Integrated Plan & County Portal
Frequently Asked Questions

Behavioral Health Services Act

Overview

The following page includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to provide assistance to counties on the key aspects of the Integrated Plan submission through the County Portal.

Integrated Plan Frequently Asked Questions

Draft Integrated Plan

What is the three-year Integrated Plan and who needs to submit it?
1. The three-year Integrated Plan is a comprehensive plan that counties are required to develop, detailing their strategies and projected expenditures for Behavioral Health Services and Outcomes to address the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) six priority Behavioral Health goals. The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) requires all counties to submit a three-year Integrated Plan and a budget, beginning with Fiscal Years (FY) 2026-2029 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029) and then developed every three years. Submission requirements include a draft Integrated Plan with any exemption or transfer funding requests due March 31, 2026, and a final Integrated Plan due June 30, 2026. For more information regarding requirements of the Integrated Plan, please review the BHSA County Policy Manual, available on the BHSA website.
Does a county need to submit a separate “final” Integrated Plan in the portal?
1. Yes, once a county’s draft Integrated Plan has been accepted by DHCS and the county is ready to submit their final Integrated Plan, counties will be able to click “Submit Final” within the portal.
What do counties need to do before submitting their draft Integrated Plan?
1. Before submitting the draft Integrated Plan, counties must:
  - Engage stakeholders meaningfully throughout the development process.
  - Verify all required items in the Integrated Plan template and budget template are addressed and include projected expenditures for each BHSA program component.
  - Obtain draft approval from the County Administrative Officer (CAO); to include any exemption and transfer requests.
  - Counties must submit their draft Integrated Plans online through the DHCS County Portal by March 31.
Why is there a draft Integrated Plan?
1. DHCS is requiring counties to submit a draft Integrated Plan by March 31, 2026. This requirement is intended to prepare counties for the submission and implementation of their final plan by June 30, 2026.
Will the draft and/or final Integrated Plan be available to the public? How will the public access it?
1. Yes, each county’s final Integrated Plan will be made available to the public; DHCS will post each county’s final Integrated Plan on the DHCS website.
What are the key deadlines for submitting the draft Integrated Plan and final Integrated Plan?
1. Counties are required to submit a draft Integrated Plan, including exemption and transfer requests, by March 31, 2026. Counties are required to submit the first final Integrated Plan by June 30, 2026. For more information regarding requirements of the Integrated Plan please review the BHSA County Policy Manual, available on the Behavioral Health Services Act website.
What must be included in the final Integrated Plan submission?
1. The final Integrated Plan submission must include the following:
  - Responses to each required item in the Integrated Plan template.
  - Projected expenditures for each BHSA program component.
  - Certification from the county Behavioral Health Director.
  - Approval from the county Board of Supervisors.
  - Counties must report total behavioral health expenditures, component exemptions and transfers, plan administration expenditures, and prudent reserve.
  - Letter from the CAO approving the draft Integrated Plan and any exemption and transfer requests.
  - Counties must submit their final Integrated Plan through the county portal by June 30.
What documents are needed to complete the Integrated Plan?
1. To develop the Integrated Plan due in 2026, counties should review the BHSA County Policy Manual in addition to the following workbooks and templates:
  - Integrated Plan Template: This PDF document is the template for the three-year Integrated Plan and provides detailed instructions for counties on how to complete.
  - Integrated Plan Budget Template (Excel document): The Integrated Plan Budget template provides detailed instructions to counties for reporting projected expenditures for each BHSA program component.
  - County Performance Workbook (Excel document): This Excel document contains a county-specific summary snapshot of performance across all 14 statewide behavioral health goals to include the 6 priority goals.
  - County Performance Workbook Measure Access Instructions and Notes (PDF document): The Measure Access Instructions and Notes PDF document provides information and instructions for each behavioral health measure.
What do counties need to do before submitting their final Integrated Plan?
1. Before submitting the final Integrated Plan, counties must:
What if data or information in the Integrated Plan changes in the process of or immediately following the submission of the Integrated Plan?
1. If information changes between the submission of the draft Integrated Plan and submission of the final Integrated Plan, counties must provide the updated information in the final Integrated Plan. After the submission of the final Integrated Plan, counties should submit an Intermittent Update through the county portal to make changes to the information in their Integrated Plan. Intermittent Updates may be submitted at any time during the three-year Integrated Plan cycle.
How will DHCS determine whether an answer in the Integrated Plan adequately addresses local needs?
1. The determination of whether the county’s Integrated Plan adequately addresses local needs will depend on the county's data, planned funding, and other variables unique to the county. DHCS will work with each county if more information is needed.

Community and Local Planning Processes

If a Local Health Jurisdiction (LHJ) has not developed or completed a recent Community Health Assessment (CHA) and/or Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), how should the county behavioral health department work with the LHJ and consider the CHA/CHIP in developing the Integrated Plan?
1. In the absence of a CHA or CHIP, the county behavioral health department may consider the LHJ’s existing strategic plan for the 2026 Integrated Plan submission.
How do counties engage with their communities according to the Integrated Plan requirements?
1. Counties are required to meaningfully engage stakeholders throughout the development of the Integrated Plan. Engagement should be inclusive, transparent, and continuous to allow diverse input and should support and include community members, service providers, and any other relevant parties. Counties must meaningfully engage with stakeholders on:
2. Counties may engage stakeholders and the community in the community planning processes in many ways, including, but not limited to:
  - Public comment on Integrated Plan draft, required by statute under Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA)
  - Public hearings on Integrated Plan draft, required by statute under BHSA
  - Training, education, and outreach related to community planning
  - Key informant interviews; subject matter experts
  - Workgroups and committees
  - Focus groups
  - Surveys
Will a county be penalized if a group declines to participate in the Community Planning Process?
1. No, a county will not be penalized if a county reaches out to a stakeholder group and the group chooses not to participate in the community planning process.

Budget Template

Will the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) further define reporting expectations for the service categories in the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) care continuum?
1. Yes. DHCS will publish a care continuum inventory that outlines DHCS’ recommended approach to categorizing eligible services and activities across the sources of funds in the Integrated Plan into care continuum and non-continuum service/activity categories. Counties will not be required to align to DHCS’ care continuum inventory if it would be overly burdensome with current county systems.
How should counties report projected expenditures in the Integrated Plan?
1. Counties must report all planned/projected behavioral health service expenditures for each funding source according to the Behavioral Health Care Continuum categories outlined in Chapter 3, Section C.2 of the BHSA County Policy Manual. In addition to reporting expenditures according to the Behavioral Health Care Continuum, counties must report projected expenditures for each BHSA program component:

Exemption and Funding Transfer Requests

Can counties adjust Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) funding allocations to meet local needs identified in the Integrated Plan?
1. Yes. Exemption and funding transfer requests must be submitted to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by March 31 of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal years covered in the Integrated Plan. Counties must submit their exemption and funding transfer requests within the portal and the requests must be included with the draft Integrated Plan. Exemption and transfer requests allow counties to address their different local needs and priorities based on data and community input. Starting with Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-2029 Integrated Plan, all counties can request a shift to funding allocation percentages per Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 5892. The baseline allocations percentages are:
  - Housing Intervention Services (30%)
  - Full-Service Partnership Program (35%)
  - Behavioral Health Services and Supports (BHSS) (35%)
  Funding transfer requests allow counties flexibility within the above funding areas to move up to 7% from anyone funding component and move a maximum of 14% of their total BHSA allocation. Exemption requests allow counties with a population of less than 200,000 to:
  - Move more than 7% into or out of the Housing Interventions funding component beyond the 30% base allocation.
  - Use less than 50% of the Housing Intervention Component allocation for individuals who are chronically homeless.
  - Use more than 25% of Housing Intervention Component allocation capital development.
How will DHCS communicate if an exemption or funding transfer request is approved or denied?
1. All communications regarding the Integrated Plan will be done via the portal. This includes the approvals/denials of the exemption/transfer requests.
Can an exemption or funding transfer request be submitted prior to submitting the draft Integrated Plan?
1. No, exemption and funding transfer requests can only be submitted alongside the draft Integrated Plan.
Does a county need to revise the Integrated Plan if an exemption or funding transfer request is denied?
1. Yes, if a county’s exemption or funding transfer request is denied, counties may appeal DHCS’ decision to deny the county’s exemption request. All appeals activities will occur through the county portal. Counties must submit their appeal request within 30 calendar days of receiving DHCS’ denial. If DHCS rejects the exemption requested in the county’s Integrated Plan, the county must update their Integrated Plan to reflect the denied exemption in their Integrated Plan by June 30th of the year prior to the fiscal years the Integrated Plan covers.

Data in the Integrated Plan

Are counties required to use specific data sources to complete the Integrated Plan?
1. No, counties are not required to use specific data sources to complete the Integrated Plan. However, counties are required to consider relevant data sources, including local data, to address local needs, in accordance with the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) County Policy Manual. Data should be based on the Fiscal Year (FY) preceding the year plan development begins (i.e., for 2026-2029 Integrated Plan, data from FY 2023-2024 should be used) or the most current data available.
How should counties complete questions in the Integrated Plan or budget if they don’t currently collect or have access to the data being requested?
1. Counties are expected to consider relevant data sources to complete their Integrated Plan, including requesting data from other county departments, local housing system partners, and Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs), if necessary.
Will DHCS provide the specific data elements and scope of data sharing required for managed care plans (MCPs)?
1. The BHSA was written prior to the 2024 DHCS redesign of Population Needs Assessment (PNA) requirements. MCPs no longer develop and submit a PNA to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). MCPs now fulfill their PNA requirement by meaningfully participating in the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) conducted by Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs). MCP requirements for data-sharing with LHJs for CHA and CHIP development are outlined in the DHCS Population Health Management Policy Guide.
Why are counties expected to report non-BHSA funding sources in the Integrated Plan and what will this information be used for?
1. The Integrated Plan is designed to serve as a prospective planning and spending tool that describes how county behavioral health departments intend to use all available behavioral health funding to meet statewide and local outcome measures, reduce disparities, and address unmet need in the community. This information provides greater transparency in behavioral health spending.
Are cities or joint power authorities (JPAs) expected to submit local data in their Integrated Plan?
1. Cities are expected to utilize data that corresponds to the county they are located within, and JPAs must include data that reflects all counties included in the JPA.
Will LHJs be required to share data with the county for the Integrated Plan?
1. LHJs are not required to share additional data with county behavioral health departments. Counties are required to begin to identify statewide population behavioral health goals to utilize and stratify data from LHJs and Managed Care Plans, including data utilized to support behavioral health focus areas of the CHA and CHIP, to inform Integrated Plan development.
In the section on County Provider Monitoring and Oversight, the Integrated Plan asks for various counts of “BHSA provider locations.” How does DHCS define a "BHSA provider location”?
1. To ensure comparable tracking of provider locations across programs, DHCS will count providers under BHSA the same way it counts providers under Medi-Cal. For Medi-Cal network adequacy, and also for provider site certification under Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) or Drug Medi-Cal (DMC), DHCS separately assesses each physical location for each provider. For a multi-site provider, that means DHCS treats each site as a separate provider location, even though they are all part of the same legal entity. Similarly, if multiple different programs are located in the same building, each of those programs should be counted as a separate provider location, even though they share a street address. Counties should follow the same principles when counting the number of provider locations that provide BHSA-funded services.
How will counties estimate the percentage of their SMHS providers (county-operated and contract) that also contract with at least one Medi-Cal MCP for the delivery of Non-Specialty Mental Health Services (NSMHS)?
1. DHCS will provide each county with a list of their SMHS providers that also contract with at least one MCP, along with the overall percentage of SMHS/MCP overlap. Counties may report that same percentage in their Integrated Plan, or may choose to adjust their percentage by identifying SMHS providers that do not offer any services coverable as NSMHS, then removing those providers from the denominator (which may increase the county’s overlap percentage).
Which BHSA-funded providers are exempt from DHCS’ requirement to maximize resource efficiency through, in part, billing Medi-Cal and seeking reimbursement from MCPs and commercial health plans?
1. Providers are exempt from these requirements if they receive BHSA funding only for:
  1. Housing Intervention services; and/or
  2. BHSA services that are not covered by client’s other health coverage, if any.
2. As described in the BHSA County Policy Manual ( Chapter 6, Section C), DHCS requires BHSA-funded providers to maximize resource efficiency with respect to the Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Delivery System if the provider receives BHSA funding for Full Service Partnership (FSP) or Behavioral Health Services and Supports (BHSS) services that are also covered by the county’s Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Delivery System.
3. DHCS requires BHSA-funded providers to make a good faith effort to seek reimbursement if the provider receives BHSA funding for FSP or BHSS services that are also covered by commercial health plans and/or Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans.

Population Behavioral Health Measures

How will counties use population-level behavioral health measures in their Integrated Plans?
1. County behavioral health plans will use population-level behavioral health measures to inform the development of their Integrated Plans. During Phase 1 (July 2025 – June 2026), these measures will offer insight into community health and well-being and will help counties assess population-level needs in alignment with the statewide behavioral health goals. County behavioral health plans will be expected to review their county’s status on each population-level behavioral health measure. This analysis, in combination with local priorities, will guide resource allocation and inform the prioritization of targeted interventions aimed at improving community well-being and behavioral health outcomes.
How do the population-level behavioral health measures aim to impact the overall health and well-being of communities across California?
1. The population-level behavioral health measures aim to improve the overall health and well-being of communities by establishing a common framework to help counties identify trends, disparities, and gaps in population-level behavioral health outcomes. By providing a common framework to assess and monitor community needs, these measures support counties in designing targeted interventions that address key drivers of behavioral health and promote equitable access to services.
How should counties use the County Population-Level Behavioral Health Measure Workbook?
1. The County Population-Level Behavioral Health Measure Workbook is a technical assistance tool that provides publicly available data for all population-level behavioral health measures by county. It supports counties in conducting statewide and county-to-county comparisons where data is available. The workbook is intended to display the most recent data available as of June 2025; however, the data is not updated in real time and may not align with updated data available from the measure source. In some cases, the data has been adjusted to convert count data to a rate, or to provide a singular county rate for comparison purposes. While the workbook is intended to be a helpful supplemental resource, counties should still independently review and analyze the underlying data sources and public dashboards to inform their Integrated Plan submissions.
How should counties use the Measure Access Instructions and Notes document?
1. The Measure Access Instructions and Notes document provides links to each measure, a description of the measure, and step-by-step guidance on how to access the data. It also includes important notes and additional context, such as whether the data in the workbook has been converted from a count to a rate or includes other relevant adjustments.
What statewide behavioral health goals must counties address in their first Integrated Plan submission?
1. In their first integrated plan submission, county behavioral health plans are required to address the six priority statewide behavioral health goals, which include:
  1. Access to Care
  2. Homelessness
  3. Institutionalization
  4. Justice-Involvement
  5. Removal of Children from Home
  6. Untreated Behavioral Health Conditions
2. Counties will also be required to address at least one additional county-selected goal, in which their county-wide data is higher or lower than the statewide rate or average, as appropriate.
What information should a county consider when selecting its optional goal?
1. Counties should base their optional goal selection on identified community needs, stakeholder input, and a review of the measures linked to each additional goal as well as available local data. Counties are encouraged to prioritize goals and measures where their performance significantly differs from the statewide rate or average, as appropriate.
Will counties be expected to report on Phase 1 measures after submitting the first Integrated Plan?
1. County behavioral health plans will use the Phase 1 measures to develop their first Integrated Plan submission. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will release Phase 2 measures as they become available. At that point, counties will no longer be required to use all Phase 1 measures to inform their Annual Updates or Integrated Plan submissions. However, DHCS may encourage continued use of select Phase 1 measures to support goals that are not yet associated with an established Phase 2 measure.
When will Phase 2 measures be finalized?
1. DHCS expects to make an initial subset of Phase 2 measures available in 2026. Additional Phase 2 measures will be shared with counties as available.
How will counties be held accountable to the population behavioral health measures?
1. The Phase 1 population-level behavioral health measures are intended to establish a shared, data-informed framework to guide county planning and improve transparency.

