Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) 

Population Based Prevention Program Final Plan

FAQs

​This FAQ was developed to accompany the BHSA Final Plan​ to provide additional support and ​clarification. ​​For additional questions or feedback reach out to BHSAinfo@cdph.ca.gov​. For more information regarding the Behavioral Health Services Act, visit the​ Mental Health for All website.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Download the BHSA Final Plan FAQ (PDF)​. 

​BHSA Population-Based Program Framework

1.    Can BHSA Prevention funds support existing programs or only new initiatives?

Funds may support both, provided activities comply with the five statutory requirements for implementation of BHSA's population-based prevention program and align with CDPH directives.

Per statute, population-based prevention programs must incorporate evidence-based practices or promising community-defined evidence practices and meet one or more of the following:  ​

1. Benefit the entire population of the state, county, or particular community 

2. Serve identified populations at elevated risk for a mental health or substance use disorder 

3. Aim to reduce stigma associated with seeking help for mental health challenges and substance use disorders 

4. Serve populations disproportionately impacted by systemic racism and discrimination 

5. Prevent suicide, self-harm, or overdose do not supplant other funding sources.

Population-based prevention programs in the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) do not include the provision of early intervention, diagnostic, and treatment for individuals.  

2.    How will CDPH ensure that at least 51% of funds support populations ages 25 and under?

CDPH will use a multi-faceted approach to ensure compliance with BHSA statute for both CDPH-led activities as well as funding provided for local implementation.  This will include continuous monitoring of expenditures, requiring clear documentation of populations impacted or reached (including age-specific information), establishing clear policies and the establishment of a dedicated team to track fund usage, ensuring compliance with statute and proactively identifying risks through internal and external oversight, review and audit. 

3.    How will CDPH ensure that school-aged youth are served, and how will CDPH provide population-based prevention programs “on a schoolwide or classroom basis"

CDPH is committed to ensuring that its population-based approach creates statewide impact, and that any approach meets is statutory requirements for reducing the risk of individuals developing a mental health or substance use disorder. 

CDPH is also committed to ensuring that youth are served, with a focus on providing life skills, enhancing mental well-being, and empowering youth through education and awareness, creating opportunities for self-awareness and personal growth, reducing self-isolation and increasing and promoting protective factors.  These efforts build resilience, provide buffers against stress, and foster positive social/emotional environments – all creating healthy coping skills that strengthen an individual's ability to navigate challenges and avoid risky behaviors, leading to fewer mental health challenges and a lower likelihood of developing substance use disorders.

Given the span and breadth of school and other settings across the state where youth interact, CDPH is investing in statewide approaches and initiatives that can provide reach across the state and create opportunities for all youth across the state.  To that end, CDPH is investing in the following statewide initiatives and training and technical assistance components to accomplish this reach:

• Safe Spaces - set of free, two-hour, self-paced training, available in English and Spanish, on trauma-responsive practices for early learning and care and school staff to promote PCEs, improve school climate, and mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) by increasing safe, stable, and nurturing environments and relationships (SSNREs), while promoting equity by targeting the inequitable distribution and impact of ACEs.

• School Behavioral Health Resource Hub - efforts that will build upon activities initiated under Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) to advance Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) (e.g., CalHOPE Schools, CalHOPE SEL) and provide TTA on school-based prevention and wellness education and training for school staff

• Strength-based resilience training - training/consultation that will be provided to schools and community colleges, focusing on training to build knowledge of trauma-informed principles, health equity principles, and community history.  This foundational knowledge is vital for providing trauma-informed programming as well as assessing organizational policies and processes that may also induce trauma.

CDPH will continue to work with education leaders to ensure that these practices can achieve reach and impact.  Additionally, to ensure that youth-voice is in the lead in the co-design of these efforts, CDPH is developing a youth and family network, which will act as a dedicated forum for youth and family voice.  This youth and family network will also be integrated into the broader implementation workgroup to ensure that youth voice is integrated into the broader spectrum of BHSA population based prevention planning and activities.    

4.    Why is CDPH investing heavily in statewide awareness campaigns?

CDPH is investing in 3 statewide campaigns during fiscal years 2026-2028 (Suicide and Self Harm Prevention, Public Awareness of 988 and Behavioral Health Services and Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Education).  These campaigns are specifically intended to meet statute by reducing stigma and discrimination (especially that associated with seeking help), with the goal of preventing suicide, self-harm and overdose through statewide awareness and education that create opportunities to reach the entirety of the state and it's diverse communities.

