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Alameda County providers urge hearing as Prop 1 transition threatens behavioral health services
Summary
County behavioral‑health providers and peer‑run organizations told the Health Committee that Proposition 1 implementation and related budget changes will cut services for thousands; providers asked the board to schedule an urgent hearing and seek bridge funding to avert immediate service losses and layoffs.
David Channer, CEO of A Better Way and president of the Alameda County Behavioral Health Collaborative, told the Health Committee on Feb. 23 that the countywide transition tied to Proposition 1 will cause immediate service losses and job cuts among peer‑staffed programs.
“We're gonna lose about $27,000,000 in funding in our collaborative alone,” Channer said, and he added that roughly 15,000 clients countywide face losing critical services unless the county puts mitigation in place. He asked the committee to schedule an urgent hearing to discuss a transition plan and longer off‑ramp for affected providers.
Why it matters: providers and peer‑run groups argued that the cuts remove long‑term support systems that serve people with serious mental illness, people who are unhoused and other high‑need populations. Several speakers described programs that provide transportation, interpreter services and regular day supports that follow people for years.
Providers described specific program impacts. Jamie Almanza, CEO of Bay Area Community Services, said BACS would close services that support about 600 single adults with severe and persistent mental illness and that the agency has issued more than 150 layoff notices so far. “This is as catastrophic as any natural disaster,” Almanza said, urging the board to call a special session immediately.
Peer‑run organizations warned of disproportionate harm to people with lived experience who both staff and rely on these programs. Lynn Rivas, executive director of the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations, said two local peer groups received dramatic cuts and that one — the PEER Wellness Collective — was cut entirely, placing long‑running organizations at risk of closure.
Board response and next steps: county staff acknowledged the testimony, noted prior meetings with providers and promised a formal hearing next month to examine transition details, prioritize services and consider Measure W and other backfill options. Staff told the committee that the board had previously allocated about $4,000,000 in Measure W to anticipate prevention and early‑intervention cuts and said staff would continue to meet with affected providers.
What remains unresolved: providers requested bridge funding and a formal transition plan; the committee committed to convening a hearing but did not adopt any immediate funding resolution during the meeting. The status of specific contracts, exact program reopenings and long‑term funding sources were not finalized at the session.
The committee moved from public comment into an informational update on overdose prevention and opioid settlement spending; staff later laid out next steps for data collection and a more detailed budget and outcome report.
