Plumas County behavioral health panel approves MHSA annual update after trimming housing allocation

Plumas County’s Behavioral Health Commission voted June 11 to recommend the county’s MHSA annual report to the Board of Supervisors, approving staff edits that include lowering a planned housing allocation from $800,000 to $350,000.

The change was introduced during the commission’s public hearing portion of the meeting. Christy Tucker, a staff member who presented the draft, said the reduction reflects state MHSA rules that require at least 51% of the Community Supports and Services (CS&S) bucket go to Full Service Partnership (FSP) services. “That amount has drastically changed because we have to stay within the guidelines and the rules to meet FSP being 51% of the of the expenditure,” Tucker told commissioners during the hearing.

Why it matters: The original $800,000 allocation was earmarked for purchasing a motel intended for FSP housing placements. That purchase did not occur, and staff said the county has been discussing alternative housing work with RCHDC for predevelopment expenses. Predevelopment payments would count as general system development rather than FSP, which would reduce the CS&S percentage available for FSP and could push the county out of compliance without the reallocation.

Commission discussion focused on compliance and rollover rules. Tucker explained roughly how MHSA allocations flow in the county's three‑year planning cycle: a typical annual allocation is about $2 million, with most of that in the CS&S bucket (about $1.7 million), and the 51% FSP floor applies to that CS&S amount rather than to any single project line item.

Public commenters and commissioners asked for specific line edits and clarifications in the draft (for example, correcting a phrasing about family members vs. parents and checking provider listings). Christy Tucker and other staff agreed to incorporate the small edits before forwarding the document.

Formal action: A motion to recommend the MHSA annual report to the Board of Supervisors, with the changes reviewed at the meeting, was moved and seconded and carried; the chair announced there were no oppositions or abstentions and the item will advance to the Board.

Next steps: Staff will update the draft (including the housing allocation change and the minor wording edits flagged by commenters) and transmit the revised MHSA annual update to the county Board of Supervisors for final approval. The commission also noted the state’s shift from MHSA planning to the new BHSA planning process beginning July 1, which will require community planning and stakeholder engagement later this summer and into the fall.

Ending: Commissioners closed the public hearing and moved on to informational reports; staff said unspent MHSA funds that are not allocated this year would roll into BHSA-era planning and allocations.