California behavioral health commission creates merged client, family and community inclusion advisory committee after contentious public comment

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission on Aug. 28 voted to establish a new Client, Family and Community Inclusion, Lived Experience and Diversity Advisory Committee, merging the existing Client and Family Leadership Committee (CFLC) and the Cultural and Linguistic Competency Committee (CLCC).

Chair Myra Alvarez called the vote after a lengthy public comment period in which dozens of stakeholders urged the commission either to preserve the two separate advisory bodies or to proceed only with strong protections to ensure cultural representation and consumer voices were not diluted. The commission approved a motion creating the new committee with an amendment that requires the commission to evaluate the new committee’s effectiveness after three committee meetings and return the evaluation to the full commission for consideration.

The vote formalizes a staff and commissioner proposal intended to concentrate diverse lived‑experience perspectives in a single body that can advise the commission on implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and on the Innovation Partnership Fund. Proponents said the merged body will better align community input with the commission’s new committee structure and deadlines tied to grant development and the fiscal calendar.

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