Committee hears support for adding lived-experience seats and staff to System of Care Advisory Council

The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services held a public hearing April 1 on House Bill 2924, which would expand lived-experience representation on the System of Care Advisory Council (SOCAC) by adding two youth and two family voting seats and making a limited-duration youth/family engagement specialist a permanent position.

Dr. Robin Henderson, legislative chair of SOCAC, said the council and its youth advisory structures have demanded substantial staff support and that additional voting seats would allow more lived-experience participants to share the workload and improve representation. SOCAC staff and youth members described how a permanent engagement support position and an additional communications position would help sustain participation and broader outreach.

Cameron Burke, a young person with lived experience who is active in youth advisory work, testified in support and described the importance of diverse youth voices. Joylene Carter, SOCAC’s youth and family engagement strategist, read testimony from a youth co-chair who urged more seats so youth and family members are not tokenized and can meaningfully influence council work.

Committee members clarified that the governor’s recommended budget includes three positions and that stipends for youth and family members are already included in the budget and fiscal impact statement. SOCAC staff and witnesses emphasized the need to make the engagement specialist permanent and to fund external communications and broader outreach.

The committee closed the public hearing and indicated support for further consideration of the bill and its budgetary elements.