BHSA Policy Updates

Update: On June 30, 2025, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released an updated version of the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) County Policy Manual (“Policy Manual”).

The BHSA County Policy Manual (Version 1.3.0) will also be available in PDF at a later date.

The Policy Manual is updated to include Module 3 and accompanying documents, which were released for Public Comment in April 2025, and includes the following:

Chapter 3. Integrated Plan
- 3.E. Guidance for Completing the Integrated Plan
  - Integrated Plan Template
  - General Requirements
  - Process for Requesting Exemptions
  - Integrated Plan Submission
  - Joint Submission for Local Entities
  - Statewide Behavioral Health Goals
Chapter 9. Appendix
- Appendix D: Policy Manual Definitions
Download Resources
- Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plan Template Version 1
- Integrated Plan Budget Template
- County Population-Level Behavioral Health Measure Workbook – Measure Access Instructions & Notes
- County Population-Level Behavioral Health Measure Workbook

In addition, DHCS made changes to the following sections of the existing Policy Manual:

Chapter 3.B County Integrated Plan – County Requirements; Public Comment and Behavioral Health Board Hearings; and Stakeholder Engagement for Annual and Intermittent Updates.
Chapter 6.B BHT Fiscal Policies – Funding Transfer Requests; Cost Principles; Administrative Costs

For questions, please email BHTPolicyFeedback@dhcs.ca.gov.