6.10 26-06172:00 P.M. - Consideration of Presentation of Lake County Behavioral Health Services Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029
I have a question regarding the prevention and early intervention services that are being cut as part of the implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act.
My understanding, based on both BHSA and LCBHS materials, is that prevention and early intervention services remain allowable uses of funding and are, in fact, the first priority identified within the new Behavioral Health Services and Supports framework (see slide 5 on the BOS Presentation Final Plan deck). What I have not seen is a clear plan for how critical services like perinatal screenings, outreach, education, and peer support will continue to be delivered. Is this work being brought in-house, or is another model being considered?
I ask because the organization I lead, Mother-Wise, conducts perinatal depression and anxiety screenings for hundreds of Lake County mothers each year. Those screenings often serve as the first step in identifying concerns, connecting families to resources, and preventing more serious behavioral health challenges from developing.
I also want to clarify a point that was raised during a previous public hearing on May 14 of this year. The Director of LCBHS indicated that our work may be duplicative of the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health work within Public Health. However, screenings and peer support for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are not, I believe, within the scope of that program's work for at least the next three years, and even if it is, they do not have the staffing to do so. If these services are eliminated through BHSA implementation, there is not another existing program positioned to provide them in the tried-and-true manner we do.
That distinction is important because, in a rural county like ours, non-clinical screenings and peer support are often the most accessible forms of behavioral health support available to new parents. Provider shortages remain significant, and many mothers are understandably hesitant to discuss mental health struggles in a clinical setting, particularly if they are not met with trauma-informed or culturally competent care. Peer-based services create a trusted and accessible entry point for families who might otherwise never seek support.
I'm also concerned because this approach appears inconsistent with LCBHS's own Integrated Plan, which states that, to improve access to care for populations with lower penetration rates—including Hispanic and Spanish-speaking populations and individuals living in rural communities—the County will expand outreach and engagement efforts through partnerships with community-based organizations.
Nearly half of the mothers we serve are Hispanic, and every family we serve lives in a rural community. Mother-Wise is exactly the type of community-based organization described in that plan. The screenings, outreach, education, and peer support we provide are not separate from the County's stated strategy—they are a direct example of that strategy in action.
So my question is this: if prevention and early intervention remain a priority under BHSA, and community-based partnerships remain part of the County's strategy for reaching underserved populations, how does eliminating existing community-based PEI services advance those goals, and what is the plan to ensure those services remain available to Lake County families?
I have a question regarding the prevention and early intervention services that are being cut as part of the implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act.
My understanding, based on both BHSA and LCBHS materials, is that prevention and early intervention services remain allowable uses of funding and are, in fact, the first priority identified within the new Behavioral Health Services and Supports framework (see slide 5 on the BOS Presentation Final Plan deck). What I have not seen is a clear plan for how critical services like perinatal screenings, outreach, education, and peer support will continue to be delivered. Is this work being brought in-house, or is another model being considered?
I ask because the organization I lead, Mother-Wise, conducts perinatal depression and anxiety screenings for hundreds of Lake County mothers each year. Those screenings often serve as the first step in identifying concerns, connecting families to resources, and preventing more serious behavioral health challenges from developing.
I also want to clarify a point that was raised during a previous public hearing on May 14 of this year. The Director of LCBHS indicated that our work may be duplicative of the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health work within Public Health. However, screenings and peer support for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are not, I believe, within the scope of that program's work for at least the next three years, and even if it is, they do not have the staffing to do so. If these services are eliminated through BHSA implementation, there is not another existing program positioned to provide them in the tried-and-true manner we do.
That distinction is important because, in a rural county like ours, non-clinical screenings and peer support are often the most accessible forms of behavioral health support available to new parents. Provider shortages remain significant, and many mothers are understandably hesitant to discuss mental health struggles in a clinical setting, particularly if they are not met with trauma-informed or culturally competent care. Peer-based services create a trusted and accessible entry point for families who might otherwise never seek support.
I'm also concerned because this approach appears inconsistent with LCBHS's own Integrated Plan, which states that, to improve access to care for populations with lower penetration rates—including Hispanic and Spanish-speaking populations and individuals living in rural communities—the County will expand outreach and engagement efforts through partnerships with community-based organizations.
Nearly half of the mothers we serve are Hispanic, and every family we serve lives in a rural community. Mother-Wise is exactly the type of community-based organization described in that plan. The screenings, outreach, education, and peer support we provide are not separate from the County's stated strategy—they are a direct example of that strategy in action.
So my question is this: if prevention and early intervention remain a priority under BHSA, and community-based partnerships remain part of the County's strategy for reaching underserved populations, how does eliminating existing community-based PEI services advance those goals, and what is the plan to ensure those services remain available to Lake County families?