About the Behavioral Health Services Act
The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) supports county public mental health systems by:
- Raising awareness
- Promoting the early identification of mental health problems
- Making access to treatment easier
- Improving the effectiveness of services
- Reducing the use of out-of-home and institutional care
- Eliminating stigma toward those with severe mental illness or serious emotional disturbance
Access BHSA documents, including policies, resources, and reports.
Services
Recovery-oriented treatment services
We provide services such as:
- Individual or group therapy
- Medication management
- Residential treatment
Our Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs include case management based on a philosophy of doing “whatever it takes” to help individuals diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness or Severe Emotional Disturbance to lead independent, meaningful, and productive lives. Services include:
- Integrated, recovery-oriented mental health treatment
- Intensive case management and linkage to essential services
- Housing and vocational support
- Self-help
Some funds also support:
- Trauma recovery programs
- Behavioral health and juvenile justice integration
- Prevention and recovery in early psychosis program
- Behavioral health access center
- Dual diagnosis residential treatment
- Behavioral health and primary care
Mental health promotion and early intervention (PEI) services
Mental health promotion and early intervention (PEI) services include engagement of diverse communities, individual participants, their families, and community partners. Programs provide mental health prevention and intervention services at sites where people would not normally go for mental health services (such as community-based organizations, schools, ethnic specific cultural centers, and health providers). The PEI includes the following program areas:
- Stigma reduction
- School-based mental health promotion
- Population-focused mental health promotion
- Mental health consultation and capacity building
- Comprehensive crisis services
Peer-to-peer support services
Peer-to-peer support services are an important part of a wellness and recovery-oriented mental health system. Mental health services clients or family members have unique skills, knowledge, and lived experience to share. Peers also support in dealing with stigma and facing economic and social barriers to wellness and recovery.
Vocational services
We helps clients and their family members with job training, job search, and retention. Services include:
- Vocational skill development and training
- Career/situational assessments
- Vocational planning and counseling
- Service coordination
- Direct job placement
- Ongoing job coaching
- Job retention services
Housing
We helps individuals with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of homelessness get permanent housing. We help connect individuals with access to short-term stabilization housing such as housing units, other MHSA housing supports, and Emergency Stabilization Units.
Behavioral health workforce development
We recruits staff from under-represented communities and develops their skills to work effectively in the mental health field. Services include:
- Mental health career pathways program
- Training and technical assistance
- Residency and internship programs
- Financial incentive programs
Capital facilities and information technology
We use finding to improve facilities and increase client access to personal health information through technology.
Contact us
- For grievance and support on language services: BHS-Lang-Support@sfdph.org
- For grievance and support on the Mental Health Services Act: mhsa@sfdph.org
- For grievance and support on equity: BHS-JEDI@sfdph.org