CBHPC Roles & Responsibilities
History
The California Behavioral Health Planning Council is mandated by federal and state statute to advocate for children with serious emotional disturbances and adults and older adults with serious mental illness; to review and report on the public behavioral health system; participate in statewide planning, and to advise the Legislature on priority issues.
Since the 1960s California has had a statewide advisory board operating independently from the State Department of Mental Health (now the Department of Health Care Services) to provide public input into mental health policy development and planning. The California Mental Health Planning Council, was established in state statute in 1993 in response to the realignment of mental health program responsibility and funding. In addition to establishing a dedicated funding base for mental health services, realignment provided county governments with greater autonomy and flexibility in managing their local mental health programs. The Planning Council was designed to be an appropriate structure for public input, planning, and evaluation of performance indicators for mental health programs under realignment and tasked with specific duties to meet those responsibilities. In 2018, the California Mental Health Planning Council was renamed the California Behavioral Health Planning Council.
Role in Federal Mental Health Planning & Funding
PL 102-321 re-authorized the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and reaffirmed the requirement that each state must have a Mental/Behavioral Health Planning Council in order to receive the block grant. Federal law requires the Planning Council to perform the following functions:
- Review the State mental health plan required by PL 102-321and submit to the State any recommendations for modification
- Review the annual implementation report on the State mental health plan required by PL 102-321and submit any comments to the State
- Advocate for adults with serious mental illness, children with a severe emotional disturbance, and other individuals with mental illnesses or emotional problems
- Monitor, review, and evaluate annually the allocation and adequacy of mental health services within the State
Role in the State's Mental Health System
The Planning Council is mandated in state law to review and report on the public mental health system, to advocate for adults and older adults with serious mental illnesses and children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families, and to make recommendations regarding mental health policy development and priorities. Pursuant to the Mental Health Services Act, the Planning Council advises the Department of Health Care Services on mental health policy development and provides oversight of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Five-Year Workforce Education and Training plan development. The Planning Council also must review and approve each Five-Year Education and Training Plan.
The Planning Council is an invaluable instrument for public involvement in mental health planning and policy development. It has been particularly effective as a vehicle for the direct involvement of consumers and family members in statewide policy development. In addition to the federal planning duties, state law mandates additional responsibilities and duties that include:
- Advocate for effective, quality mental health and substance use disorder programs
- Review, assess, and make recommendations regarding all components of the mental health and substance use disorder systems
- Review and approve performance indicators
- Review and report annually on the performance of mental health and substance use disorder programs based on data from performance indicators
- Advise the Legislature, Department of Health Care Services, and county boards on mental health and substance use disorder issues and the policies and priorities that this state should be pursuing
- Make recommendations to the Department on awarding grants to county programs to reward and stimulate innovation
- Periodically review the State's data systems and paperwork requirements to ensure they are reasonable
- Conduct public hearings on the State mental health plan, Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and on other topics as needed
- Advise the Director on the development of the State mental health plan and its priorities
- Assist in the coordination of training and information to local mental health boards
- Mediate disputes between the State and counties when requested
