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Approve the appointments of Camden Webb and Elizabeth “Liz” De La Torre to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board for three-year terms to expire on May 31, 2027
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No __X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _____ No __X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services (H&SS) recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve the appointments of Camden Webb and Elizabeth “Liz” De La Torre to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board for three-year terms to expire on May 31, 2027.
SUMMARY:
The Solano County Behavioral Health Advisory Board (BHAB) was established under the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act (Part 2 of Division 4.7 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code commencing at section 5600 et seq.) and is mandated as part of the County’s contract with the State to provide specialty behavioral health services. The BHAB is comprised of at least nine but not more than 11 members appointed by the Solano County Board of Supervisors, with an additional member who shall be a member of the Board of Supervisors. The BHAB membership reflects the County's demographic and ethnic diversity as specified in WIC section 5604.5(b).
Camden Webb is a current Solano County Office of Education employee, a licensed marriage and family therapist and someone with lived experiences. He has over 20 years of experience working with children and families from high-risk, underserved communities in Solano County. Mr. Webb is passionate about addressing inequities for disenfranchised people and trauma survivors and is a member and advocate of the LGBTQ community. Mr. Webb represents the local education agency criteria in this appointment.
Elizabeth “Liz” De La Torre is an advocate with personal lived experiences and a parent supporting family members with mental health and substance use conditions. Ms. De La Torre has been employed as a housing navigator for veterans, as a drug counselor, and as a coordinator for a wellness center. As a Latina and Chicana, she advocates for marginalized communities and aims to increase representation, education, and language accessibility in the behavioral health field. Ms. De La Torre will represent the lived experience with substance use criteria in this appointment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing this agenda item are nominal and included in the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget. There is no additional impact on the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
Solano County’s Mental Health Advisory Board was established in 1977. Proposition 1, approved by voters on March 5, 2024, and new legislation enacted under SB 326, the Behavioral Health Services Act (signed by the Governor on October 12, 2023 and effective immediately), recast the Mental Health Services Act by renaming it to the Behavioral Health Services Act and expanded it to include treatment of substance use disorders. Included in SB 326 is the requirement that each county have a behavioral health board, which encompasses both mental/emotional wellbeing and substance use. On December 5, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved renaming the Mental Health Advisory Board to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board and approved bylaws for the BHAB.
Currently, the Behavioral Health Advisory Board has eight members. Of the current members, one must be and is a member of the Board of Supervisors. The remaining seven members represent the following BHAB member criteria (members may represent more than one criterion), one is a veteran, two have lived experience with mental health and substance use, one has lived experience with mental health, and five are family members of direct consumers of mental health services. The only membership criteria/category that requires recruitment is for a youth representative (25 years of age or younger).
The two new appointments would fulfill the BHAB criteria for members with substance use disorder experience and a local education agency as follows:
• Lived Experience with Substance Use: A minimum of three members shall have experience with a substance use disorder (SUD) through professional experience or lived experience.
• Local Education Agency: At least one board member shall be a local education agency employee. The legislative intent is for counties to strongly prefer individuals with experience providing mental health services to students when appointing a local educational agency member.
The Behavioral Health Advisory Board meets monthly. During its meeting on May 21, 2024, the BHAB voted to approve Camden Webb and Elizabeth “Liz” De La Torre's nominations to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board for three-year terms.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve these appointments. This is not recommended, as H&SS and the BHAB have interviewed the two candidates and recommend their appointment per BHAB bylaws.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Solano County of Education, a longtime Solano County Behavioral Health partner, supports Camden Webb's appointment to the board.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION