REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 19, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amended San Bernardino County Behavioral Health Commission Bylaws
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve amended San Bernardino County Behavioral Health Commission Bylaws, which include updates to the membership, composition, recruitment process, and filling of vacancies on the Behavioral Health Commission.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
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
Approval of this item will not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the amended San Bernardino County Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) Bylaws are non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The BHC was established in November 1968 in accordance with the California Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code 5604(a). The Board of Supervisors (Board) is the governing body of the BHC, which was created as an advocate for consumers, families, and residents of San Bernardino County. The BHC is dedicated to advancing a progressive, integrated system of accessible and effective services that foster prevention, intervention, recovery, and resilience among individuals, families, and communities.
The purpose of the BHC is to advise the Board and the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Director as to any aspect of the local behavioral health system and to perform other duties as mandated by state law. This system includes DBH, contract agencies, private providers, community and faith-based organizations, consumer support and education groups, and other health organizations that work collaboratively with the BHC.
The BHC Bylaws were established in October of 1993. The BHC Bylaws define BHC functions, roles, and duties, outlining general rules and procedures for daily operations such as meetings, elections, and appointments.
The Board approved the BHC Bylaws on October 5, 1993 (Item No. 18) and has since approved several amendments to the BHC Bylaws on November 18, 2003 (Item No. 29), August 5, 2008 (Item No. 75), August 24, 2010 (Item No. 18), and September 24, 2013 (Item No. 18), in order to maintain compliance with applicable mandates, laws, regulations, and best practices.
On October 18, 2016 (Item No. 16), the Board approved the latest amendment to the BHC Bylaws, adding a process for scheduling subject-matter presentations for exploration and updating standard language.
The call to amend the BHC Bylaws was prompted by the change to W&I 5604(a), when voters passed Proposition 1 at the March 2024 election and became operative on January 1, 2025. The BHC had an Ad Hoc Committee that worked on changes to the Bylaws, and County Counsel reviewed and revised them to ensure the Bylaws were consistent with the law.
As a result of the passed legislation, the BHC Bylaws are now being amended. The new legislation will now require at least one of these members to be an individual who is between 18 and 25 years of age. Additionally, at least one member shall be a veteran or veteran advocate, and it is no longer required to have one member to represent the Transitional Age Youth Advisory Committee. Furthermore, the process for the recruitment of members and filling of vacancies has been updated to ensure that opportunities to fill these positions continue to be done in a timely manner. Finally, the BHC will now consist of a member of the Board, and they may no longer designate a representative as previously permitted to do so. The following changes will ensure a formalized process for recruitment and filling vacancies, as well as make updates to the membership and composition within the BHC Bylaws.
The following requirements will remain unchanged and shall be consistent with the current BHC Bylaws as demonstrated in W&I 5604(a): 50% of the membership of this Commission shall remain consumers, or the parents, spouse, sibling, or adult children of consumers, who are receiving or have received behavioral health services. At least 20% of the total membership shall be consumers, and at least 20% shall be families of consumers.
The BHC approved the amended Bylaws on June 5, 2025, to be submitted to the Board for approval in accordance with the Bylaws.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Supervisor, 383-3940) on July 15, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 23, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on August 4, 2025.