July 18, 2024

This week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: Launch Ready grant. The purpose of these funds, which total $3.3 billion in competitive grant funding, are to support the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of needed infrastructure to expand the continuum of behavioral health treatment resources and to build and expand capacity for treatment and care. The funding included in Bond BHCIP Round 1 represents over half of the $6.4 billion in bonds authorized by voters earlier this year through Proposition 1.

Eligible applicants include counties, cities, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations whose projects reflect the state’s priorities and serve the targeted population. Of the $3.3 billion available for Bond BHCIP Round 1, up to $1.5 billion will be available only to counties, cities, and tribal entities. Up to $1.8 billion will be available to counties, cities, and tribal entities, as well as non-profit and for-profit organizations. This tranche of funding will have regional set-asides to ensure geographic equity. DHCS will prioritize applications that include regional models or collaborative partnerships, including public-private partnerships, aimed at constructing, renovating, and/or expanding community-based services, as well as projects using a campus-type model that collocate multiple levels of care on the continuum, with a focus on residential treatment facilities.

The application portal for Bond BHCIP Round 1 will open on August 9, 2024. At that time, a link to the portal will be posted on the Bond BHCIP website. A preview of the application questions, templates, required forms, and additional information is available on the Bond BHCIP website under the “Bond BHCIP Round 1: Launch Ready RFA and Related Documents” tab. In addition, all applicants are required to complete a pre-application consultation (PAC) before applying. To schedule a required PAC, counties should submit the PAC request form no later than October 15, 2024 (the form will be available beginning July 18 on the Bond BHCIP website). Pre-application consultations will be scheduled between August 9 and November 14, 2024. The deadline for applications is December 13, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Bond BHCIP Round 1 Informational Webinar

DHCS and Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), the BHCIP contracted administrative entity, will host an informational webinar on August 7, 2024, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The webinar will review the funding application and award process. Register here.

Proposition 1 Behavioral Health Services Act: Housing Supports Primer

DHCS also released the “Proposition 1 Behavioral Health Services Act: Housing Supports Primer (July 2024)” for counties, which explains how ongoing BHSA revenue can be spent on housing interventions. Per Proposition 1, 30% of county BHSA funds each year must be directed to housing supports for people with serious behavioral health needs, including allowable ongoing capital to build more housing options. The full BHSA Housing Supports Primer can be accessed here, and a high-level fact sheet can be accessed here.

BHSA Revenue Stability Workgroup

On Thursday, July 25, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., DHCS will convene the first Revenue Stability Workgroup meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to assess year-over-year fluctuations in tax revenues generated by the Behavioral Health Services Act, in recognition of the need for a reliable strategy for short- and long-term fiscal stability. The agenda and link to register for this meeting can be found here.

New: CSAC Proposition 1 Resources Page

CSAC has established a new webpage dedicated exclusively to Proposition 1 updates, resources, and additional information. As new resources are released, CSAC staff will work to keep this page updated with information pertinent to counties as it relates to the Behavioral Health Services Act and Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act. The new CSAC Proposition 1 webpage can be accessed here.