BHC – Commission Role

Behavioral Health Commission Role

The Los Angeles County Behavioral Health Commission (“Commission”) has been established as the local behavioral health board for Los Angeles County (“County”) pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code (“WIC”) section 5604 and Los Angeles County Code section 2.87.

Commission Role

The duties of the Commission shall include the duties prescribed by WIC section 5604.2, including:

  1. Reviewing and evaluating the community’s behavioral health needs, services, facilities, and special problems.
  2. Reviewing any County agreements entered into pursuant to WIC section 5650.
  3. Advising the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (‘Board”) and the local mental health director and Substance
  4. Abuse Prevention and Control (SAP-C) director as to any aspect of the local behavioral health program.
  5. Reviewing and approving the procedures used to ensure citizen and professional involvement at all stages of the planning process.
  6. Submitting an annual report to the Board on the needs and performance of the County’s behavioral health system.
  7. Reviewing and making recommendations on applicants for the appointment of a local director of mental health services and SAP-C director.
  8. Reviewing and commenting on the County’s performance outcome data and communicating the Commissions’ findings to the California Behavioral Health Planning Council; and
  9. Assessing the impact of the realignment of services from the state to the county, on services delivered to clients and on the local community.

The duties prescribed by WIC section 5848, including:

  1. Conducting a public hearing on the draft three-year program, expenditure plan and annual updates created pursuant to section 5848; and
  2. Reviewing the adopted plan or update and making recommendations to the County Department of Mental Health for revisions.

Any other duties set forth in state laws or regulations.

The duties prescribed by County Ordinance or by specific request of the Board.

The Commission shall also participate in the joint state-county decision making process described in WIC section 4060. Section 4060 states that the State Department of Health Care Services “shall, in order to implement section 4050, utilize a meaningful decision- making process that includes local mental health directors and representatives of local mental health boards as well as other stakeholders as determined by the department. The purpose of this collaboration shall be to promote effective and efficient quality mental health services to the residents of the state under the realigned mental health system.”

The Board of Supervisors may transfer additional duties or authority to a behavioral health board or commission.

Each individual commissioner is required to do the following:

  • Attend the monthly Commission meeting (held the 2nd Thursday except in November and December).
  • Come prepared to this meeting by reading previous minutes, reviewing any reading materials sent in advance that will be a topic of a presentation, be prepared to ask questions and add meaningfully to discussion.
  • Become familiar (through review and attending the commission meeting presentations) with the Behavioral Health Services Act Annual Budget proposal.
  • In conjunction with one other Commissioner, visit one behavioral health facility each year and fill out an evaluation form for the visit.
  • Be willing to volunteer at least once during the year on a topic of research or review for the commission. This work may include a few conference calls, some independent research or interviews and a brief write-up of findings.
  • Once a year, attend an executive committee meeting held with the health deputies of their appointing Supervisor.
  • Ideally, be willing to represent the commission at conferences or consumer events related to behavioral health.
  • Ideally, attend at least one-three other meetings related to behavioral health in their service area or district. These meetings may relate to a specific area of interest, such as justice-involved or foster youth or may be a general, monthly meeting of the Service Area Advisory Council.