Government » General Government Departments » Health & Human Services » Mental Health

Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA)

 

Updated: 04/1/2026

The Yolo County Draft BHSA Integrated Plan for FY 2026–2029 posted on April 1, 2026. The draft will be available for a 30-day public comment period from April 1 through April 30, 2026. A Public Hearing will be held by the Local Behavioral Health Board on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency intend to seek Board of Supervisor approval on June 2, 2026. Links to the draft plan, public comment survey, public hearing notice, and planned community meetings are provided below, along with previously distributed and posted BHSA planning materials. To learn more about the transition from MHSA to BHSA, please review the additional information below.

PLEASE NOTE: Draft BHSA documents will post by end of day Wednesday April 1, 2026

Click to view:

Upcoming BHSA Community Meetings: Join us for one or both scheduled Community Engagement Work Group Meetings to discuss and learn more about the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Integrated Plan FY 2026-2029. 

  • Wednesday April 22nd, 2026 (1:30pm-3:00pm)-Hybrid (In-Person & Virtual Option) 

ARCHIVE: To view previous BHSA Planning documents click on the links below

MHSA/BHSA Archives: To view previous archived MHSA plans and BHSA planning documents click on the hyperlink to access www.yolocounty.gov/mhsa. 

MHSA-to-BHSA Transformation

In March 2024, voters approved Proposition 1 to reform the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and replace it with the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). It reforms behavioral health care funding to prioritize services for people with the most significant mental health needs while adding the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD), expanding housing interventions, increasing the behavioral health workforce, and accountability and transparency for county administered, publicly funded behavioral health programs. These reforms also significantly increase county responsibilities for planning, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. Proposition 1 changes the way in which Proposition 63 revenues are expended by county behavioral health plans and marks the transition from the “Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)” to the “Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).”  The most notable aspects of this shift are:

  • County allocations will be reduced from 95% to 90%
    • Additional 5% redirected to CDPH for Population Prevention
  •  New BHSA Components (replaces MHSA CSS, PEI, and INN):
  • Full-Service Partnerships-FSP (35%)
    • Includes mental health, supportive services, and substance use disorder treatment services
  •  Behavioral Health Services and Supports-BHSS (35%)
    • Includes Early Intervention (EI), Outreach and Engagement, Workforce Education and Training; Capital Facilities; Technological Needs; Innovation pilots
    • 51% of BHSS Funds must be used for EI programs; 51% of EI funding must be used to serve individuals age 25 & younger

  • Housing Interventions (30%)
    • For children and families, youth, adults, and older adults living with SMI/SED and/or SUD who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Includes rental subsidies, operating subsidies, shared and family housing, capital, and the non-federal share for certain transitional rent.
    • 50% prioritized housing interventions for the chronically homeless. Up to 25% may be used for capital development 

 

 MHSA to BHSA

 

BHSA Priority Populations

The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) establishes targeted priority populations to guide counties in planning and delivering behavioral health services. These groups represent individuals with elevated behavioral health needs and higher risk of poor outcomes.

 

Population Group

BHSA Priority Criteria

Children and Youth

• Experiencing homelessness, chronically homeless, or at risk of homelessness
• In, or at risk of involvement in, the juvenile justice system
• Reentering the community from a youth correctional facility
• In the child welfare system (e.g., foster care)
• At risk of institutionalization (e.g., psychiatric hospitalization or similar settings)

Adults and Older Adults

• Experiencing homelessness, chronically homeless, or at risk of homelessness
• In, or at risk of involvement in, the justice system
• Reentering the community from jail or prison
• At risk of conservatorship
• At risk of institutionalization

 

BHSA Evidence-Based Practices

Counties are required to provide the following Evidence Based Practices (EBPs):

  • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
  • Forensic ACT (FACT)
  • FSP Intensive Case Management (ICM)
  • Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of Supported Employment
  • High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW)
  • Assertive field-based initiation for SUD
  • Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) for First Episode Psychosis (FEP)

 

BHSA Integrated Plan and Reporting

New BHSA requirements include the requirement for a Three-Year Integrated Plan (IP), a Behavioral Health Outcomes and Accountability Transparency Report (BHOATR), and an Annual Update. The Three-Year Integrated Plan requires broad community engagement and extensive stakeholder input to outline priorities, program investments, and outcome measures across all systems of care, ensuring alignment with both state guidance and local needs. The BHOATR establishes new state-mandated performance metrics, fiscal transparency requirements, and data reporting standards that require extensive analysis and cross-program coordination to ensure accuracy and completeness. Counties will be required to submit annual reports detailing expenditures of all local, state, and federal behavioral health funding (including the Behavioral Health Services Act, Realignment funding, federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and PATH grants, opioid settlement funds, and Medi-Cal). Reports must also include unspent funds; service utilization and outcome data analyzed through a health equity lens (e.g., service encounters, utilization rates by population groups, equity indicators by race, ethnicity, age, and service type [mental health/substance use disorder]); outcomes aligned with statewide behavioral health goal metrics (such as reductions in homelessness, institutionalization, and justice involvement); indicators of intervention effectiveness within the Integrated Plan; workforce metrics (e.g., staffing levels and workforce shortages); and other relevant information. 

Community Planning Process

In addition to the above-mentioned requirements, the BHSA includes Community Planning Process (CPP) requirements that have expanded, mandating robust stakeholder engagement with diverse populations, including consumers, family members, community partners, and underserved groups, along with clear documentation of how feedback is incorporated into planning, funding priorities, and program design. Counties are not required to conduct the full stakeholder engagement process for annual updates; this requirement applies only to the Three-Year Integrated Plan.

The Yolo County Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) FY 2026-2029 Behavioral Health Integrated Plan (BHIP) kickoff began Wednesday September 10th with a Community Engagement Work Group (CEWG) meeting. The county has completed 4 listening sessions, 35 key informant interviews, 6 focus groups, and received 268 community survey responses. In total, the CPP engaged 514 community members through a combination of data collection efforts, informational sessions, and interviews to date. The BHSA Community Planning Process (CPP) summary of findings were distributed countywide in February 2026. The first draft BHSA Integrated Plan is due to the State by March 31, 2026, with a final plan due by June 30, 2026. Below is the current BHSA Integrated timeline of events. 

Yolo BHSA Integrated Plan FY 26-29 Timeline

 

For additional BHSA details, please refer to the Department of Health Care Services BHSA County Policy Manual, BHSA County Reporting timeline (infographic), and informational MHSA vs BHSA funding overview.

MHSA Archives: To view previous archived MHSA plans and documents click on the hyperlink to access www.yolocounty.gov/mhsa. 

 

Contact Info

BHSA Team
bhsa@yolocounty.gov

Other Info
Herbert H. Bauer Building
137 N. Cottonwood Street
Woodland, CA 95695
(530) 666-8630
Loading...