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, inquiries, or to join the task force listserv, contact BehavioralHealthTaskForce@chhs.ca.gov.
For more information regarding the proposed Behavioral Health Services Act, visit our Behavioral Health Reform website.
Members
- Mark Ghaly, MD, MPH. Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
- Diana Ramos,California Office of the Surgeon General
- Joe Xavier,Department of Rehabilitation
- Kim Johnson,Department of Social Services
- Mary Watanabe,Department of Managed Health Care
- Michelle Baass,Department of Health Care Services
- Nancy Bargmann,Department of Developmental Services
- Stephanie Clendenin,Department of State Hospitals
- Melissa Stafford Jones,CYBHI California Health and Human Services Agency
- Juan Arguello,Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR), Chief, Health Policy Division
- Thomas Aragon,CA Dept Public Health, Director & State Public Health Officer
- Elizabeth Landsberg,Director, HCAI
- Hernando Garzon,Chief Medical Officer, EMSA
- Susan DeMarois,Director, California Department of Aging
- Marjorie Swartz,California State Senate, Principal Consultant
- Judy Babcock,California State Assembly
- Mareva Brown,California State Senate
- Toby Ewing, Executive Director of MHSOAC
- Jackie Wong, First Five CA Executive Director
- Brenda Grealish, Council on Criminal and Justice Behavioral Health
- Rebecca Ruan-O'Shaughnessy, California Community Colleges
- Genie Kim, University of California Director of Mental Health and Well Being
- Tony Thurmond, California Department of Education
- Virginia Wimmer, Deputy Secretary, Women Veterans Affairs, CalVet
- Meghan Marshall, Executive Officer of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness
- Evangelina Ramirez,Promotoras con Alma
- Lishaun Francis,Children Now
- Steve Diley,The Veterans Art Project
- Avery Hulog-Vicente,California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations
- Karen Larsen,Steinberg Institute
- Anita Fisher,Fisher MH Consulting, NAMI CA Board Member
- Cynthia Jackson,Heritage Clinic
- Grant Boyken,Shatterproof
- Miguel Serricchio,Didi Hirsch
- Leticia Galyean,Seneca Family of Agencies
- Zofia Trexler,Disability Rights California
- Michael Lombardo,CA HHS Education Advisor
- Lisa Fortuna,Department of Psychiatry and Neurociences, University of California, Riverside
- Justin Peglowsk, Indian Health Services
- Vitka Eisen,HealthRIGHT 360
- Gary Tsai,Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Los Angeles County, Dept. of Public Health
- Carmen Katsarov,CalOptima Health
- Paul Rains,CommonSpirit Health System
- Stephanie Moon,Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Housing for Health                                                  Â
- Kim Lewis,Managing Attorney, CA Office, National Health Law Program
- Laura Arnold,Deputy Public Defender County of Santa Barbara
- Allison Rodriguez,CommuniCare Health Centers
- Shaina Zurlin,Central California Alliance for Health
- Dannie Ceseña,California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
- Ruby Fiero,Chief Probation Officer Trinity County
- Le Ondra Clark Harvey, CA Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
- Sonya Aadam,California Black Women's Health Project
- Elizabeth Oseguera,California Primary Care Association
- Michelle Doty Cabrera, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California
- Charles Bacchi,California Association of Health Plans
- Kirsten Barlow,California Hospital Association
- Carolina Valle,California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
- Albert M. Senella,Tarzana Treatment Centers
- Christine Stoner-Mertz,CA Alliance of Child and Family Services
- Theresa Comstock,CA Association of Local Behavioral Health Boards/Commissions
- Alfredo Aguirre,Latino Behavioral Health Coalition
- Will Arroyo,DHCS - MCHAP Member; CDCR - CROB
- Dawan Utecht,Telecare Corporation
- Phebe Bell,Nevada County Behavioral Health
- Marcy Adelman, California Commission on Aging, Commissioner
- Robb Layne, California Association of Alcohol and Drug Programs
- Christine Olmstead, Orange County Department of Education
2023 Meeting Dates
October 11 2023, 10-1pm
Virtual Quarterly Behavioral Task Force Meeting
December 13 2023, 12-1:30pm
Lunch and Learn, more info to come.
January 17Â 2024, 10-3pm
Hybrid Quarterly Behavioral Task Force Meeting
Meeting Materials
June 29, 2023
June 27, 2023
June 13, 2023, 10AM – 1PM
April 21, 2023, 11:30 pM – 1PM
March 14, 2023, 10AM – 1PM
December 13 2022
December 2, 2022
September 13, 2022
August 31, 2022
- Agenda –Â August 31, 2022
- Video Recording
- 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
- 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%Â
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