REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 3, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Community Mental Health Services Block Grant
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept grant award from the California Department of Health Care Services, Community Services Division, for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, in the amount of $10,466,146, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments and additional or supplemental documentation to the grant award, as required by the California Department of Health Care Services, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to transmit any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the grant award 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
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
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 allocation amount of $10,466,146 is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and funded through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG). The SAMHSA MHBG award does 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 utilizes funding from SAMHSA MHBG to provide behavioral health services to children diagnosed with a serious emotional disturbance and adults experiencing severe and persistent mental illness and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD). DBH has continuously received SAMHSA MHBG funding and provided behavioral health services supported by this funding since 1982.
On June 23, 2026 (Item No. 36), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved DBH’s submission of the renewal application for SAMHSA MHBG funding in the amount of $10,466,146, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
On September 9, 2026, DBH received notification from DHCS that its SAMHSA MHBG 2026-28 renewal application had been approved in the amount of $10,466,146 for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
Acceptance of the 2026-28 MHBG award of $5,233,073 in annual funding will allow DBH to continue existing grant-funded behavioral health services for eligible children and adults through the following programs:
1. Children’s System of Care program (Juvenile Justice Community Reintegration). This program will provide assessments and treatment interventions tailored to:
• Approximately 400 children at risk of institutionalization, hospitalization, or long-term incarceration per year, to meet their behavioral health needs by partnering with the Probation Department to work directly with youth, their family, and their probation officers.
• At an average cost of approximately $1,565 per client for the two-year period.
2. Adult System of Care programs (Adult Continuing Care Program Long Term Care; Choosing Healthy Options to Instill Change and Empowerment; Improving Detection and Early Access; Supervised Treatment After Release; Triage, Engagement and Support Teams; and Placement After Stabilization). These programs will help address the disparities in mental health services by providing consumer-driven residential, mental health and case management services to:
• Approximately 1,000 adults at risk of institutionalization or hospitalization per year.
• An average cost of approximately $3,767 per client for the two-year period.
3. Adult System of Care, Dual Diagnosis program (Therapeutic Alliance Program). This program will provide behavioral health treatment to:
• Approximately 100 adults per year who have a behavioral health condition and a co-occurring SUD.
• An average cost of approximately $8,052 per client for the two-year period.
DBH also requests delegated authority to execute and submit any non-substantive amendments to the MHBG and any additional or supplemental documentation to ensure executed documents are returned in a timely manner as required by the State.
This item is being presented at this time, as it is the first available Board date following receipt of the grant award notification from DHCS on September 9, 2026 and completion of the required departmental and administrative reviews.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Marianna Martinez, Administrative Supervisor II, 383-3940) on September 23, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 22, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Lizveth Varela, Administrative Analyst, 387-4883) on October 15, 2026.