REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 23, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Participation Agreement with the California Mental Health Services Authority for the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to non-financial Participation Agreement No. 24-1126 (California Mental Health Services Authority Agreement No. 5357-MEDICALPEERSCERTIFICATION- 2024-SANBERNARDINO-PA) with the California Mental Health Services Authority for the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Program, extending the term an additional year, for the total agreement period of November 19, 2024, through November 18, 2026.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost), as the Participation Agreement (Agreement) with California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County (County) residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. The Agreement is governed by CalMHSA, a Joint Powers Authority comprised of California Mental Health Plans that provide administrative and fiscal services for member counties to maximize resources related to the coordination or implementation of statewide or multi-county projects, such as the statewide Suicide Prevention and Stigma and Discrimination Reduction campaigns. DBH has been a member of CalMHSA, since November 2008, to jointly develop and fund MH services and education programs as determined on a regional, statewide, or other basis.
Senate Bill (SB) 803, MH Services, Peer Support Specialist Certification (PSSC), chaptered in 2020, authorized the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to seek federal approval to add peer support specialists as a Medi-Cal provider type. DHCS, through SB 803, acknowledges the role that peer support specialists play in California’s behavioral health systems and recognizes that peers have long acted as a part of the prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery process for individuals living with MH and/or SUD conditions. As individuals with lived experience, or as the parents, caregivers and family members of individuals living with MH and/or SUD conditions, peers personally understand the experience of the individuals they serve and can help identify the most effective set of services for an individual’s recovery needs.
SB 803 also directed DHCS to develop state standards for the Medi-Cal PSSC that may be implemented by counties, or county contracted entities, who opt to provide these programs. CalMHSA received approval from DHCS to implement this new certification program on behalf of member counties.
Since the execution of this Agreement, 132 County residents have become Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists, and 40 County residents have completed the Supervision for Peer Workers course to further support MH and SUD individuals. These county residents have supported individuals in the prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery process for individuals living with MH and SUDs.
On November 19, 2024 (Item No. 15), the Board of Supervisors approved the non-financial Participation Agreement No. 24-1126 (California Mental Health Services Authority Agreement No. 5357-MEDICALPEERSCERTIFICATION-2024-SANBERNARDINO-PA) with CalMHSA, including non-standard terms, for the Medi-Cal PSSC, for a one-year term beginning on the date of execution by both parties, effective on November 19, 2024.
Since DBH does not currently have the infrastructure or staffing to meet the state standards in providing a peer certification program, DBH seeks approval of this Amendment to continue the Agreement with CalMHSA in sustaining the DHCS approved PSSC program for the County.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Acting Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0862) on July 23, 2025; County Counsel (Charles Phan, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 19, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on September 5, 2025.