Board adopts Nevada County Behavioral Health Services Act plan emphasizing housing, crisis care and expanded substance‑use services

Nevada County supervisors on June 2 adopted the county’s integrated Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) three‑year plan, outlining funding priorities and an implementation approach that the state reviewed and conditionally approved in draft form.

County behavioral‑health staff summarized the department’s budgetary picture, including an emphasis on maximizing Medi‑Cal billable services and the new BHSA rules that place greater emphasis on housing and broader behavioral‑health investments. The plan directs funds across multiple buckets: roughly $38 million toward mental‑health services (about 59% of operating budget), approximately $9.8 million for substance‑use services (about 15%), and about $11 million toward housing and homeless‑services investments (about 17%). Staff also highlighted investments in crisis care, outpatient services, residential placements and workforce development.

Priya Cannell, BHSA coordinator, told the Board the state required the county to submit a draft plan and has since approved that draft; the county then presented the final plan for the Board’s adoption. “The state approved our draft plan last week,” Cannell said, adding that the BHSA expands allowable uses to include more substance‑use services while retaining existing reporting and outcomes obligations.

Specific proposals discussed included expansion of residential substance‑use beds through contract extensions, an ongoing push to increase Medi‑Cal billability among community providers, and an ambitious housing pipeline including a behavioral‑health bridge‑housing grant and planned Homekey and No Place Like Home placements that would add interim and permanent beds. Staff said the department had increased behavioral‑health housing capacity roughly 375% since 2017 (from 69 to about 328 beds) and is pursuing grants to further expand interim and permanent housing.

Supervisors praised the plan’s clarity and the data‑driven needs assessment that informed it; they also asked technical questions about Medi‑Cal billing, contractor oversight and outcome reporting. Staff said they will continue quarterly performance monitoring and return to the Board if material changes are needed.

The Board approved the plan by roll call vote. The plan now moves forward for final submission to the state per BHSA procedures and will guide county programming and grant activity over the next three years.