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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.

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.

Members

  • Mark Ghaly, MD, MPH. Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
  • Sonya Aadam, California Black Women's Health Project
  • Lenore Anderson, Californians for Safety and Justice
  • Seciah Aquino, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
  • Sarah Arnquist, SJA Health Solutions
  • Charles Bacchi, California Association of Health Plans
  • Kirsten Barlow, California Hospital Association
  • Ken Berrick, Seneca Family of Agencies
  • Michelle Cabrera, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California
  • Jessica Cruz, NAMI California
  • Matthew Diep, Mental Health America of California
  • Vitka Eisen, HealthRIGHT 360
  • Toby Ewing, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
  • Laila Fahimuddin, California Board of Education
  • Lishaun Francis, Children Now
  • Le Ondra Clark Harvey, California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
  • Virginia Hedrick, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health
  • Emma Hoo, Pacific Business Group on Health
  • Andrew Imparato, Disability Rights California
  • Linnea Koopmans, Local Health Plans of California
  • Karen Larsen, Steinberg Institute
  • Kim Lewis, National Health Law Program
  • Christine Olmstead, Orange County Department of Education
  • Elizabeth Oseguera, California Primary Care Association
  • Hector Ramirez, Disability Rights California
  • Rebecca Ruan-O'Shaughnessy, California Community Colleges
  • Cathy Senderling-McDonald, County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA)
  • Albert Senella, Tarzana Treatment Centers
  • Christine Stoner-Mertz, California Alliance of Child and Family Services
  • Toni Trigueiro, California Teachers Association
  • Carolina Valle, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
  • Marie Webber, University of California - San Diego Health (UCSD Health)
  • Jackie Wong, First 5 California
  • Jose Zavala, Fresno Unified School District
  • Ashley Zucker, Kaiser Permanente

2023 Meeting Dates

BHTF 2023 meetings will be held via Zoom meeting, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you registered prior to 2/18/23, please re-register using the link below.

Register via Zoom

    • March 14th
    • June 13th
    • September 12th
    • December 12th

Meeting Materials

 

December 2, 2022, 12:00 pm – 12:55 pm

December 7, 2021

October 5, 2021

To view a recording of the meeting, visit Zoom and manually enter the following passcode: t19VehZ% 

June 8, 2021

Information Regarding the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

Additional Meeting Materials

March 9, 2021

January 28, 2021

An audio replay of the meeting is available:

  • Number: 866-207-1041
  • Access code: 5789033

August 25, 2020

March 4, 2020

 

April 21, 2023, 11:30 pM – 1PM

December 2, 2022, 12:00 pm – 12:55 pm

December 7, 2021

October 5, 2021

To view a recording of the meeting, visit Zoom and manually enter the following passcode: t19VehZ% 

June 8, 2021

Information Regarding the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

Additional Meeting Materials

March 9, 2021

January 28, 2021

An audio replay of the meeting is available:

  • Number: 866-207-1041
  • Access code: 5789033

August 25, 2020

March 4, 2020

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