Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Plan (BHCIP)
Solutions for Shasta & Rural Northern California: A Unified Plan for Behavioral Health Investment
In March 2024, California voters approved Proposition 1, which includes Senate Bill 326 (establishing the Behavioral Health Services Act) and Assembly Bill 531 (establishing the Behavioral Health Bond for expanding behavioral health infrastructure and permanent supportive housing), dedicating a total of $6.4 billion to mental health and substance use disorder services in the State of California.
Under AB 531, the bond funding for behavioral health infrastructure is an expansion of California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Plan (BHCIP), which began in 2021 with an initial $2.2 billion investment.
Proposition 1 expanded BHCIP funding into two additional rounds, beyond the original five which began in 2021:
✔ Round 1: Shovel-Ready Projects – Applications were due in December 2024, with four local applications submitted. Award announcements are expected in May 2025.
✔ Round 2: Unmet Needs – We anticipate this to be the final funding round representing possibly our last opportunity to secure these funds. The grant application is expected to be released in May 2025 and due in September 2025.
Our entire initiative is focused on securing funding for the rural north state through BHCIP Round 2: Unmet Needs.
BHCIP Round 2: Unmet Needs is designed to address critical gaps in behavioral health services. These needs are being identified through ongoing stakeholder and community engagement meetings that began in January of 2025, as well as a thorough analysis of existing community assessments and public input.
A coalition of stakeholders and frontline leaders in healthcare, behavioral health, law enforcement, and social services are working together to secure our region’s share of these critical resources.
Why This Matters:
- Emergency departments are overwhelmed. Patients experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis often default to the emergency room, leading to longer wait times for all patients and straining hospital resources. Even after being medically stabilized, many individuals remain in the ER for days or even weeks due to a lack of available step-down care options.
- Law enforcement and social services are overburdened. Patrol officers, jails, and county social workers have become the default response to mental health crises, stretching resources beyond capacity.
- Families struggle to find help. Treatment options are limited, forcing people into cycles of crisis and homelessness.
🡺 Join us in shaping this effort. Stay informed, share your input, and be part of a regional solution.
🔗 Contact the team to sign up for project updates.
🔗 Take the Community Survey to share your thoughts and experiences.
What is Prop 1 & How Does it Relate to BHCIP?
What It Is:
Proposition 1 is California’s largest behavioral health reform in decades. It funds mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, crisis response, and supportive housing through a combination of state funding and bond revenue. The bond revenue, divided into two funding buckets, one being BHCIP, is what our collaborative group is hoping to secure.
Why It Matters:
- Our taxpayer dollars are funding this initiative, yet our county has not yet received any of the BHCIP bond funding. Other counties have already positioned themselves for funding, and together with Shasta County leadership, we are working to ensure our community is not left behind.
- This is possibly our final opportunity to secure these funds. Round 2: Unmet Needs is designed to be a “catch-all” following all previous funding rounds. Without a strong, unified approach, our region will continue to fall behind in critically needed behavioral health resources. Additionally, as Proposition 1 reshapes the state’s behavioral health system, we anticipate that existing challenges, such as emergency department wait times and limited access to crisis care, will only worsen if our community does not receive adequate funding to expand infrastructure.
- This funding has the potential to transform our community. Addressing behavioral health infrastructure means fewer ER overcrowding issues, reduced strain on law enforcement, and better support for individuals in crisis.
🡺 We have a rare window to change this—together.
Who is Leading This Effort? – Oversight & Transparency
This initiative is being facilitated and led by Kimberly Johnson, CEO of Arch Collaborative, with oversight and strategic collaboration from the Shasta Health Assessment & Redesign Collaborative (SHARC) and key regional leaders.
Kimberly and Arch Collaborative have committed to this effort at no cost to the county or the community, thanks to the generosity of the Arch Board of Directors, who have allowed this work to move forward.
Why SHARC?
Since 2009, SHARC has led key health initiatives in Shasta County, including: ✔ Expanding healthcare workforce development
✔ Supporting behavioral health integration
✔ Promoting health equity and access to care
What is Arch Collaborative’s Role?
Arch Collaborative is supporting this initiative by: ✔ Facilitating the application process
✔ Coordinating stakeholder collaboration
✔ Providing grant-writing expertise
🔹 Building Ownership Update: The final ownership and governance of any awarded facility will be determined through this collaborative process. We are actively working with county and regional partners to identify the most sustainable solution. If no alternative entity steps forward, Arch Collaborative may assume ownership as a last resort to ensure the project moves forward and critical services are established for the community.