As implementation of statewide campaigns broaden the audience to the entire state, it can also be effective at changing perceptions and influencing behavioral change on a large scale. It can drive collective action, and act as motivation for individuals to act. Public awareness can also mobilize public opinion, influencing policy at the state and local level. Statewide campaigns create recognizable and credible messaging, increasing broad public understanding of the pressing behavioral health issues across the state. These statewide messages can then be localized through trusted messengers and trusted local voices, tailoring messages to specific communities, enabling reach into diverse and underserved communities.  ​

Community Engagement and Coalition Building

5.    How can an organization or individual apply to become a member of the BHSA implementation workgroup?                                                                               

Information will be publicly posted on the CDPH Partner and Community Engagement website and announced via the BHSA email distribution list. Sign up for updates​ or email BHSAInfo@cdph.ca.gov to be added to the list. Members will be selected through an open and transparent application process, with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.​​​​

Statewide Evaluation Strategy

6.    How will stakeholders be informed about BHSA results and evaluation data?

CDPH plans to publish and maintain relevant and updated data and evaluation findings on its website. Data dashboards, program briefs, and other pertinent information will be regularly posted and updated for the public.

A comprehensive DRAFT Evaluation Framework and Metrics document will be released in 2026 to provide proposed detailed guidance on statewide evaluation measures, reporting requirements, and dissemination of program data and evaluation summaries.  To ensure that the Evaluation Framework is culturally relevant and supports transparency and accountability in its work, CDPH intends to host a webinar and open the DRAFT Evaluation Framework for public comments to create opportunities for feedback and discussion before release of any Final Framework.

7.    Will there be alignment between CDPH and DHCS evaluation frameworks?

CDPH and DHCS have been working closely to align evaluation frameworks and metrics, particularly around social determinants of health and equity indicators, to the extent possible and as appropriate.

Funding to mobilize local reach of statewide strategies and policy

8.    Who is eligible to apply for BHSA Prevention funding?

The following funding opportunities are available to support local reach of statewide strategies and policy:

Funding announcements specific for each program above will also specify all eligibility requirements.

9.    Given the limited CBO infrastructure in small/rural counties, how will CDPH ensure that these counties are served through the various funding opportunities open to CBOs and Tribes?

CDPH recognizes that the presence of CBOs and CBO infrastructure in smaller and rural jurisdictions is often limited – due to scarcity in funding, capacity challenges that create barriers to sustainability making overly burdensome administrative requirements challenging to comply with, and low population densities that limit an organization's ability to achieve economies of scale.  Given these challenges, CDPH will design funding opportunities to ensure that small and rural jurisdictions are still served and funding remains accessible.  Each respective Request for Proposal will outline how funding will be made accessible in small and rural jurisdictions, including any exemptions for CBOs serving small/rural jurisdictions. 

10. Which population groups are the focus of any local funding?

BHSA focuses on reaching and serving populations with the highest need and at greatest risk for negative outcomes along the care continuum. The limited funding provided for population-based prevention dictates a focused approach on addressing the most critical needs and gaps and using data to drive strategic investment.  The list of populations of focus for strategic investment reflects where BHSA funding will specifically be directed, distinct from the “priority populations" defined in statute. Statute also stipulates BHSA population-based prevention programs populations of focus. Those populations are:

• populations at elevated risk for a mental health, substance misuse, or substance use disorder
• populations disproportionately impacted by systemic racism and discrimination.

In consideration of statute, a review of data to determine populations at elevated risk, stakeholder feedback from our Phase 1 and 2 Guides' comment period, and the potential impacts of recent federal policy, CDPH has defined the following populations of focus to guide population-based prevention investments, and as such should be the focus of any local implementation strategies and resources:

a. Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern populations

b. Children, youth, and families

c. Immigrant and refugee populations

d. LGBTQIA+ populations

e. Older adults

f.  People with intellectual and development disabilities

g. Tribes

h. Veterans

11. What is the definition of a Community-Based Organization (CBO)?

For purposes of BHSA population-based prevention funding, Community-based Organizations are defined as:

Non-profit entities/Non-governmental entities (typically 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsor) with strong local ties, providing essential health, social, or support services to underserved communities, to address social determinants of health (SDoH) beyond traditional clinical settings. They act as trusted partners connecting people to resources, filling gaps in care, and helping meet people where they are.  