Housing Interventions

What information does the county need to report regarding collaboration with local housing system partners to implement the county’s Housing Interventions programs?
1. Counties should describe how they will collaborate with local housing system partners to implement Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Housing Interventions and indicate which housing intervention(s) they will collaborate on. If a county department other than behavioral health will collaborate with one of the local housing system partners listed in the Integrated Plan, please describe how this collaboration will support the effective implementation of BHSA Housing Interventions, and how the county behavioral health department will oversee and monitor these implementation activities.
If counties are contributing BHSA Housing Interventions funding to a project but the funds are not earmarked for a specific number of units, how should counties report the total number of units funded with BHSA Housing Interventions per year?
1. Counties contributing BHSA Housing Interventions for rental subsidies, operating subsidies, landlord outreach and mitigation funds, and capital development funds that are not earmarked for a specific number of units, should respond “0” in the question asking for number of units funded with BHSA Housing Interventions per year. Counties should then answer the optional question to explain how BHSA Housing Interventions funding will contribute to the broader number of units being funded and provide an estimate of the number of units that will be supported with BHSA Housing Interventions funding.
What information should counties include in the brief description of each BHSA funded Housing Intervention?
1. Counties should include the following information, as applicable:
If counties are funding more than one capital development project, should they answer the associated questions for each project?
1. Yes, counties will have the option to add multiple capital development project entries. Counties must provide a separate entry that answers the associated set of questions for each distinct capital development project.

Full Service Partnership

How will counties complete the estimated number of Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) eligible individuals for each evidence based practice (EBP) and estimated number of practitioners and teams needed to serve the total eligible population?
1. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will provide both the estimated number of BHSA eligible individuals for each EBP and the estimated number of practitioners and teams needed to serve the total BHSA eligible population directly to the county to include in their Integrated Plan. Counties do not need to do any calculations themselves.
Are counties expected to serve the estimated eligible population for each EBP?
1. No, DHCS does not expect counties to serve the total estimated number of BHSA eligible individuals for each EBP. The estimated number of BHSA eligible individuals is intended to support county-specific planning for EBP implementation. DHCS expects the actual population served to be impacted by workforce capacity, number of individuals who want Full Service Partnership (FSP) services, and county-specific resources.
For counties that opt in to provide the service under Medi-Cal, does the county report the total number of practitioners and teams the county will utilize to provide the EBP to both Medi-Cal members and non Medi-Cal members?
1. Yes, counties that opt in to provide the EBP under Medi-Cal are required to provide the total number of practitioners and teams the county will utilize for each EBP.
What are counties expected to report on for High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) in the first Integrated Plan?
1. DHCS is working to develop estimates of the total HFW eligible population and number of teams needed to serve the total eligible population to share with counties. Pending the timeline for completion, counties will not be required to include these estimates in the Integrated Plan. However, counties are required to provide their best estimate of total number of practitioners and total number of teams the county will utilize to provide HFW.

Behavioral Health Services and Supports

Are counties required to use Evidence Based Practices (EBP)/Community Defined Evidence Based Practices (CDEP) on the DHCS Biennial Early Intervention EBP/CDEP List?
1. No, counties are not required to use EBP/CDEPs on the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Biennial Early Intervention EBP/CDEP List. The list is intended to serve as a reference tool for counties when developing their Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Early Intervention programs. The only EBP that counties are required to implement as part of BHSA Early Intervention is a Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis (CSC for FEP) program, beginning July 2026. Counties may innovate and implement emerging and promising practices based on their local needs that are not included on the list.
If a county would like to use BHSA Early Intervention funds to fund an EBP or CDEP that is not included on the DHCS Biennial Early Intervention EBP/CDEP List, what guidelines must the county follow in selecting an EBP/CDEP?
1. An EBP/CDEP not included on the list may be utilized as long as the EBP/CDEP:
  1. Addresses at least one aspect of required BHSA Early Intervention program components: outreach, access and linkage, or mental health and substance use disorder treatment services and supports.
  2. Focuses primarily on early intervention and not exclusively on population-based prevention.
Can Behavioral Health Services and Supports (BHSS) Outreach and Engagement funds be used to fund outreach activities under Housing Interventions, Full Service Partnerships (FSP), or BHSS Early Intervention Programs?
1. Outreach and Engagement (O&E) activities that are required as part of BHSS Early Intervention programs or FSP should be funded and tracked in county Integrated Plans and Behavioral Health Outcomes, Accountability, and Transparency Reports (BHOATRs) as part of those programs, rather than under the BHSS O&E category. Counties may utilize up to 7% of their Housing Intervention funds on identified Outreach and Engagement activities. BHSS funds may be used for O&E activities to engage individuals in housing interventions, only if the county is not funding these activities under Housing Interventions.
How will counties complete the estimated number of individuals eligible for CSC and estimated number of practitioners and teams needed to serve the total eligible population?
1. DHCS will provide both the estimated number of BHSA eligible individuals eligible for CSC and the estimated number of practitioners and teams needed to serve the total CSC eligible population directly to the county to include in their Integrated Plan. Counties do not need to do any calculations themselves.
Are counties expected to serve the estimated eligible population for CSC?
1. No, DHCS does not expect counties to serve the total estimated number of CSC eligible individuals. The estimated number of CSC eligible individuals is intended to support county-specific planning for EBP implementation. DHCS expects the actual population served to be impacted by workforce capacity, number of individuals who want CSC services, and county-specific resources.
For counties that opt in to provide the service under Medi-Cal, does the county report the total number of practitioners and teams the county will utilize to provide the evidence based practice (EBP) to both Medi-Cal members and non Medi-Cal members?
1. Yes, counties that opt in to provide the EBP under Medi-Cal are required to provide the total number of practitioners and teams the county will utilize for each EBP.

