Behavioral Health Services Act

(Formerly known as the Mental Health Services Act MHSA page)

New Announcements:

The Department of Behavioral Health submitted requested revisions to DHCS on 5/5/2026. If you have comments about the revised draft plan, you can email mhsa@fresnocountyca.gov. The public comment period will close on 5/18/2026.

Fresno-County-2026-2029-Integrated-Plan-Revised.pdf(PDF, 815KB)

Fresno-County-Integrated-Plan-Budget-Template_Revised.xlsx(XLSX, 3MB)

Fresno-County-Community-Planning-Process-Record.pdf(PDF, 7MB)

Because the revisions did not require substantive changes to the draft plan, DBH will host a public hearing at the Behavioral Health Board Meeting on 5/20/2026. 

Date: 5/20/2026

Time: 3:30-5:30 PM

Location:
Betty Rodriguez Library
3040 N Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93703

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View our recent Behavioral Health Services Act - Integrated Plan - Virtual Report on our YouTube Channel.

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Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) submitted the BHSA Integrated Plan Draft to the State for review/approval on 3/26/2026 and shared the draft plan with the public for review.

DBH received the following revision requests from DHCS at noon on 4/20/2026. The County must make and submit its changes within 15 days.

DBH is making the revisions and will submit to DHCS by 5/5/2026. DBH will post the submitted revisions for stakeholders to be able to review and remain current on the planning process.

The-Department-of-Healthcare-Services-Revision-Requests-to-Fresno-County’s-Behavioral-Health-Services-Act-Integrated-Plan-April-21-2026.pdf(PDF, 177KB)

 

ATTENTION

On Friday Morning (April 24, 2026), the California Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) issued the latest Behavioral Health Transitional Update newsletter.

DHCS has added the inclusion of three new Integrated Plan questions into the template related to the CARE Act (sometimes called CARE Court). The following questions are located within the County Behavioral Health System Overview Section, Populations Served by County Behavioral Health System, Adults and Older Adults (questions 8-10). DHCS states that answers to these questions must be included in Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plans (BHSA IP). As Fresno’s plan is current in revision pending approval of the draft, Fresno County will be including these three and the responses to its revisions due back by May 5, 2026.

Behavioral-Health-Services-Act-Integrated-Plan-CARE-Act-Additions-April-24-2026.pdf(PDF, 50KB)

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BHSA Community Planning Report-Back Session — Join Us

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) invites you to attend a Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Community Planning Report-Back Session to learn about updates and ongoing efforts.

 

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Location: Livestream on the DBH YouTube Channel and Facebook page

Closed captions (English) will be available.

 

Join via Microsoft Teams Link

Meeting ID: 226 102 251 320 16

Passcode: pP9eQ7o3

For questions, email mhsa@fresnocountyca.gov

Behavioral Health Services Act Community Planning Report-Back Session Flyer(PDF, 536KB)

 

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is happy to share the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) 2026-2029 Integrated Plan Draft. This draft is currently being reviewed by the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS), as required by the BHSA.

 

The 2026-2029 Integrated Plan is the first three-year plan created under the new BHSA law. Community members will notice that this plan looks different and contains different information than past Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) three-year plans.

 

DBH staff will host a virtual meeting to help our community understand the new plan format. Please send any questions about the plan to mhsa@fresnocountyca.gov, and our team will do our best to help you.

 

If you have comments about the draft plan, you can email mhsa@fresnocountyca.gov. If DHCS approves the draft plan, DBH will host a public hearing on 5/20/2026. If DHCS requires DBH to make changes to the draft, DBH will extend the public comment period and aim to host the public hearing in June.

 

DBH will post any change requests to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) at the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health webpage (Fresnobhsa.com). DBH will then make all requested edits and post the revised plan for public review.

 

Fresno-County-2026-2029-Integrated-Plan-Submitted-Draft.pdf(PDF, 712KB)

Fresno-County-Community-Program-Planning-Record.pdf(PDF, 8MB)

Fresno-County-Integrated-Plan-Budget-Template-Version-3-All-Sheets.pdf(PDF, 594KB)

To request the excel file, please email mhsa@fresnocountyca.gov

MHSA comprises five components. Each component has its own focus, funding, and, in some cases, reporting requirements and outcomes.

MHSA activities are driven by the MHSA Three-Year Plan (and Annual Updates), which are developed through a community planning process that incorporates meaningful stakeholder input. Below you will find information on each of the five components, a short video for each, and any related plans, regulations, or resources.

Community Services and Supports (CSS)

CSS, as it's known, is one of the five components of MHSA. It's broken into three categories, including intensive outpatient services and whole-person support through Full-Service Partnerships.

Systems Development, the second component, can range from outpatient programs to systems support and resources development. The last component is Outreach and Engagement, which focuses on assisting individuals with serious mental illness into care.

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) consists of six strategies. Services in PEI are meant to prevent or reduce seven negative outcomes from an unaddressed mental health issue:

1. school failure
2. justice involvement
3. loss of placement
4. loss of employment
5. housing/homelessness
6. prolonged suffering
7. suicide as a result of an untreated mental illness

PEI services focus on reducing disparities for unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served racial, ethnic, and cultural communities. Also, a majority of PEI funding has to be spent on services for children, youth, and transition-aged youth.

The six strategies for PEI are:

1. Prevention
2. Early Intervention, which are short-term services up to 18 months, or up to four years if for the first episode or early onset of a serious mental illness or emotional disturbance
3. Outreach for Increasing Recognition of Early Signs of Mental Illness
4. Access and Linkage
5. Suicide Prevention
6. Stigma and Discrimination Reduction

A county of Fresno’s size requires a program for each of the six strategies. The full list of PEI programs is available in the MHSA Three-Year Plan and Annual Updates.  For details on PEI regulations and requirements, click here.

Innovation (INN)

INN-MHSA’s Innovation (INN) component provides California with the opportunity to develop and test new, unproven mental health models and to adapt others, with the potential to become tomorrow’s best practices. 

The primary purpose of Innovation Projects is to provide learning. More information around Innovation can be found here.

Workforce Education and Training (WET)

The WET (Workforce Education and Training) component of MHSA is designed to develop a well-trained, informed, and culturally diverse workforce to meet California's growing needs. WET programs and services are used to educate and train new members of the workforce, including peers.

To develop, improve, and enhance the professional skills of the workforce, and to help shape the next generation of behavioral health workforce thought pathways, training, and education. For more information on WET services, contact the WET Coordinator at MHSA@fresnocountyca.gov.

Capital Facilities and Technology Needs (CFTN)

Capital Facilities and Technology Needs (CFTN) - a part of the MHSA that counties can contribute MHSA funds to, in order to address infrastructure needs of the system of care.

This may range from developing clinics and training centers to building electronic health records, data systems, and software to improve service delivery.

Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)

For Information about the Mental Health Services Act, use this link --> https://www.mhsoac.ca.gov/about-us/prop63mhsa