Behavioral Health Task Force
About
The California Health & Human Services Agency has convened the Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF) to inform its work on behavioral health issues across the state. The diverse BHTF membership is positioned well to elucidate connections among wide ranging perspectives and interests related to behavioral health needs and care, ground truth the framing of behavioral health issues in the State, and advance innovative and coordinated work to drive progress.
Behavioral Health Task Force Charter
The Key Goals of the BHTF are:
Goal 1. Ground truth the State’s behavioral health agenda
Goal 2. Uplift constituency voices
Goal 3. Promote learning to expand collective understanding of behavioral health issues facing the State
Goal 4. Advance approaches that are creative, responsive, and coordinated For questions and inquiries contact BehavioralHealthTaskForce@chhs.ca.gov.
To join the task force public listserv sign up at the following link: BHTF Public Listserv Sign Up
For more information regarding the proposed Behavioral Health Services Act, visit our Behavioral Health Reform website.
Members
- Kim Johnson, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
- Michelle Baass, Department of Health Care Services
- Elizabeth “Liz” Basnett, Emergency Medical Services Authority
- Jenny Bayardo, Behavioral Health Planning Council
- Mareva Brown, California State Senate
- Pete Cervinka, Department of Developmental Services
- Stephanie Clendenin, Department of State Hospitals
- Susan DeMarois, Department of Aging
- Kim Rutledge, Department of Rehabilitation
- Brenda Grealish, California Commission for Behavioral Health
- Roberto Herrera, California Department of Veterans Affairs
- Stacey Shears, California Community Colleges
- Genie Kim, University of California Office of the President
- Elizabeth Landsberg, Department of Health Care Access and Information
- Katherine Lucero, Office of Youth and Community Restoration
- Meghan Marshall, California Interagency Council on Homelessness
- Erica Pan, Department of Public Health
- Diana Ramos, California Surgeon General
- Sohil Sud, CYBHI California Health and Human Services Agency
- Marjorie Swartz, California State Senate
- Erika Torres, California Department of Education
- Jennifer Troia, Department of Social Services
- Mary Watanabe, Department of Managed Health Care
- Jackie Wong, First 5 California
- Sonya Aadam, California Black Women’s Health Project
- Marcy Adelman, California Commission on Aging
- Alfredo Aguirre, Latino Behavioral Health Coalition
- William Arroyo, Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel
- Kate Ross, California Association of Health Plans
- Kirsten Barlow, California Hospital Association
- Allie Budenz, California Primary Care Association
- Phebe Bell, Nevada County Behavioral Health Department
- Dannie Ceseña, California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
- Le Ondra Clark Harvey, California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
- Theresa Comstock, California Association of Local Behavioral Health Boards and Commissions
- Steve Dilley, The Veterans Art Project
- Mariah Dixon, CYBHI Youth Fellows
- Michelle Doty Cabrera, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California
- Vitka Eisen, HealthRIGHT 360
- Ruby Fierro, Chief Probation Officers of California
- Anita Fisher, NAMI California
- Lisa Fortuna, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside
- Lishaun Francis, Children Now
- Leticia Galyean, Seneca Family of Agencies
- Carmen Katsarov, CalOptima Health
- Karen Larsen, Steinberg Institute
- Robb Layne, California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives
- Kim Lewis, National Health Law Program
- Michael Lombardo, CalHHS Advisor
- Khoa-Nathan Ngo, CYBHI Youth Fellows
- Jackie Pierson, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health
- Paul Rains, CommonSpirit Health System
- Lynn Rivas, California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations
- Allison Rodriguez, CommuniCare Health Centers
- Kiran Savage-Sangwan, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
- Albert M. Senella, Tarzana Treatment Centers
- Joe Bañez, Shatterproof
- Vanessa Ramos, Disability Rights California
- Gary Tsai, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention and Control
- Dawan Utecht, Telecare Corporation
- Amy Westling, Association of Regional Center Agencies
- Loretta Whitson, California Association of School Counselors
Meetings and Materials
BHTF meetings will be hybrid, both in-person and on Zoom, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
July 15, 2026
October 14, 2026
April 8, 2026
April 2, 2026: Lunch and Learn
January 21, 2026
- Agenda
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recording:
November 12, 2025
- Agenda
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recordings:
November 6, 2025: Lunch and Learn
September 30, 2025: Lunch and Learn
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recording
- Informational handouts:
August 13, 2025
- Agenda
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recordings:
June 30, 2025
April 9, 2025
- Agenda
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Presentation
March 12 , 2025: Lunch and Learn
Lunch and Learn: Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Initiative – A State-Level Overview
- Agenda
- Meeting Presentation Content: Updates on Recent Federal Approvals for BH-CONNECT
- Video Recording
January 22, 2025
- Agenda
- Video Recordings:
- Informational Resources:
- BH-CONNECT Workforce Initiatives:
- CalHHS & BHTF Member Update Item:
To receive a copy of the meeting presentation, please email BehavioralHealthTaskForce@chhs.ca.gov.
