The Clallam County Behavioral Health Advisory Board on Thursday approved funding priorities for the 2026'27 grant cycle and voted to hold $220,000 in the fund reserve to respond to uncertain state and federal policy shifts.

Board members said the priorities reflect long-standing local needs: support for unfunded or underfunded behavioral health services and supports; prevention and early intervention; specialized behavioral health services; and behavioral-health-linked housing and shelter. The board also voted to keep $220,000 of the required reserve available rather than adding that amount to the current Request-for-Proposals (RFP) pool.

The vote matters because the advisory board allocates revenue from the local one-tenth of 1% behavioral health sales tax established by county action and implemented under Washington RCWs. Board members said rising uncertainty from recent federal legislation and potential Medicaid changes makes keeping part of the reserve prudent.

Miranda Berger, director of programs at Olympic Community Health, who facilitated the retreat, framed the afternoon's work and told members, "We have two action items that will be a formal vote you'll make today, identifying the funding priorities for 2026 to 2027, and determining how we use the fund reserve." Jenny (staff), who presented program history and data, said the sales-tax fund produced roughly $750,000 a year in 2014 and had grown to about $2,041,000 in 2024, while community contracts that year ran in the neighborhood of $920,000.

Board members debated whether to revert to a one-year funding cycle to preserve flexibility while major policy changes take effect. Some members argued a shorter cycle would let the board respond to rapid changes in Medicaid and federal policy; others noted a two-year cycle supports sustainability for programs and reduces administrative burden on applicants. The board deferred the decision on changing the cycle length to the September meeting so staff could present options and updated revenue projections.

The advisory board also reviewed how county-funded programs already use a substantial share of the sales-tax pool. Jenny told the group that the 2025 budgeted amount for RFP-funded contracts was $1,158,000 and that nearly $972,000 supported county-run programs, including therapeutic courts and jail-based mental health positions.

Board members emphasized several principles to guide grant decisions: follow the RCWs and original intent of the funding; address local gaps while building on community strengths; prioritize sustainability and measurable impact; allow room for promising or innovative approaches (with evaluation); and consider equity of geographic access across the county.

The meeting closed with three formal actions recorded by staff: (1) approval of the set of funding priority categories for the 2026'27 cycle, (2) a vote to keep $220,000 in the required reserve and not add that amount to the upcoming RFP pool, and (3) a motion — seconded and approved — to defer further decisions about the reserve and the length of the funding cycle until the board's September meeting.

Members and staff said they would proceed with an RFP process that reflects the adopted priority categories and prepare options on reserve-sizing and one- versus two-year cycles for the next meeting. The board asked staff to report updated revenue trends and any confirmed Medicaid or federal funding changes before finalizing longer-term reserve strategy.