Integrated Plans Policies and Regulations
Below are Policies & Regulations from the Community Planning Process Chapter 3, Section 3.B of the Behavioral Health Services Act County Policy Manual.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
I. Stakeholders
Counties must engage with local stakeholders to develop each element of their Integrated Plan. The stakeholders that must be engaged include, but are not limited to:
- Eligible adults and older adults (individuals with lived experiences)
- Families of eligible children and youth, eligible adults, and eligible older adults (families with lived experience)
- Youths (individuals with lived experience) or youth mental health or substance use disorder organizations
- Providers of mental health services and substance use disorder treatment services
- Public safety partners, including county juvenile justice agencies
- Local education agencies
- Higher education partners
- Early childhood organizations
- Local public health jurisdictions
- County social services and child welfare agencies
- Labor representative organizations
- Veterans
- Representatives from veterans’ organizations
- Health care organizations, including hospitals
- Health care service plans, including Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans
- Disability insurers (a commercial disability insurer that covers hospital, medical or surgical benefits as defined in Insurance Code section 106, subdivision (b))
- Tribal and Indian Health Program designees established for Medi-Cal Tribal consultation purposes
- The five most populous cities in counties with a population greater than 200,000
- Area agencies on aging
- Independent living centers
- Continuums of care, including representatives from the homeless service provider community
- Regional centers
- Emergency medical services
- Community-based organizations serving culturally and linguistically diverse constituents
II. Diverse Viewpoints:
Counties must include sufficient participation of individuals representing diverse viewpoints, including, but not limited to:
- Representatives from youth from historically marginalized communities
- Representatives from organizations specializing in working with underserved racially and ethnically diverse communities
- Representatives from LGBTQ+ communities
- Victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse
- People with lived experience of homelessness
III. Meaningful Partnerships
Counties must demonstrate a partnership with constituents and stakeholders as part of their community planning processes. Examples of meaningful partnership with stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, the following types of stakeholder engagement:
- Education and engagement to support meaningful involvement, including on policies that govern the behavioral health delivery system
- Listening sessions
- Conference calls
- Client advisory meetings
- Consumer and family group meetings
- Town hall meetings
- Video conferences
- Media announcements
- Targeted Outreach
- Public comment
- Public hearings
- Stakeholder workgroups and committees
- Focus groups
- Surveys
- Key informant interviews or engaging with subject matter experts
- Training, education, and outreach related to community planning
- Other strategies that demonstrate meaningful partnerships with stakeholders
SUPPORTS AND REQUIREMENTS
I. Training and Technical Assistance
A county may provide supports, including, but not limited to, training and
technical assistance, to ensure stakeholders, including peers and families, receive sufficient information and data to meaningfully participate in the development of Integrated Plans and annual updates.
II. Description of the Stakeholder Process & Input
Integrated Plans must include:
- A description of the development process in partnership with local stakeholders.
- Consideration of input and feedback into the plan provided by stakeholders, including, but not limited to, those with lived behavioral health experience, including peers and families.
- A description of how the Integrated Plan aligns with local goals and outcome measures for behavioral health, including goals and outcome measures to reduce identified disparities.
- A demonstration of how the county has considered other local program planning efforts in the development of the Integrated Plan to maximize opportunities to leverage funding and services from other programs, including federal funding, Medi-Cal managed care, and commercial health plans.
- Certifications from both the county behavioral health director and the County Administration Officer (or other county equivalent) or their designee certifying compliance with fiscal accountability requirements and that all planned expenditures are consistent with applicable state and federal law.
III. Public Comment and Updates to the Integrated Plan
Counties are required to provide 30 days for stakeholder comment on each Integrated Plan. An Integrated Plan and update shall be prepared and circulated for review and comment for at least 30 days to representatives of stakeholder interests and any interested party who has requested a copy of the plans.
IV. Local Behavioral Health Board
The local behavioral health board shall conduct a public hearing on the Integrated Plan at the close of the 30-day comment period. Once a plan is ready for public comment, the local behavioral health board is required to review the draft plan and make recommendations to the local behavioral health agency for revisions. The local behavioral health board is not required to approve county Integrated Plans.
The local behavioral health agency is also required to provide an annual report to the local governing body, which is the local Board of Supervisors or city council, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) that includes written explanations in response to any substantive recommendations made by the local behavioral health board that are not included in the final Integrated Plan or update.
V. Revisions to the Integrated Plan
After the 30-day comment period and public hearing are complete, counties are required to make the following revisions to the Integrated Plan:
- Each plan should include a summary of substantive written recommendations.
- The Integrated Plan should also include a summary and analysis of the revisions made as a result of stakeholder feedback.