REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 20, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Designation for National Health Services Corps Site Applications
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the Assistant Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to act as an authorized representative or site administrator to execute and submit the National Health Services Corps on-line applications, and/or any renewals, and transmit any supporting documentation necessary, such as the site agreement and the comprehensive behavioral health services checklists, to the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce, and to execute a letter attesting to the delivery of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Services, as required for the National Health Services Corps online applications, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel, for the period of May 20, 2025 through June 24, 2029.
(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 does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as it is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County (County) residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a federal government program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It supports health professionals who provide primary health care services in underserved communities.
The NHSC site approval provides licensed primary care medical providers, as well as mental and behavioral health care providers, the opportunity to qualify for a variety of NHSC programs while working at an NHSC-approved site. These programs include the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, which allows participants to have their student loans repaid in exchange for providing health care at an NHSC-approved site.
DBH has participated in the NHSC site certification process since 2007 and currently has 13 approved sites located throughout the County. DBH acts as a third party in the program by obtaining certification for its service delivery sites. Eligible staff working at these approved sites then apply directly to the NHSC to participate in applicable programs.
On June 25, 2024 (Item No. 42) the Board of Supervisors authorized the Director of DBH to submit non-financial on-line applications and/or renewals, via the NHSC HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce portal and execute a letter attesting to the delivery of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Services, as required for the NHSC online applications, for the period of June 25, 2024, through June 24, 2029.
DBH recommends that the DBH Assistant Director also be authorized to submit non-financial on-line applications and/or renewals, via the NHSC HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce portal and execute a letter attesting to the delivery of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Services, as required for the NHSC online applications, to improve efficiency if the DBH Director is unavailable. Having two positions with authority to submit new and renewal online applications when the NHSC Site application and renewal application windows open will improve DBH operations and ensure there is no delay in submitting the applications and other supporting documentation.
Approval of this item will allow the DBH Assistant Director to execute and submit future NHSC applications and/or any renewals and the supporting documentation, subject to County Counsel review. The submission of applications to become a certified or approved site(s) is beneficial to DBH because obtaining site certification assists in the recruitment and retention of necessary medical and behavioral health professionals by making those professionals eligible to federal financial incentives for working at the certified sites.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Michael Shin, Administrative Manager, 388-0899) on March 31, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 16, 2025; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 5, 2025, and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on May 20, 2025.