News and Events

For the latest information visit the CJBH Projects page.

CCJBH News and Events

CCJBH Mental Health Awareness Month

CCJBH strives to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining one’s mental health, the need to reduce stigma for those who seek care, the value in promoting emotional well-being, and the importance of encouraging people to seek help when needed. In observance of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, CCJBH seeks to emphasize the importance of self-care for justice-involved individuals with behavioral health needs and those that work with and support this population. In particular, clinical staff, peers and caregivers.

Please visit May 2023 Is Mental Health Awareness Month – Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health for resources to jump start your self-care journey.

Mental Health Awareness Month Webinar

When: May 24, 2023, from 12:00-1:00 PM

Description: The Happier Life Project will present on mental health resources for the justice-involved population.

CCJBH Lived Experience Showcase

When: June 23, 2023, from 2:00-4:30 PM

Description: As CCJBH’s current Lived Experience Projects (LEP) come to a close, LEP contractors will reflect on their successes and challenges over the past three years. These efforts have supported local community based organizations, each of which have been implementing unique projects that include individuals with lived experience to help reduce justice involvement of individuals with behavioral health needs.

Partner News & Events

Behavioral Health

Concept Paper on Reimagined Population Needs Assessment

On May 8, 2023, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a concept paper describing its vision for a reimagined Population Needs Assessment (PNA) that Managed Care Plans (MCPs) are required to complete. Alongside the concept paper, DHCS will shortly be issuing a new All Plan Letter (APL), which will supersede APL-19-011 and provide near-term MCP guidance on the new modified PNA and the new population health management (PHM) Strategy.

DHCS will accept public comment on the concept paper through June 2, 2023. Feedback should be submitted to PHMSection@dhcs.ca.gov with subject line “Comments on the PNA Concept Paper.” For more information, please visit the CalAIM Population Health Management Initiative webpage.

DHCS Awards Millions to Support Next Generation of Behavioral Health Care Workers

DHCS awarded more than $17 million to 39 nonprofit providers and tribal organizations in underserved areas to expand their in-house behavioral health workforce. Through DHCS’ Mentored Internship Programs, each entity will receive up to $500,000 to enhance and build their behavioral health substance use disorder workforce, focusing on resources to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery skills for those working with individuals with or at risk of developing an opioid use disorder. The Mentored Internship Program enhances the professional development of diverse students and helps grow the future behavioral health workforce with comprehensive training to help mitigate the opioid crisis. These awards to organizations in underserved and diverse communities are part of the Behavioral Health Workforce Development initiative, funded by Opioid Settlement Funds through December 31, 2024. To date, 163 provider organizations have received funding under the Mentor Internship Programs.

Proposition 64 Stakeholder Advisory Group Member Applications

DHCS released a Call for Membership to solicit applications for membership to. the Proposition 64 Stakeholder Advisory Group for a membership term of August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2025. DHCS is specifically seeking members who have experience working with youth and/or substance use disorder prevention. The advisory group is comprised of youth advocates, public health and behavioral health field experts, physicians, and other youth-serving entities.

Applications are due May 26, 2023. Current members are eligible to reapply.

Please visit the Proposition 64 webpage for information more information and to apply.

Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention for Communities of Color project

DHCS released a Request for Applications to implement the Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention for Communities of Color project which will support programs to implement community-based outreach, education, and referrals to address opioid use, stimulant use, and poly-substance use in communities of color. The project period will be from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, and eligible entities may apply to receive up to $250,000.

The deadline to apply is 1:00pm on May 15, 2023.

For more information and to apply, visit The Center at Sierra Health Foundation website.

DHCS’ Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Justice-Involved Round 3 Funding Application

The PATH Justice-Involved Initiative Round 3 application is open until June 30, 2023. Round 3 funding will support correctional agencies, county behavioral health agencies, and other justice-involved stakeholders as they implement personnel, capacity, and/or IT systems that are needed for collaborative planning and implementation of pre-release service processes.

For more information, visit the Justice-Involved Capacity Building Program website.

CalAIM PATH: Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion and Development (CITED)

DHCS announced the award notification of $119 million in total funding to help 98 local organizationsbuild capacity and infrastructure in Medi-Cal’s delivery system. PATH CITED funds will be used toward increasing the provider workforce, investing in infrastructure and IT systems to support the delivery of Enhanced Care Management (ECM) or Community Supports, and developing plans to conduct outreach to historically under-resourced and/or underserved populations to engage them in care or other uses justified in the application process. Organizations are also invited to use funds to conduct community health assessments to evaluate and address existing gaps in ECM and Community Support services.

Community-based organizations, public hospitals, county agencies, Tribes, and other community providers are eligible to apply during the CITED grants Round 2 application through May 31, 2023.

CalHHS Children’ Mental Health Awareness

Governor Newsom highlighted the importance of children’s mental health and the extensive work and investments underway in California to address it in this recent proclamation. CalHHS has updated the youth mental health resource hub on the CalHHS website that was created as part of Children’s Mental Health Awareness week last year. The website includes new and additional resource in an effort to put in one place linkages to a range of information, resources and supports for children and youth, parents and families, and schools and educators.

