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Board approves Ventura County Behavioral Health Services Act plan as state funding and rules shift
Summary
The Board approved submission of the county's integrated Behavioral Health Services Act plan and budget (FY26—29), detailing new state-directed funding splits, a 10% state administrative set-aside, and changes that move prevention and some workforce programs to state oversight.
Dr. Loretta Denning, Ventura County Behavioral Health director, briefed the Board on the transition from the Mental Health Services Act to the Behavioral Health Services Act and described the funding and policy changes required by SB 326 and Proposition 1.
Denning said the new framework dedicates 35% of local allocation to behavioral health services and supports (including early intervention with 51% of that for people under 25), 35% to full-service partnerships (FSPs) with specified evidence-based staffing and fidelity requirements, and 30% to housing interventions (including a 51% set-aside for chronic homelessness). She added that the state takes a 10% portion off the top for administrative and prevention responsibilities and cautioned that removal of county-directed prevention and innovation funding will reduce local flexibility.
"We're already starting with the smaller pool," Denning told the Board, noting the shift will make counties the specialty safety-net providers focused on the highest-need Medi-Cal population. She described recent infrastructure awards the county received under the infrastructure piece of Prop 1 (a $59 million award for a 38-bed MHRC and $34.7 million for a 16-bed project).
Supervisors asked about affected population size and transition plans for patient navigation and community-based partners. Denning said the county receives roughly 18,000—22,000 access-line calls annually and may have 10,000—11,000 people in active treatment at a time across service levels; early-intervention and prevention efforts combined could touch up to 100,000 residents.
The Board voted unanimously to approve staff recommendations to submit the integrated plan and required certifications to the state. Members asked staff to continue outreach to local CBO partners to support continuity of services and to monitor implementation of state-administered prevention programs.
