DBH outlines capacity limits and flags CHAMPS funding cuts; council presses for clearer reporting

Department of Behavioral Health Director Barbara J. Bazaron told the Committee on Health that DBH supports the bills' intent but cautioned on implementation details and timing. Bazaron said DBH's housing voucher program funds about 750 subsidies and that roughly 20 new vouchers are awarded annually, with 61 new vouchers issued over the last three fiscal years. "This is not the case" that DBH maintains a public waitlist, she told the committee, describing DBH's process of identifying priority populations and coordinating with certified providers.

Several witnesses and DBH staff raised deep concerns about CHAMPS, the city's youth mobile crisis program. Lavenia Delvette Avan of Catholic Charities and CHAMPS said staffing cuts reduced deployments by 50 percent (from 102 to 51 in a cited period) and reported sharp spikes in calls for self-injurious behavior and clinical consultations. She requested redirecting $1,000,000 of estimated 988 revenue to sustain CHAMPS, citing staffing shortages and burnout.

DBH acknowledged reporting gaps and told the committee it is developing standardized templates for grantee reports to capture not just initial engagements but downstream outcomes (appointments, follow-up). DBH also said necessary software and interoperability upgrades remain outstanding for 988 and access lines and that some upgrades would be eligible under the proposed fee. Committee members asked DBH to provide further cost estimates and to work with DHS and DCHA on voucher system coordination.