November 13, 2024
- Agenda
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Presentation
- Informational Handout
October 15, 2024: Lunch and Learn
Topic: Promoting Health for All: Behavioral Health Population-Based Prevention
August 28, 2024
- Agenda
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Presentation
July 23, 2024: Lunch and Learn
Topic: Peers in the Crisis Care Continuum
June 3, 2024: Webinar – California’s Behavioral Health Transformation
- Webinar recording
- Meeting Presentation
- Inquiries about Proposition 1/Behavioral Health Transformation may be sent to BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov.
April 10, 2024: Quarterly Meeting
- Agenda
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Presentation
- Meeting Summary
March 6, 2024: Lunch and Learn
Topic: Access to Behavioral Health Services for Commercial Enrollees
January 17, 2024: Quarterly Meeting
- Agenda
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Summary
December 15, 2023: Lunch and Learn
Topic: Street Medicine
- Agenda
- Video Recording
- Meeting Presentation: USC Street Medicine
- Meeting Presentation: California Department of Health Services Street Medicine
October 11, 2023: Quarterly Meeting
June 29, 2023: Workshop
Transformation of California’s Behavioral Health System
June 27, 2023: Workshop
Transformation of California’s Behavioral Health System
June 13, 2023: Quarterly Meeting
April 21, 2023: Lunch and Learn
Behavioral Health Bridge Housing and Other Housing Strategies
March 14, 2023: Quarterly Meeting
December 13, 2022
December 2, 2022
September 13, 2022
August 31, 2022
- Agenda – August 31, 2022
- Video Recording
- Meeting Presentation
June 14, 2022
- Agenda – June 14, 2022
- Presentation
- Video recordings
May 24, 2022
May 17, 2022
March 8, 2022
- Agenda – March 8, 2022
- Behavioral Health Task Force Charter
- CYBHI memo
- Breakout discussion agenda and template
- Meeting Presentation
- Video Recordings:
- Meeting Discussion Highlights
- Meeting Summary
December 7, 2021
- Agenda – December 7, 2021
- Behavioral Health Task Force 12/7 – Presentation
- Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Brief
- U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic
- Meeting Summary
- Video Recording
October 5, 2021
- Agenda – October 5, 2021
- Behavioral Health Task Force 10/5 – Presentation
- Meeting Summary – June 8, 2021
- Zoom Chat
To view a recording of the meeting, visit Zoom and manually enter the following passcode: t19VehZ%
June 8, 2021
- Agenda – June 8, 2021
- Behavioral Health Task Force 6/8 – Presentation
- CHHS May Revision Budget Summary
- CHHS California Comeback Plan Fact Sheet – English
- CHHS California Comeback Plan Fact Sheet – Spanish
- CHHS Behavioral Health Task Force Activity Summary
Information Regarding the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative
Additional Meeting Materials
March 9, 2021
- Agenda – March 9, 2021
- BHTF Presentation – March 9, 2021
- Meeting the Moment for Behavioral Health Questionnaire
- Final Meeting the Moment for Behavioral Health Activity Summary
- Behavioral Health Task Force Questionnaire – Worksheet
- Meeting Summary – January 28, 2021
January 28, 2021
- Agenda – January 28, 2021
- Behavioral Health Task Force – Presentation
- Meeting Summary – August 25, 2020
An audio replay of the meeting is available:
- Number: 866-207-1041
- Access code: 5789033
August 25, 2020
- Agenda – August 25, 2020
- Behavioral Health Task Force – Presentation
- Mission and Objectives
- Work Plan – DRAFT
- Organizing Future Work on the Behavioral Health Plan: Committee Structure