Humboldt County Behavioral Health Board reviews BHSA plan for 2026–29; access and housing prioritized

Oliver Gonzalez, Program Manager for Humboldt County Behavioral Health, presented the draft Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) plan for 2026–29 and summarized stakeholder feedback collected across Eureka, Northern Humboldt and Southern Humboldt. "The MHSA started in 2004 from prop 63 and is a 1% tax on incomes over one million dollars. Prop 1 in 2024 changed the MHSA to the BHSA," Gonzalez said, describing the statutory lineage and funding framework.

Gonzalez told the board that under the BHSA funding model 90% of funds go to counties and the state retains 10%, and that the county intends to direct resources to Housing Interventions, Full-Service Partnerships and behavioral health services and supports. He said community meetings produced demographic and lived-experience data and recurring concerns about access: long wait times, service delays and limited availability. Gonzalez explained next steps: staff will incorporate input from the hearing, report to Behavioral Health Administration, then forward the plan to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors for approval before submission to the Department of Health Care Services and the MHSA oversight body.

Board members asked clarifying questions about implementation, prevention changes and evidence-based-practice requirements during the presentation; Gonzalez reiterated that many details will be refined through the county review and state approval process. The board did not take a formal vote on the plan at the June 18 meeting; members directed staff to transmit the plan package and community input to the Board of Supervisors for its review ahead of state submission.