Mental Health Matters Day

When: May 24, 2023, from 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Information will be available on the Mental Health Matters Day webpage.

Center for Health Care Strategies Webinar: Equitably Identifying Individuals for Care Management: Strategies for CalAIM and Beyond

When: May 15, 2023, from 11:00-12:00

Description: Through CalAIM, managed care plans (MCPs) are offering new care management services for people with complex needs. Determining eligibility for these types of services has traditionally relied on cost and utilization data from inpatient and emergency department visits. However, this approach can perpetuate inequities by disproportionately overlooking Black, Latino/x, American Indian and Alaska Native, and other members of underserved groups. It may also provide an incomplete picture of who has high needs, and who would benefit most from such services.

This webinar, made possible by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), will explore how California’s MCPs and other stakeholders nationally can ensure that eligibility guidelines and identification strategies for care management services prioritize equity and maximize impact. Panelists representing MCPs, health care systems, and policymakers, will share their perspectives on identification strategies, approaches they have developed to prioritize equity in eligibility, insights from their experiences to date, and what is needed to support other MCPs in doing this work.

Atlas, Shatterproof’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment Locator

ATLAS®, a free, not-for-profit substance use disorder treatment locator and quality measurement system, is working in partnership with DHCS to collect data from SUD treatment facilities across the state of California. As an organization committed to quality, we strongly encourage you to submit the ATLAS survey and help advance transparency in substance use disorder treatment. Atlas is holding another enrollment period that began on April 5th, 2023, to give providers who didn’t enroll last year a second opportunity to complete the enrollment survey and ensure that searchers who come across the Atlas profile pages for your facilities will have the information they need to help guide their treatment decisions.

To learn more about Atlas, Shatterproof’s work with DHCS, and the Atlas enrollment survey, register for one of the upcoming Shatterproof Atlas Roundtable discussions:

5/23 at 11:00 am PST Register Here
6/13 at 11:00 am PST Register Here

PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives) Program Webinar Series

A PEARLS webinar series hosted by the program creator, the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center, is offered to area agencies on aging, county behavioral health departments, or community-based organizations who are interested in this evidence-based program that improves equitable access to depression care for older adults who have been underserved.
Register for the webinar series:

Jun 1st at 12pm: Community Conversation with New PEARLS Partners Who Launched During COVID

View the PEARLS online toolkit for additional information.

CYBHI Equity Working Group

When: May 31, 2023, from 3:00-5:00

Description: The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Equity Working Group (EWG) advises CalHHS and its departments on an equity framework for the initiative and make recommendations for applying the framework to embed equity into the processes, design, planning and implementation of the overall approach to the initiative and activities, services, programs, and policies of the individual workstreams in order to build a behavioral health system for children and youth that addresses current inequities.

Crisis and Recovery Enhancement (CARE) TA Center: MHSA Funding Series

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) provides funding to counties to expand and develop mental health services for children, transition age youth, adults, and older adults. Also known as “Proposition or Prop 63”, California voters passed the MHSA in 2004 to expand and transform mental health services in California to provide a better coordinated and more comprehensive system of care for those with serious mental illness and their families. The MHSA addresses a broad continuum of prevention, early intervention, and service needs. MHSA also addresses the necessary infrastructure, technology, and training elements that effectively support the public behavioral health system. This series will focus on how counties and communities can effectively use MHSA funds to effectively support a broad array of community services. Webinars in this series include:

May 25, 2023, from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM: How to Use MHSA Funding for Enhancing FSPs
June 22, 2023, from 1:00-2:30 PM: How to Use MHSA Funding for Substance Use Disorder Services

Click here to register.

CARE TA Center: Understanding the Serious Impacts of Secondary Traumatic Stress Upon the Behavioral Health Workforce

When: May 23, 2023, from 1:00-2:30 PM

Description: CARE TA Center facilitators will identify and discuss systemic and traumatic stressors, the importance of a trauma informed and healing centered engagement and service approach, and provide examples and strategies to provide and sustain safe and healthy professional boundaries, compassionate detachment, and supporting the unique needs of people in recovery working in a service capacity. Importantly, facilitators will also explore how to make positive use of employee supervision to reinforce the importance of self-care.

CARE TA Center: Incorporating 988 as a Part of California’s Crisis Continuum of Care

When: April 28,2023 from 2:00-3:00 PM

Description: The 988 service in California is a critical resource for individuals in the state who are experiencing a mental health crisis or are at risk of suicide. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects callers with trained mental health professionals who can provide immediate support and assistance.
This series will be led in partnership with RI International and Didi Hirsch and will focus on supporting counties in better understanding 988 as a key component of the crisis continuum of care. Sessions will include discussion on operational polices and practices, an overview of the current coverage in California, and supports for expansion of 988.

