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New & Noteworthy

behavioral health

Decorative title images that reads "BHSA Transition Updates"

The BHSA Transition Guide Part 5: Compliance, Oversight, and Accountability

In our previous post, we explored how counties and public health departments can facilitate effective stakeholder engagement and community planning throughout the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) transition. As the fifth installment in our BHSA Transition Guide series, we turn to another core pillar: strengthened statewide oversight and accountability. Compliance under BHSA includes structured requirements for planning,…

Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Title image that reads: "Program Evaluation Reveals Promising Strategy for Opioid Overdose Survivors" with a faded image of a first responded in the background.

Program Evaluation Reveals Promising Strategy for Connecting Opioid Overdose Survivors to Treatment

January 2026 — A recent substance use treatment program evaluation conducted by EVALCORP in partnership with Pinellas County Human Services and Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services reveals that a structured client engagement protocol improved treatment connection rates for individuals who have overdosed or are at risk of opioid overdose.  The evaluation assessed an opioid treatment initiative funded through Substance…

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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System-Wide Evaluation Support for Behavioral Health Services 

Currently, EVALCORP is partnering with eight counties across the state of California on behavioral health initiatives. In this post, we offer a snapshot of our work in one of those counties to illustrate how our program evaluation and needs assessment services work in the behavioral health sector, and touch on the future of mental health…

Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Decorative title images that reads "BHSA Transition Updates"

The BHSA Transition Guide Part 4: Ensuring Effective Stakeholder Engagement and Community Planning Strategies

In our previous post, we introduced EVALCORP’s Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Compliance & Integration Workgroup and the comprehensive resources we’ve developed to support behavioral health organizations through this transition. Since then, we’ve been working directly with counties to address the practical realities of implementing BHSA requirements while managing existing programs and stakeholder relationships. As…

Thursday, September 25, 2025
Decorative title images that reads "BHSA Transition Updates"

EVALCORP’s Behavioral Health Services Act Workgroup: Your Partners in Navigating California’s New Regulatory Landscape

The behavioral health landscape in California is shifting. With the passage of Proposition 1 in March of 2024, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been replaced with the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). Behavioral health organizations across the state are adjusting to a transformation that is reshaping how behavioral health services are delivered, funded, and evaluated…

Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Title: Understanding Community-Specific Trends in Substance Use (with and graphic of a bar graph on a computer)

Understanding Community-Specific Trends in Substance Use: Comparing Substance Use Disorder Trends in California, Colorado, and Florida

Substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to pose a significant public health challenge across the U.S. With new resources becoming available, such as opioid settlement funds (OSF), the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) in California, and youth vaping settlements (e.g., JUUL), state and local agencies are reevaluating how to deliver prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Effective…

Thursday, June 26, 2025
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The BHSA Transition Guide Part 2: Reporting Expectations

Integrated Plans, Community Planning, Transparency Reports, and Timelines In our previous post, we examined how California’s Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), enacted under Proposition 1, restructures and redefines the priorities of the former Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Since then, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has released Version 1.2.0 of its BHSA…

Thursday, June 12, 2025
Header image that contains reads "EVALCORP at the National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit" with pictures of two team members standing beside our poster presentation.

2025 National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit: EVALCORP Proudly Supports Ventura County Behavioral Health in Nashville

For the third consecutive year, EVALCORP has had the honor of collaborating with our long-term partner and client, Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), at the National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, held this year in Nashville, Tennessee. Our joint efforts continue to spotlight impactful outcomes in combating the opioid crisis. Showcasing Collaborative Successes At this…

Thursday, June 5, 2025
Decorative title slide with the text "Project Spotlight"

From Social Host Ordinances to Opioid Settlement Funds: Celebrating our Long-Term Partnership with Ventura County Behavioral Health, Substance Use Services

EVALCORP has had the opportunity to work with the Substance Use Services division of Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) since 2006, and that long view has allowed our team to generate insights that shape how we approach the work. We have led program evaluation and strategic planning projects for several VCBH substance use and prevention…

Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Decorative title images that reads "BHSA Transition Updates"

Recent Changes to the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA): What They Mean…

California has long been a leader in addressing mental health and housing challenges through innovative funding mechanisms. Since its passage in 2004, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been a cornerstone of California’s behavioral health strategy. Funded by a 1% tax on incomes exceeding $1 million, the MHSA has provided billions in funding to…

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.“

– Peter Drucker

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