Humboldt County presents $11.2 million MHSA annual update and flags major changes under Proposition 1

Humboldt County behavioral health staff on Thursday presented the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) annual update for fiscal year 2025–26, describing an estimated $11.2 million draft budget and a slate of services the county proposes to fund.

The update, delivered by Albert Gonzalez, program manager for the behavioral health branch, laid out how the draft funding would be divided among the state-required MHSA categories and highlighted new and ongoing programs. "In today's meeting, what I hope to accomplish is, 3 things," Gonzalez told the Humboldt County Behavioral Health Board as he opened the presentation.

The county’s draft allocations divide the $11.2 million estimate into Community Services and Supports (CSS) at about 73% of the total, Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) at 19%, Innovation at 5%, and Workforce, Education and Training (WET) at roughly 2%. Within CSS, the county proposes to devote the largest share to Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs, which Gonzalez said take an "whatever it takes" approach to stabilize clients and are estimated to serve about 300 individuals annually. He said the county expects the FSP component to absorb roughly 82% of the CSS budget.

Gonzalez highlighted several programs and funding proposals: - Crisis residential treatment (Hyperion): Contracted with Willow Glen, the facility opened in late 2024 and the county has 10 beds contracted for DHHS behavioral health clients. - CARE (Crisis Alternative Response of Eureka): A new collaboration between the county, municipalities and community partners proposed at about $112,000 from MHSA this fiscal year to support staffing and de-escalation services intended to resolve crises before more restrictive interventions. - REST (Rest Engagement and Support Team): The county’s single innovation project, funded at an estimated under $450,000, is designed to increase case management and peer supports for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; staff said REST is projected to serve roughly 100 people annually. - Tribal provider support: An estimated allocation (about $87,000 in the draft) to help the Yurok Tribe develop billing infrastructure and become an MHSA-contracted organizational provider. - HELD (Humboldt Early Psychosis/Early Psychosis Intervention Program): A proposed PEI program directed at transition-age youth, budgeted at about 10% of PEI (roughly $250,000), delivering early intervention services for first-episode psychosis. - Local Implementation Agreements (LIAs): A local mini-grant program the county hopes to reopen in February, offering awards up to $24,900 to community organizations for one-year pilot PEI projects. - WET uses: An estimated $218,000 is set aside for workforce training including Relias e-learning and culturally specific consultation, and for regional partnerships to support recruitment and retention (loan repayment, stipends).

Gonzalez and board members also discussed the state-level changes that will follow Proposition 1, which rebrands the MHSA to the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and adjusts statewide allocations. Under the draft Prop. 1 structure that becomes effective July 1, 2026, Gonzalez said the state share would rise from 5% to 10% and county/city jurisdictions would receive 90% of collections; the BHSA would create three main county-level categories: Housing Intervention (30%), Full Service Partnership (35%), and Behavioral Health Services & Supports (35%). Those changes, staff said, could consolidate many current services into a single BHS category and raise questions about the future availability of smaller innovation projects.

Board members and attendees asked technical and programmatic questions, including what the "whatever it takes" approach looks like in practice, how innovation projects are sustained after a five-year seed period, and whether substance use disorder services are adequately represented in the new BHSA language. Gonzalez and staff responded that innovation projects are intended as seed funding and that county staff had recently received updated state language expanding early intervention to include substance use disorder prevention and certain overdose-related activities.

Gonzalez urged stakeholders to complete a demographic survey included in the meeting packet and to submit written comments during the county’s public comment period; he said the county intends to post the near-final annual update for a 30-day public comment window and to hold a public hearing before the plan would be finalized for July 1 submission.

The board did not take a formal vote on the MHSA plan during the meeting; staff described the document as a draft subject to revision after community input and final state guidance.

For now, staff emphasized the draft numbers are estimates and that language from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and other state guidance remains incomplete and in flux, which could change allocations or program definitions before the 2026 BHSA transition.

The presentation materials and a contact for follow-up were provided by staff for stakeholders to submit questions or written recommendations.