Community advocates urge fresh start, lived experience for executive director; closed session yields no action

Community advocates told the Executive Director Screening Committee of the Commission for Behavioral Health that the commission needs a fresh start and an executive director with lived experience of California’s Mental Health Services Act, while the committee met in closed session to review candidates and reported no action.

At a special virtual meeting, Jay Robinson, chair of the executive director screening committee, opened public comment and then moved the meeting into a closed session titled “review, consider, and recommend candidates for the vacant executive director appointment.” After reconvening publicly, the committee’s report-back said, “No action was taken during the closed…