To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Jan Cobaleda-Kegler, 707-565-5157
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Behavioral Health Time-Limited Position Extensions
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a personnel Resolution amending the Department of Health Services’ Department Allocation List to extend 8.0 Full-Time Equivalent Time-Limited Behavioral Health Clinicians, 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Time-Limited Office Assistant II, 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Time-Limited Senior Client Support Specialist, and 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent Time-Limited Client Support Specialists positions, through June 30, 2026, Effective December 23, 2025.
B) Adopt a budget Resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the Department of Health Services fiscal year 2025-2026 adopted budget, increasing appropriations in the amount of $917,265 to reflect revenues and expenditures associated with extending time-limited staff for Behavioral Health Programs through June 30, 2026. (4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services is requesting an extension of twelve time-limited Full Time Equivalent positions currently funded by the Mental Health Services Act, Measure O, and Federal Financial Participation, with an original expiration date of February 2, 2026. The request is to extend these positions through June 30, 2026, to align with the Department’s fiscal year and overall budget planning cycle. It will allow time for the Department of Health Services to prepare for the implementation of Proposition 1, known as the Behavioral Health Services Act which becomes effective July 1, 2026 as well as the development of the Department’s FY 2026-2027 budget to determine ongoing funding capacity.
Discussion:
The Department of Health Services’ Behavioral Health Division (hereinafter “DHS” or “the Department”) serves as Sonoma County’s Medi-Cal Mental Health Plan (MHP) and Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system, delivering essential services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. In this capacity, the Department is responsible for fulfilling mandates and contractual obligations to serve adults with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbances, and individuals of all ages with substance use disorders.
The Department respectfully requests an extension of twelve time-limited Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions, currently set to expire on February 2, 2026. These positions are funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), Measure O, and Federal Financial Participation (FFP) dollars. Extending them through June 30, 2026, aligns with the Department’s overall budget and planning cycle.
Proposed Position Extensions:
• 8.0 FTE Behavioral Health Clinicians
• 3.0 FTE to support the Family Advocacy Stabilization & Support Team (FASST)
• 3.0 FTE to support the Foster Youth Team with mandated clinical assessments
• 2.0 FTE to support the Quality Assessment & Performance Improvement Auditing & Monitoring Team
• 1.0 FTE Office Assistant II to support the FASST program
• 2.0 FTE Client Support Specialists to support the Crisis Stabilization Unit
• 1.0 FTE Senior Client Support Specialist to support the Foster Youth Team with mandated clinical assessments
This extension allows time for DHS to respond to upcoming changes in key funding sources. Proposition 1, also known as the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026.
In preparation for this transition, the Department is assessing current staffing structures to identify necessary changes and ensure continuity of care. Aligning all time-limited positions with a common expiration date of June 30, 2026, supports strategic planning and enables a smoother restructuring process, if required
Strategic Plan:
None
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On February 8, 2022, the Board adopted a personnel resolution amending the Department of Health Services’ Department Allocation List to add 12.0 full-time equivalent time-limited position allocations, add 1.0 full-time equivalent allocation, and delete one full-time equivalent allocation in the Behavioral Health Division as detailed in the attached resolution, effective February 8, 2022.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$917,265 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$917,265 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$917,265 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$917,265 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Department of Health Services (DHS) requests approval to increase appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 in the amount of $917,265 to extend 12.0 time-limited full-time equivalent (FTE) positions through June 30, 2026. Funding will be provided through a combination of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) fund balance, Measure O fund balance, and Federal Financial Participation (FFP), with no General Fund impact.
The MHSA fund balance is projected to have an estimated ending balance of $56,430,739 in FY 2025-26, sufficient to support the proposed costs. The Measure O fund balance is projected to have an estimated ending balance of $13,246,944 million, and FFP revenues are expected to remain stable at approximately $31,995,662 million annually, providing adequate ongoing capacity to fund this short-term extension.
|
FTE |
Position |
Program |
Costs |
Funding |
|
3 FTE |
BH Clinicians |
Family Advocacy Stabilization and Support Team Program |
$259,441 |
FFP/MHSA Fund Balance |
|
2 FTE |
BH Clinicians |
Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Auditing and Monitoring Team |
$170,291 |
FFP/BH Stabilization Fund Balance |
|
3 FTE |
BH Clinicians |
Foster Youth Team |
$256,465 |
FFP/MHSA Fund Balance |
|
1 FTE |
Office Assistant II |
FASST program |
$51,037 |
MHSA Fund Balance |
|
1 FTE |
Senior Client Support Specialist |
Foster Youth Team |
$71,487 |
MHSA Fund Balance |
|
2 FTE |
Client Support Specialists |
Crisis Stabilization Unit |
$108,544 |
FFP/Measure O Fund Balance |
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Behavioral Health Clinician |
$8,541.54-$10,383.42 |
|
|
|
Office Assistant II |
$4,489.05-$5,456.08 |
|
|
|
Senior Client Support Specialist |
$6,930.98-$8,425.01 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts, this is a request to extend existing allocations.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Budget Resolution
Attachment 2 - Personnel Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None