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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.

 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

  • Kim Johnson, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
  • Dr. Tomas Aragon, Department of Public Health
  • Michelle Baass, Department of Health Care Services
  • Nancy Bargmann, Department of Developmental Services
  • Elizabeth “Liz” Basnett, Emergency Medical Services Authority
  • Jenny Bayardo, Behavioral Health Planning Council
  • Mareva Brown, California State Senate
  • Stephanie Clendenin, Department of State Hospitals
  • Susan DeMarois, Department of Aging
  • Brenda Grealish, Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health
  • Roberto Herrera, California Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Genie Kim, University of California Office of the President
  • Elizabeth Landsberg, Department of Health Care Access and Information
  • Will Lightbourne, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
  • Katherine Lucero, Office of Youth and Community Restoration
  • Meghan Marshall, California Interagency Council on Homelessness
  • Dr. Diana Ramos, California Surgeon General
  • Rebecca Ruan-O’Shaughnessy, California Community Colleges
  • Dr. Sohil Sud, CYBHI California Health and Human Services Agency
  • Marjorie Swartz, California State Senate
  • Tony Thurmond, California Department of Education
  • Jennifer Troia, Department of Social Services
  • Mary Watanabe, Department of Managed Health Care
  • Jackie Wong, First 5 California
  • Joe Xavier, Department of Rehabilitation
  •  
  • Sonya Aadam, California Black Women’s Health Project
  • Marcy Adelman, California Commission on Aging
  • Alfredo Aguirre, Latino Behavioral Health Coalition
  • Laura Arnold, County of Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office
  • William Arroyo, Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel
  • Charles Bacchi, California Association of Health Plans
  • Kirsten Barlow, California Hospital Association
  • Taylor Beckwith, California Primary Care Association
  • Phebe Bell, Nevada County Behavioral Health Department
  • Grant Boyken, Shatterproof
  • 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, Trinity County Probation Department
  • 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
  • Cynthia Jackson-Kelartinian, Heritage Clinic
  • 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
  • Stephanie Moon, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Housing for Health
  • Khoa-Nathan Ngo, CYBHI Youth Fellows
  • Justin Peglowski, Indian Health Services
  • Jackie       Pierson, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health
  • Paul Rains, CommonSpirit Health System
  • Evangelina Ramirez, Promotoras con Alma
  • 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
  • Miguel Serricchio, Didi Hirsch
  • Christine Stoner-Mertz, California Alliance of Child and Family Services
  • Zofia Trexler, 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
  • Shaina Zurlin, Central California Alliance for Health

Meetings and Materials

 
Upcoming Meeting Materials
Past Meetings & Materials
Archive

BHTF meetings will be hybrid, both in-person and on Zoom, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

January 22, 2025

April 9, 2025

August 13, 2025

November 12, 2025

November 13, 2024

October 15, 2024: Lunch and Learn

Topic: Promoting Health for All: Behavioral Health Population-Based Prevention

August 28, 2024

July 23, 2024: Lunch and Learn

Topic: Peers in the Crisis Care Continuum

June 3, 2024: Webinar – California’s Behavioral Health Transformation

April 10, 2024: Quarterly Meeting

March 6, 2024: Lunch and Learn

Topic: Access to Behavioral Health Services for Commercial Enrollees

January 17, 2024: Quarterly Meeting

December 15, 2023: Lunch and Learn

Topic: 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

June 14, 2022

May 24, 2022

May 17, 2022

March 8, 2022

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