County officials presented the board with an update on the county's behavioral‑health public‑health crisis response Tuesday, highlighting new treatment beds, workforce initiatives and an opportunity to draw federal funds through California's BH Connect Medi‑Cal waiver.

Deputy County Executive Key Lee told the board the county has increased access to behavioral‑health beds since the last report, adding 34 beds to the earlier total; projects in development would add roughly 242 beds and, if all move forward, staff estimate the county's expanded capacity could serve an additional about 2,800 people per year. Lee said the Morrison Avenue facility opened the day before the meeting and the county is working to place clients there as quickly as possible.

'The county has added 34 more beds since our last report, including Morrison Avenue, and has additional projects underway that will substantially increase residential and withdrawal management capacity,' Lee said.

The presentation also explained BH Connect, a new federal Medi‑Cal waiver the state is beginning to implement. Megan (BHSD) described BH Connect's main components: a voluntary incentive program for counties that adopt evidence‑based practices, the first opportunity in California to receive federal financial participation for short‑term stays in institutions for mental disease (IMDs) under specified conditions, and a move toward bundled rates for certain community‑based services. Staff cautioned that most BH Connect components are opt‑in, that the state is still finalizing technical guidance, and that some requirements initially offered as incentives are expected to become mandatory later.

'BH Connect gives counties new options to fund subacute and acute care days while reinvesting savings into community‑based services,' Megan said.

Behavioral Health staff and leaders from the county executive's office described anticipated benefits and operational challenges. Courtney Gray, the county's managed‑care director, said the waiver will allow the county to draw federal dollars for inpatient days previously excluded from federal matching funds and that the state's emphasis on evidence‑based practices would be supported by a new statewide population health platform. Staff said the county had submitted an IMD FFP plan to the state and expected feedback this winter.

Supervisors asked about the practical effects of the waiver, how incentive payments would be budgeted and whether the county could preserve services for Medi‑Cal beneficiaries as federal and state funding rules evolve. Staff said incentive amounts and timing remained uncertain and that any incentive revenue would be treated as county revenue through the normal budget process.

Supervisor Ellenberg moved to receive the report and asked staff to return with a progress report in September 2026 focused on the county's seven strategies to reduce suicide among older adults and on access to behavioral health services. Ellenberg also asked administration to present responses to the UCSF workforce study recommendations at that time. The board approved the motion 4‑0 with Supervisor Abakova absent.

'We want to make sure we track whether our outreach and training for older adults is making a difference,' Ellenberg said before making the motion.

The board also discussed the Latino Health Assessment and asked staff to ensure BHSD's subsequent reports address specific demographic trends and service alignments for high‑risk groups. Officials said they would coordinate with public health, schools and managed care partners to seek medical funding where appropriate.

The BHSD presentation and attachments also included heat maps, response‑time data for mobile crisis teams and a status update on Senate Bill 43 implementation and a set of facility and workforce projects intended to strengthen local capacity.

Ending: The county executive said staff planned to move the next quarterly update earlier (to January 2026) to synchronize the board's study session on behavioral health funding with the department's tentative BHSA plan for state review.