Submission and Approval

How do counties submit their Integrated Plans?
1. Counties will develop and submit their draft and final Integrated Plans online through the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) county portal. The county portal is designed to streamline planning, increase transparency, and give DHCS and stakeholders greater insight into the Integrated Plan development process. The county portal will track the county’s progress in completing Integrated Plan sections in a dashboard view. The county portal allows users to:
  - Document stakeholder involvement requirements.
  - Fill in form-based prompts.
  - Compile fiscal information.
  - Counties must use the county portal to submit questions or concerns about Integrated Plan submission and approval or for technical assistance with the submission.
Can counties submit joint Integrated Plans?
1. Yes, counties that submitted joint three-year plans under the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) may continue to submit joint Integrated Plans under Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).
How long does DHCS have to review the Integrated Plan?
1. DHCS will review a county’s Integrated Plan for completeness within 30 calendar days of submission. If DHCS requires further documentation or clarification, counties will be contacted through the county portal. After the Integrated Plan is accepted, DHCS will notify the county through the county portal and DHCS will post each county’s accepted Integrated Plan on the DHCS website for public access and transparency.
What if the draft or final Integrated Plan is not accepted?
1. When DHCS reviews a county’s draft and final Integrated Plan and it is deemed incomplete, inaccurate, or does not address a question directly, DHCS will contact the county through the county portal to inform them of the decision. The county will have 15 calendar days from the revision notice to address the issues. DHCS may require counties to revise their draft or final Integrated Plan if they fail to adequately address the following local needs:
What if a county fails to submit their Integrated Plan on time?
1. Counties that fail to submit their draft or final Integrated Plan by the deadlines will be considered out of compliance and may be subject to corrective action.
Where can I find more information or access technical assistance?
1. If counties need technical assistance while submitting their Integrated Plans, they must use the county portal to submit questions or concerns. For information relating to requirements for completing the Integrated plan counties can view details in BHSA County Policy Manual, available on the BHSA County Policy Manual website. For general Behavioral Health Transformation-related inquiries, please email BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov, and visit the Behavioral Health Transformation webpage for additional information.