Criminal Justice

Overview of the Youth and the Juvenile Justice System: 2022 National Report

When: May 17, 2023, from 11:00-12:30

Description: This webinar will highlight the findings from Youth and the Juvenile Justice System: 2022 National Report, developed for OJJDP/NIJ by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, the research division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. A range of topics will be covered during the webinar, including violent crime by and against youth, racial and ethnic disparities within the juvenile justice system, state changes regarding the transfer of youth from juvenile to criminal court, and trends in the youth residential placement population.

Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative’s Third Annual Leadership Summit

When: May 18, 2023, from 5:00-6:30 PM PST

Description: For more than 10 years, the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI) has worked to promote efforts by judges and psychiatrists to improve judicial, community, and systemic responses to people with behavioral health needs involved in the justice system. The 3rd Annual Leadership Summit will include the presentation of the Judge Stephen S. Goss Memorial Awards for leadership by a judge and a psychiatrist.

CARE TA: Strategies for Incorporating People with Lived Experience as Parole/Probation Department Staff

When: June 8, 2023, from 10:00-11:30 AM

Description: The facilitators will explore the effects of stigma and bias on staff and service recipients, the impact of the culture of incarceration and addiction on recidivism and recovery, and the challenge of collateral consequences as major barriers to successful exit from the justice system.

CSG Justice Center Second Chance Month

Everyone deserves a second chance. Join the CSG Justice Center and partners this April for Second Chance Month, when we will elevate live events, videos, and publications to support the field. Follow along as we celebrate state, local, and Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations in their work to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people returning from state and federal prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities.

Visit the Second Chance Month webpage to learn more.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant: Smart Reentry: Expanding Jail Programs and Services

Through this opportunity, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks applications for funding to state, local, and tribal governments to enhance or implement evidence-based activities or services to improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and address the treatment and recovery needs of people who are currently or formerly involved in the criminal justice system.

Deadline to apply is June 5, 2023.

Visit the Smart Reentry: Expanding Jail Programs and Services webpage to learn more.

National Institute of Justice FY23 Research on Juvenile Justice Topics Grant

The National Institute of Justice, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that inform policy and practice in the field of juvenile justice. Specifically, this solicitation seeks proposals for studies that advance knowledge and understanding in the following three categories:

Research and evaluation of legislative and administrative policy changes affecting youth involved in the justice system. Applicants must address one or more of the following three specified juvenile justice issues:
- Providing community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, with a focus on very high need/risk youth who have traditionally been held securely.
- Sealing and expungement of juvenile justice records.
- Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.
Research to assess dual system youth data capacity and service delivery across juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
Analysis on the use of the valid court order exception.

The application closes on June 12, 2023.

View the National Insititute of Justice webpage for additional information.

BJA Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Incubator Initiative

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks applications from organizations to build capability and capacity in community-based reentry programs by serving as an intermediary and providing sub-awards. BJA seeks to fund two intermediary organizations that will design and administer a competitive incubator initiative for community- and faith-based reentry providers. These intermediary organizations will provide sub-awards, oversight, and comprehensive training and technical assistance (TTA) services to help build capability, capacity, and sustainability among CBO sub-awardees to meet the needs of people returning home from incarceration and to apply for and manage private and public grant funding in the future.

Applications are due June 20, 2023.

View the BJA solicitation to learn more.

CPOC Foster Care Conference

When: June 27 and 28, 2023

Where: SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento

Description: The Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) will host the 7th Annual Foster Care Conference, which will explore a variety of topics focused on prevention as well as services and supports to enhance wellness for justice-involved youth in foster care and their families.

View the CPOC website for additional information.

Housing/Homelessness

California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) Quarterly Meeting

When: May 31, 2023, from 1:00-4:00 PM

Description: The California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) was created by SB 1380 in 2017 as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to oversee the implementation of Housing First policies, guidelines, and regulations to reduce the prevalence and duration of homelessness in California.

Specific details on the meeting topic will be available shortly.

CARE TA Center: Strategies for Homelessness Prevention for Returning Citizens Recently Released from Incarceration

When: June 1, 2023, from 10:00-11:30 AM

Description: Facilitators will review the critical first 30 days after release and the various supports that are instrumental, including rapid access to peer support, safe housing, low/no barrier to medication access and whole person healthcare, vocational training and job readiness services, and comprehensive reintegration support when attempting reunification efforts with family members.

Housing First Webinar Series

When:
Monday, May 15, 2023, at 11:30 AM
Monday, June 12, 2023, at 11:30 AM
Monday, July 10, 2023, at 11:30 AM

Description: The National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is hosting a webinar series on homelessness and Housing First.

Application Posted for Second Round of Encampment Resolution Fund Grants

The Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) program has posted the application for Round 2 funding. Nearly $240 million is available for grants to fund projects that take a person-centered approach to providing housing and services to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in encampments, with up to $150 million prioritized for encampments on state rights-of-way. All California cities, counties and continuum’s of care are invited to apply for the grants.

Applicants are required to include a detailed service delivery plan that demonstrates a clear pathway to housing for individuals residing in encampments, while addressing their immediate health and safety needs. BCSH will begin accepting applications for ERF grants immediately and will continue to accept them until funding is exhausted, or June 30, 2023, whichever comes first.

The Notice of Funding Availability is online.