Merced County opens public comment on draft BHSA integrated plan; county to submit draft to state by March 31

Sharon Jones, a BHRS staff member, said the county’s Behavioral Health Services Administrator (BHSA) integrated plan is in draft and will be submitted to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by March 31, 2026. DHCS will have 15 days to review the submission, and the draft will be posted for public review from March 23 through April 22, 2026, with a public hearing scheduled for May 5, 2026.

The plan will go to the Board of Supervisors on June 2 for approval and required certification before a planned July 1 launch, Jones said. A key change from prior MHSA practice is that the Board must now both approve and sign a certification of approval. Fernando Granados asked whether the draft lists only newly funded programs or also the programs funded when the plan was written; Jones replied the BHSA plan will include only the newly funded programs for the coming three years, and that statewide DHCS guidance requires counties to select five statewide goals to prioritize.

Sharon asked members to review the draft and provide feedback during the public comment period. The county is contracting with Praxis to assist with the draft; Director Kimiko Vang and County Executive Officer Mark Hendrickson will review internally before the county submits to DHCS. The public hearing on May 5 and the March 23–April 22 posting are the formal opportunities for community input prior to Board consideration on June 2.