County Portal Frequently Asked Questions

General Navigation

How do I save my progress as I enter content into the Integrated Plan?
1. The County Portal automatically saves your work as you enter information in each section. This means you can focus on inputting data without worrying about manually saving your progress or losing any updates due to unexpected interruptions. Whether you're updating the Integrated Plan or checking the status of requests, the Portal's auto-save feature provides peace of mind.
Can I edit the Integrated Plan after submitting a draft?
1. After you submit your draft Integrated Plan, you cannot make further edits until the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) review is completed. However, you will still have access to your submitted content at any time through the County Portal. If needed, you can download your draft Integrated Plan, make offline edits, and then enter any updates into the County Portal once the DHCS review process finishes.
As a County Behavioral Health Program Manager, can I assign certain sections of the Integrated Plan for my team to work on?
1. At this time, the County Portal does not support workload assignments for County users. All members from your county who have a login to the County Portal can edit sections of the Integrated Plan. You can assign sections to team members offline, based on roles and responsibilities.
How do I navigate between pages on a section within the Integrated Plan?
1. There are two main ways to move between pages within a section. When a section contains multiple pages, a navigation panel appears on the left side of the screen, allowing you to quickly jump to any subsection. Additionally, you can use the arrow buttons at the bottom of the page to move to the previous or next subsection.
Which types of documents can I upload to a question?
1. The acceptable file upload document is contingent on the question. For example, the Integrated Plan budget question will only allow for Excel file uploads. Check the supported file types at the bottom of the question and confirm that your file matches one of the supported types before uploading.
Which questions in the Integrated Plan are optional?
1. All questions in the Integrated Plan are required unless specifically noted as optional.
How can I tell if a section for my Integrated Plan is complete?
1. On the Integrated Plan page, each section includes a status indicator showing whether it is “Not Started,” “In Progress,” or “Complete.” When content is present in every required question within a section, the status for that section will display as “Complete.”

Access and User Management

What is the difference between the Application Portal and the County Portal?
1. The main difference between the Application Portal and the County Portal is their purpose and functionality. The Application Portal is designed to help county users manage their own access to the County Portal. Additionally, county administrators can use the Application Portal to manage access for other users within their county. Overall, the Application Portal provides user management features to ensure a consistent and secure experience across all Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) portals.
2. In contrast, the County Portal is specifically intended for completing and submitting integrated plans. It serves as the workspace for counties to fill out and manage their Integrated Plans, exemption requests, and transfer requests.
I did not receive an email to set up my account. How can I get access to set up the Application Portal login?
1. First, check the spam or junk folder to see if the email was routed there. If you still do not see the email, contact your IT department for assistance, as there may be an issue with the county firewall.
2. If the problem persists, email BHTInfo@dhcs.ca.gov. The support team will help investigate the access issue further.
I have access to the Application Portal. Why do I not have access to the County Portal?
1. Contact your designated County Admin to make sure that a provisioning role has been applied to your account. Although access to the Application Portal may already be available, only the County Admin can provision new users for the County Portal. The County Admin is responsible for adding the user’s role during this process.
2. You should also check that the email you used to register for the Application Portal is the same email address where the invitation to register was sent.
What should I do if I still cannot see the County Portal after provisioning has been added?
1. If you are unable to see the County Portal after the provisioning updates, please log out and log back in. If the issue persists, contact your County Admin and they can submit a Support Ticket on your behalf.
How will I know when the provisioning updates are complete?
1. You will receive a notification or communication from your administrator once the provisioning updates have been successfully applied to your account.
Do I need a mobile device to set up Multi-Factor-Authentication?
1. Yes, you need a mobile device to set up Multi-Factor-Authentication to register and log into the Application Portal and County Portal.
After entering my Multi-Factor Authentication code, I encounter an error page. How can I successfully log into the Application Portal?
1. The best workaround is to try the login process again, as this issue typically does not occur more than once. If you continue to experience the problem, please email BHTInfo@dhcs.ca.gov or ask someone from your county to submit a support ticket on your behalf.
Do I need to remember multiple passwords to access the County Portal the authenticator app?
1. No, the value of using the Application Portal is that you only need one password for all DHCS Portals, including County Portal.
What happens if I forget my password?
1. You can reset your password through the central authentication provider. Once reset, your new password will work across all connected portals.
How do I get additional users County Portal access in my county?
1. Your county’s Admin user can grant access to new users for your county.
How do I change a user’s role—such as upgrading a user to an Administrator, adding a new Administrator, or downgrading an Administrator to a regular user?
1. On the County Portal, please visit the Support Center and submit a ticket using the "Request Access and Permissions Help" option. For security reasons, only the current Administrator can request changes to admin roles or permissions—other users are not authorized to make these updates.
How do I request a new County Administrator?
1. In the County Portal Support Center, you can submit a “Request Access and Permission Help” ticket to request additional County Admin users.
Why am I not able to access the County Portal webpage?
1. If you are experiencing difficulties accessing the County Portal, there may be an issue with your firewall blocking the necessary connection. To resolve this, contact your County Information Technology (IT) department and request that they “allowlist” the County Portal URL. This process involves adding the portal’s web address to the list of approved sites within the county’s firewall settings, ensuring that you and other authorized users can access the portal without interruption.
What should I do if I receive an “error occurred while processing your request” message while setting up my single sign-on?
1. This is likely a “timeout error” during the single sign-on process. You should refresh the page and log in again to resolve the issue.
2. Here is an example of the error message that will display:

