC)  
• Been involved in peer support for a long time. Started through Crisis Services in Butte County  
working as a peer for five years.  
• Also worked simultaneously at the Wellness Center. Received training and became an Access  
Ambassador.  
• Then started a small nonprofit. Advocated for peers for better pay and union jobs.  
• Met Jaime as we both were Access Ambassadors of peers developing into advocacy  
roles and statewide leaders  
• We both participated in the last three state conferences held by CAMHPRO  
(California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations)  
• Each year conference grows which shows there is a lot of energy for meeting as peers and  
wanting to connect  
• Strength & Sustainability Conference (October 7th)  
o One day event with a Keynote speaker  
o Opportunities to come forward and participate  
o Can participate, sponsor, tabling opportunities or donate time or materials  
o Want all to participate. Not restrictive.  
o Will be in-person conference  
o Morning will be primarily a keynote speaker and some connecting activities. Working toward  
cultural section as well. Then lunch.  
o Afternoon will be hands on workshop with three segments  
Panel Discussion on three topics  
Panelists break off into one of the three topics for discussion for one hour. People can  
participate in the group most interested in.  
Then all come together again disseminating discussion information then discuss next steps  
Chance to communicate with each other and come up with new ideas  
• We have worked with peer groups in Alameda County (i.e. POCC) for the past three events  
•
Fifteen organizations participated in the last conference. Will ask thirty different peer run  
organizations to participate. Inviting Contra Costa County.  
Comments and Response to Questions:  
• (Daniel Barth) We would love to participate as peers from the unhoused community.  
• (Jennifer Tuipulotu) The Office for Consumer Empowerment is here today. Also is  
Alejandra and Lucy who are Family Services Coordinators. We are coming together to join  
as one office. Perhaps in the future may be known as Office for Peer and Family Empowerment.  
Best we unify as we move forward. Problem solve together and work towards the future.  
Behavioral Health leaderships and Chiefs agree.  
• (Jennifer Tuipulotu) My staff and I have attended the last three conferences and have walked away  
learning new or something we can apply in Contra Costa County.  
4
Prop 1 Update  
Presenter: Jennifer Bruggeman (MHSA Program Manager)  
• Proposition 1 Updates  
o Since we last met, Proposition 1 has passed.  
o Is now on the Department of Health Care Services website entitled the Behavioral Health  
Transformation (BHT):  
Behavioral Health Transformation (ca.gov)  
o Taking 5% off top of MHSA funds for funding for programs for Prevention and Workforce  
Initiatives Waiting for more details on funding.  
• Timeline  
o Two years to become operative  
o Remainder of the current MHSA Three Year Fiscal and Expenditure Plan (2025 & 2026)  
to prepare  
o July 1, 2025 information on how housing funds distributed  
o MHSA will have to next develop the Three -Year Fiscal and Expenditure Plan for 2026-2029.  
o Prop 1 updates will be a standing Agenda item for MHSA AC meetings  
Comments and Response to Questions:  
• (Douglas Dunn) Is most of the housing funding being distributed via BHCIP? Response:  
(Dr. Suzanne Tavano) Funding for housing is distinct from funding for facilities. Do not know at this  
point how the housing funds might be administered.  
5
24-25 Annual Update (AU)  
Survey Results  
Timeline for Draft AU  
Presenter: Jennifer Bruggeman (HMSA Program Manager)  
• MHSA Annual Update for 2024-2025 and Timeline  
o Post Plan for thirty-day public comment period  
o Goes before the Mental Health Commission for public comments. May be held in the  
late summer.  
o Final Annual Update will be presented before the Board of Supervisors for approval.  
o Annual Update will include the PEI (Prevention Early Intervention) and Innovation annual reports  
•
MHSA Presentations Completed  
o To SPIRIT, School based mental health providers, Contra Costa Alameda Medical Association,  
AODS Advisory Board, Suicide Prevention Awareness Event at Vicente High School, Virtual  
Community Forum: Understanding Prop 1, and Mental Health Commission  
• Survey Conducted  
Surveys are one option to obtain community input. Other options are in-person  
community forums and public comment, contact by phone  
First time most respondents were consumer/peer/persons with lived experience and  
many from East Contra Costa County.  
Survey emailed to the MHSA email distribution list of between four to five hundred  
emails and also to the Reducing Health Disparities (RHD) email list. Also announced  
at two events and other meetings. Also announced a second time. Received forty  
responses.  
Survey Results  
List of most valuable programs to the community  
List of individuals, groups, cultural communities not adequately served by BHS  
List of what is needed to improve client engagement  
List of top MHSA service areas that have been effective in addressing local behavioral  
health concerns  
Comments and Response to Questions:  
• (Lucy Espinosa Nelson ) What are the next steps after receiving these survey results? Response:  
Can be addressed for example through hiring practices, recruitment, retention, language capacity.  
Is a way to document where we are heading in the community. We continue to highlight these areas  
to move forward.  
• (Jaime Yan Faurot) For surveys, perhaps can use a scanning QR code, paper copies, electronic  
surveys and even in-person events for surveys. Response: We also have QE codes, events and  
offer incentive gift cards to those who complete surveys.  
6
Behavioral Health Director Report Out  
Housing Updates  
Role of this advisory body under BHSA  
Q&A  
Presenter: Dr. Suzanne Tavano PhD (Director, Behavioral Health Services)  
• Proposition 1  
o Encourage all to read SB 326 – Contains all the details as to the changes to the system  
Details of new integrated planning process  
The County must account for every dollar of BH dollars spent  
New planning process in partnership with managed care plans  
MHSA funding is 24% of BH budget  
Will be a massive change in process that we will have to prepare for now  
• Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit  
o Passed the various Fire and other inspections  
o Intend to open the end of April or May 1st. Will have an Open House  
• Oak Grove  
o Opening will be a bit later than February 2025  
• Brookside  
o Is the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center  
o Received 18 million dollars in funds for the project  
o Time limited and must be completed on time  
• El Portal  
o Purchased the building  
o Brought in new architect to do a cost analysis – more economical to take down the old building  
and put up two new ones  
• Housing Funds  
o 22 million MHSA dollars a year toward housing and 10 million dollars a year for Mental Health  
Rehabilitation Centers. 32 million dollars.  
o Initial one-time investments of MHSA dollars in No Place Like Home plus two houses assigned.  
Another 32 million dollars.  
o Received 20 million of time limited Behavioral Health bridge housing that is coordinated with  
Care Court.  
o Applied for a funding grant for those convicted of felonies who are incompetent to stand trial.  
Grants of 7 to 8 million dollars available. Equal amount available to support people in that  
housing. Grants through BHBH and FIST (Felony Incompetent to Stand Trail)  
o County focused on long term - buying housing and building housing and devise ways to sustain  
7
Public Comment / Plus Delta  
(Jennifer Bruggeman - MHSA Program Manager)  
• None  
8
Adjournment  
(Jennifer Bruggeman - MHSA Program Manager)  
• The next MHSA Advisory Counicl meeting will be June 6, 2024 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.