Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Behavioral Health Services Fund proposal would eliminate $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act grants, commission warns
Summary
The Governor—s May Revision proposes eliminating roughly $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act grant funds that support local partnerships and pilot programs; the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission said the cut would terminate three launch-ready grants and imperil the commission—s future grantmaking capacity.
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health heard on May 23 that the Governor’s May Revision proposes eliminating $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act funds administered by the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, a change the commission said would eliminate immediate, locally based programs and undermine longer-term grantmaking capacity.
Elizabeth Castillo of the Department of Finance told the committee the May Revision temporarily eliminates the $20 million funding to utilize the Behavioral Health Services Fund to offset general fund costs amid a projected $12 billion structural shortfall. Castillo noted that the Behavioral Health Services Act (2023) authorizes up to $20 million in Innovation Partnership Fund awards for five years beginning in 2026–27, but that those innovation funds are time-limited and have a different statutory scope than the Mental Health Wellness Act grants.
Brenda Greil…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
