Board approves nearly $7 million in youth mental-health contracts with two county providers

Butte County approved agreements on June 10 with Youth for Change and Victor Community Support Services to provide specialty mental-health services for youth under Medi-Cal for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

Scott Kennelly, director of behavioral health, summarized the procurements: "The agreement for Youth for Change is not to exceed $3,945,798, and the agreement for Victor Community Support Services is not to exceed $3,039,394; the total between the two contracts is $6,985,192." He said the contracts stem from a 2023 request for proposals in which three organizations were selected; Youth for Change and Victor are being selected to deliver specialty mental-health services for youth throughout the county.

Services defined in the agreements include mental-health assessment, treatment planning, rehabilitation, therapy, targeted case management, crisis intervention and peer support. Kennelly said the contracts are measured by services delivered rather than by a fixed client-count metric.

Board action: A supervisor moved to approve the agreements and authorize the chair to sign; the board voted to approve the contracts.

Why it matters: The contracts fund county-required specialty services for Medi-Cal-eligible youth across Butte County and represent a substantial portion of the behavioral-health youth services budget for the coming year. The agreements run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

Next steps: Department of Behavioral Health will execute contracts, monitor service delivery, and report back to the board on program implementation as required by county contract management procedures.