REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 17, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Awards from the California Department of Health Care Services, Community Services Division, for Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept grant award in the amount of $5,305,692 for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Primary Prevention Category, from the California Department of Health Care Services, Community Services Division, for the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery of substance use disorders, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
2. Accept grant award in the amount of $15,857,074 for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Discretionary, Perinatal, Adolescent/Youth Categories, from the California Department of Health Care Services, Community Services Division, for the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery of substance use disorders, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
3. Authorize the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to accept, execute, and submit, if necessary, any subsequent ancillary documents and non-substantive amendments to the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant, as required by the California Department of Health Care Services, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
4. Direct the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to transmit any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The $21,162,766 in Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG) funds do not require a local match. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2026-27 budget and will be included in the 2027-28 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH has provided substance use disorder (SUD) services through an intergovernmental agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) since 1994 for SUBG funding that is renewed every two years. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) allocates SUBG to DHCS, which acts as a pass-through agency to provide funding to participating county behavioral health plans in California. The SUBG grant award from DHCS will allow DBH to receive reimbursement for SUD services, including, but not limited to, the following:
|
SUBG Funding Projects |
Description |
|
SUBG Discretionary |
Funds SUD treatment and preventive activities, including services to specific populations such as youth and pregnant and parenting women. |
|
Adolescent/Youth Set-Aside |
Funds comprehensive age-appropriate SUD services to youth. |
|
Perinatal Set-Aside |
Funds treatment and recovery from SUD for women and children. |
|
Primary Prevention Set-Aside |
Funds prevention services directed at individuals who have not been determined to require treatment for SUD. |
SUBG funds are utilized to plan, execute, and evaluate SUBG-authorized activities for the prevention and treatment of SUD throughout the county. In addition to the provision of countywide SUD treatment programs, SAMHSA requires that a minimum of 25% of SUBG funds be spent on substance use primary prevention strategies. Services provided by DBH with SUBG funding include Environmental Prevention Strategies and Services (EPSS); Outpatient Treatment, Intensive Outpatient, and Recovery Services (OT-IOT-RS); and Community-Based Recovery Service Centers (CBRSC).
EPSS utilizes strategies and efforts to change the conditions within a community, including physical, social, or cultural factors that may lead to SUD, focusing on creating an environment that makes it easier for people to act in healthy ways.
During the 2024-26 SUBG funding term, DBH conducted the following activities for EPSS:
• Approximately 198 speaking engagements
• Supported nine active coalitions
• Delivered 212 training sessions on EPSS-related issues
• Institute for Public Strategies, Reach Out West End, and Rim Family Services collected a total of 2,318 surveys, which assisted in determining community risk levels.
For the 2026-28 SUBG funding term, DBH projects the following EPSS outcomes:
• Development of approximately 360 prevention-related media pieces
• Completion of 1,000 outreach events
• Implementation of 24 prevention policies
• Completion of approximately 8,250 surveys.
OT-IOT-RS provides a comprehensive continuum of SUD treatment services for residents throughout the county. These services include recovery services that assist clients who have completed a treatment program. During the 2024-26 SUBG funding term, DBH achieved its Measurable Outcome Objective (MOO) for OT-IOT-RS by ensuring that approximately 2,444, or 88% of outpatient episodes received a follow-up service within 10 days. For the 2026-28 SUBG funding term, DBH projects that approximately 2,500, or 90% of outpatient episodes will receive follow-up service within 10 days. DBH will track progress toward the MOO through initial contact log entries and ensure data quality through the Quality Management Action Committee, which oversees system‑level performance.
CBRSC services include social activities, parenting education, aftercare and family groups, SUD education, life skills, and smoking reduction/cessation support. The services offered at CBRSCs assist in encouraging and reinforcing positive behavioral changes through substance-free activities in a community forum. During the 2024-26 SUBG funding term, DBH achieved its MOO for CBRSC by providing approximately 75,919 services to residents throughout the county, including social activities, recovery groups, drug education sessions, life-skills classes, smoking cessation groups, parenting education sessions, and family support services. For the 2026-28 SUBG funding term, DBH anticipates providing approximately 91,102 services to residents throughout the county, including social activities, recovery groups, drug education sessions, life-skills classes, smoking cessation groups, parenting education sessions, and family support services.
On April 7, 2026, DHCS issued grant application instructions with a May 20, 2026 submission deadline. DHCS directed the DBH Director, as the County Mental Health Plan Director, to execute and submit the SUBG grant renewal application and any subsequent non-substantive documents or amendments.
On May 5, 2026 (Item No. 26), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved and authorized the DBH Director to execute and submit the grant renewal application documents to the DHCS, Community Services Division, which were submitted on May 14, 2026.
On May 29, 2026, DHCS approved DBH’s Primary Prevention allocation of $5,305,692 ($2,652,846 annually). On October 15, 2026, DHCS approved the remaining SUBG allocation of $15,857,074 ($7,928,537 annually), which includes funding for the remaining SUBG categories of SUBG discretionary, Adolescent/Youth Set-Aside, and Perinatal Set-Aside, for a total biennial State Fiscal Year 2026-28 SUBG allocation of $21,162,766 ($10,581,383 annually).
Retroactive acceptance of the grant award is being requested, effective July 1, 2026, as this Board date is the earliest date available following required program, fiscal, administrative, and legal reviews. There was no impact on services caused by the retroactivity. However, if the acceptance of this grant award is delayed further, it could lead to administrative issues affecting the implementation of SUBG funding for necessary SUD services. DBH will use SUBG funding to continue to establish and expand alcohol and other drug prevention, treatment, recovery support, and ancillary services.
DBH also requests delegated authority to execute and submit any non-substantive amendments, subject to County Counsel review, and State-required ancillary documents, such as contact information forms, to ensure timely execution.
Performance measures for Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services contracts focus on tracking service quality, timeliness, accessibility, and outcomes to ensure providers meet established standards. Contractors are required to submit regular reporting such as monthly service logs, outcome data, fiscal reports, and compliance documentation, which allows the department to monitor progress and identify trends or concerns. Accountability mechanisms, including performance audits, contract monitoring meetings, site visits, and corrective action plans, help ensure that services are delivered as intended and align with program goals. Together, these structures promote transparency, support continuous improvement, and ensure that community members receive high quality, effective behavioral health services.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Vanessa Esparza, Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0858) on October 19, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 10, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Lizveth Varela, Administrative Analyst, 387-4883) on October 26, 2026.