Exemption and Transfer Navigation

Why can’t my county submit an exemption request?
1. Upon logging into the County Portal, refer to the right-hand side of the Integrated Plan Dashboard to find the section titled "Requests." Here, you can check if your county is pre-qualified and eligible for an exemption. Exemption requests must be submitted with the Integrated Plan.
2. State law permits counties with a population of less than 200,000 to request an exemption from the Full-Service Partnership (FSP) requirements in W&I Code section 5887, subdivision (a)(2). For the first Integrated Plan covering fiscal years 2026-2029, all counties, regardless of their size, will be exempt from the evidence-based practices (EBP) fidelity requirements for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Forensic ACT (FACT), Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Model of Supported Employment, and High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW). Therefore, counties do not need to request an exemption from FSP EBP requirements in their first Integrated Plan.
Why am I unable to submit a transfer request?
1. Counties may request to transfer funds distributed to the county’s Behavioral Health Services Fund (BHSF) across BHSA components and must submit the transfer request as part of the Integrated Plan submission. Transfer requests cannot be submitted separately from the Integrated Plan
2. All percentages must be entered as whole numbers (e.g., for 50.4%, enter 50).
After submitting the draft Integrated Plan, how can I see the status or an exemption or transfer request?
1. Upon selecting the “Requests” tab after the draft Integrated Plan submission, the table will display a status column (“Approved”, “Denied”, or “In Review”). For a more detailed view, select the request to see its status displayed on the left side of the page. Once a determination has been made, any additional details/reasons for the decision will be provided, if applicable.
When is the last day to submit an exemption or transfer request?
1. Exemptions and transfer requests cannot be submitted after the deadline for the draft Integrated Plan submissions to DHCS. If your county wishes to request an exemption or transfer, please submit it on or before the deadline with the Integrated Plan.

Download and Share Your Integrated Plan

Can I download specific sections of my Integrated Plan?
1. When you download the Integrated Plan, the system generates a PDF of the entire document. It is not possible to download only specific sections; the download always includes the full Integrated Plan as a single PDF file.
Will comments be saved in the downloaded PDF?
1. Comments entered in the Integrated Plan will not be included in the PDF when you download the document. At this time, only the main content of the Integrated Plan is saved in the PDF, and any comments or notes remain excluded from the downloaded file.
When can I download a PDF of my Integrated Plan?
1. Downloading the PDF is possible throughout the drafting process, as well as after both draft and final submissions. Each time the plan is downloaded, the PDF captures all current information withing the Integrated Plan, while any blank sections remain blank in the PDF.
Can I share the downloaded Integrated Plan directly from the County Portal?
1. The Integrated Plan can be downloaded directly from the County Portal. To share the plan with others, first download the PDF from the Portal, then use any preferred method—such as email—to distribute the file. Sharing access to the County Portal itself is not required; only the downloaded PDF needs to be shared.
Can I download other file types instead of a PDF?
1. If you wish to convert the PDF to a different type of file (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or an image), you can do so after downloading the Integrated Plan as a PDF by using Adobe Acrobat or a similar tool. To convert your PDF in Adobe Acrobat follow these steps:
  1. Open the downloaded PDF on your computer
  2. Select “File” and then “Export To” on the top left corner, and choose your desired format
  3. Alternatively, use the “Export PDF” option on the righthand taskbar, and choose your desired format
2. This allows you to work with the Integrated Plan in the format that best suits your needs, even though the initial download is always a PDF.

Integrated Plan & County Portal Frequently Asked Questions​​

Overview

Integrated Plan & County Portal
Frequently Asked Questions