They also include non-federally recognized Tribes, Indian organizations operating as non-profits (but primarily serving American Indian/Alaska Native populations, and other American Indian and Alaska Native serving organizations.   

12. What is the definition of Tribes?

For purposes of BHSA population-based prevention funding, Tribes include federally recognized Indian Tribes, urban Indian organization/urban Indian health programs and Indian health clinics/Tribal health clinics.

13. How is Local Health Jurisdiction defined?

A Local Health Jurisdiction (LHJ) is a county health department or a city health department (for larger cities or those with contracts) that provides public health services, defined by the California Health and Safety Code (HSC § 101185) as public health administrative organizations, including county health departments, city health departments (over 50,000 population), or joint city-county efforts, responsible for local health enforcement, disease control, and community health programs under state guidance. 

14. Are schools and local education agencies (LEAs) eligible for Population-based Prevention BHSA funding?

Eligible entities for the various BHSA funding opportunities are defined above. LEAs are eligible for Training and Technical Assistance funding opportunities.

15. What is the timeline for NOFO/RFA and budget details?

Beginning in Spring 2026, funding announcements will be publicly posted on theon the CDPH Partner and Community Engagement website​ and announced via the BHSA email distribution list. Sign up ​for updates​ or ​email BHSAInfo@cdph.ca.gov​ to be added to the list. Funding announcements will include scopes of work, budget requirements, and other accountability measures.

16. How will funds be awarded or distributed?

There are two ways funds will be awarded or distributed to local implementation partners:
a.    Funds may be awarded or distributed directly to local implementation partners by CDPH, or

b.    Funds may be awarded or distributed through a third-party administrator

CDPH will provide more information about the specific funding award mechanism with each respective funding announcement.

17. Will CBOs serving only one county be less competitive than those serving multiple counties?

While geographic reach alone will not be a sole determining factor for funding, application scoring matrices will be transparently shared in the respective funding announcements. The Final Plan outlines multiple funding opportunities with different scopes and objectives. For example, Trusted Messenger Campaign funding is intended for CBOs and Tribes to serve as trusted messengers within their communities, which can be implemented in a specific county. In contrast, the regional funding opportunities described in the Final Plan are designed to create efficiencies and encourage coordination across counties and regions, making them better suited for CBOs with multi-county or regional reach.

18. What does the LHJ's role as the “coordinating convener" mean?

The LHJ's role as conveners means they will bring together diverse partners and facilitate communication, foster collaboration, share data as appropriate, and support the community-based efforts to achieve equitable health outcomes. As the convener at the local level, while the LHJ may not specifically lead the various community level programming and supports, they are required to amplify and align statewide and other local initiatives by providing support, sharing information, leveraging existing public health programs that serve priority populations to expand reach, and ensuring community-led solutions are heard. Their role includes bringing together the following required partners:

a.    County behavioral health department representative

b.    Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans serving the jurisdiction
c.     Tribes in the jurisdiction
d.    Funded CBO entities providing BHSA Prevention services in the jurisdiction across the lifespan
e.    Local Area Agencies on Aging
f.      Local Education Partners and others that serve children and families
g.    County Veteran Services Officers or their designee
h.    Regional Centers or other organizations serving the I/DD community

LHJs are also strongly encouraged to include representatives from the priority populations, those with lived experience, and individuals who represent communities that have been impacted by behavioral health conditions

In instances where the priorities of the jurisdiction warrant, LHJs may elect to have county behavioral health act as co-leads and invite additional local partners (e.g. First 5, child welfare and social services, housing providers) as appropriate based on their unique community needs and priorities and to support the update/development of local suicide prevention plans.

19. Can LHJs fund activities other than those noted in the Final Plan?

LHJs are required to conduct the following activities:
a.    Coordinate convenings with the identified list of required stakeholders

1. Develop or update Local Suicide Prevention Plans

To the extent that LHJs have remaining funds after fulfilling all required responsibilities, LHJs should confer with CDPH on any additional allowable activities. 

20. Is BHSA considered a payor of last resort?

BHSA operates with “payor of last resort" principles. BHSA funds should not supplant other available funding sources, per California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 5892.

BHSA funding is prioritized for the populations and key behavioral health strategies described in the Final Plan. If other funding sources (e.g. CalAIM, private insurance, Medi-Cal or Title XIX) can resource the work, then it is not expected that BHSA would fund them. BHSA is intended to fill gaps in investments and focus on populations with the highest need.  ​