Behavioral health leaders map services, funding shifts and provider gaps after Star Vista closures

Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Director Dr. Jay Africa and Chief of Health Colleen Chawla briefed supervisors Sept. 9 on the county's behavioral‑health system, funding pressures and service gaps after recent provider changes. Dr. Africa described a complex mix of new state initiatives (CalAIM, BH Connect, Proposition 1) and said the county's safety‑net role now requires more data, contracting capacity and rate‑setting: "The pace of the changing landscape is fast," he said, urging investment in data management, fiscal transparency and a resilient workforce.

Officials described operational impacts after the closure of Star Vista: about 20 programs were disrupted and several services remain in transition, including the suicide/crisis hotline, mobile crisis dispatch and a sobering station. County staff said the sobering station historically served about 1,600–2,400 people a year and that law enforcement relied on it to divert vulnerable people from jail; staff and supervisors pressed for rapid alternatives, discussed retaining an outside provider on a temporary basis and requested follow‑up plans for filling the service gaps. BHRS also highlighted Full Service Partnerships, Cordilleras MHRC beds, and the need to shift provider contracts to new billing models; the board asked staff for follow‑up memos on Star Vista impacts, sobering station restoration and proposals to shore up community providers.