TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: John Buzolich, Deputy County Executive Officer - Admin
SUBJECT: Consolidate the Behavioral Health Board and amend bylaws
RECOMMENDATION
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Adopt a Resolution to rename the Mental Health Board to become the Behavioral Health Board (BHB), amend bylaws, and adjust membership to consolidate the Advisory Board on Drug and Alcohol Programs (ABAD). (No Fiscal Impact; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
On April 23, 1985, the Board established the Napa Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drug by Resolution 85-39. The Mental Health Board was established by Resolution 1993-82 on July 20, 1993.
On July 1, 2023, Alcohol and Drug Services division and Mental Health division were consolidated into a single Behavioral Health division within the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). On July 25, 2023, the Interim CEO presented report 23-1295 discussing the difficulty in filling board positions and providing staff support for the 57 boards, committees, and commissions with 450 members. The CEO recommended that 17 discretionary boards, committees, and commissions, including the ABAD, be retired. Consolidation of the two advisory boards into one was otherwise a stated priority for HHSA to mirror the integration reflected through its two divisions into Behavioral Health. Welfare and Institutions Code section 5604 authorizes the Board of Supervisors to combine two existing boards to serve as a behavioral health board.
In December 2023 and January 2024, the chairs of the MHB, Kristine Haataja, and the ABAD, William Chadwick, worked with County Counsel’s Office, the Director of HHSA, the Deputy Director of HHSA-Behavioral Health, and the County Executive Office to develop a plan to consolidate the functions of the two boards into a BHB and to incorporate ABAD members who expressed their desire to continue their service by transferring their membership to the consolidated BHB.
The two boards agreed that the purpose of the consolidated BHB would be to review and evaluate the County’s mental health and substance use disorder needs, services, facilities, and special problems and to advise the Napa County Board of Supervisors and the Deputy Director of HHSA-Behavioral Health on any mental health and substance use disorder programs. At the time of the agreement, there were two vacant positions on the MHB. The two boards agreed that the ABAD members who were interested in transferring to the consolidated BHB would fill the vacancies and the Board of Supervisors would be requested to increase the BHB members from 15 to up to 18 on a temporary basis to permit the transfer of an additional three interested members from ABAD. The number of BHB members would return to 15 by attrition through resignations and/or expiration of terms. Welfare and Institutions Code section 5604 authorizes the Board of supervisors to increase the number of the advisory board members above the recommended maximum of 15.
The MHB Bylaws are proposed to be amended to reflect the name change to BHB. All references to Mental Health were changed to Behavioral Health. The scope of responsibilities of the BHB were amended to include mental health and substance use disorders. The number of board members were amended to be “up to 18” on a temporary basis. The membership classifications were amended to include 2 members specifically who are consumers or family members of a consumer of substance use disorder services and 2 members specifically who are consumers or family members of mental health services. The proposed amended bylaws were approved by the MHB at their regular meeting on February 12, 2024.
Due to the pending consolidation of the two boards, the efforts to fill vacant positions on both boards were suspended. As a result, the chair of the ABAD board, William Chadwick’s reappointment to the ABAD when his term expired on January 1, 2024, was suspended. Mr. Chadwick submitted his application for reappointment to ABAD so that he could continue to assist in this consolidation process. To accomplish the transfer and appointment of the interested ABAD board members to the BHB, Mr. Chadwick would first need to be reappointed to the ABAD as an interested community member .
The interested members of ABAD would need to be transferred and appointed to the BHB as set out in the resolution. These recommendations for appointment to the BHB has been proposed and approved by the BHB and consistent with the proposed BHB Bylaws.
Requested Actions:
1. Adopt a Resolution to rename the Mental Health Board to become the Behavioral Health Board and related actions as needed to support the consolidation.
a. William Chadwick be reappointed to the Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs with his term to expire on January 1, 2027.
b. The Alcohol and Drugs Advisory Board be consolidated into the Behavioral Health Board.
c. The number of Behavioral Health Board members be temporarily increased to no more than 18 to accommodate the transfer and appointment of interested Alcohol and Drugs Advisory Board members to the Behavioral Health Board.
d. The proposed by-laws for the Behavioral Health Board be approved and adopted.
e. Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs member Jenna Bolyarde be transferred to the Behavioral Health Board and appointed as an Interested and Concerned Citizen member, with her term to expire on January 1, 2025.
f. Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs member Elisabeth Brumley be transferred to the Behavioral Health Board and appointed as an Interested and Concerned Citizen member, with her term to expire on January 1, 2026.
g. Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs member William Chadwick be transferred to the Behavioral Health Board and appointed as the Veterans Advocate member, with his term to expire on January 1, 2027.
h. Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs member Greg Clark be transferred to the Behavioral Health Board and appointed as a Consumer member, with his term to expire on January 1, 2026.
i. Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drugs member Jeff Dickinson be transferred to the Behavioral Health Board and appointed as a Consumer member, with his term to expire on January 1, 2026
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
A mental health board, now renamed to behavioral health board is required by state law but other boards are discretionary. This consolidation will gain efficiencies and provide an advisory structure that reflects a shift to integrated behavioral health care. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The advisory boards remain separate and services will not be reviewed more broadly and holistically |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California
Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.