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Good evening,
As I have shared over the past several months, transparency and open communication remain a priority as we work together to support our community. This memo provides clarity for Behavioral Health Services (BHS) contracted providers regarding a recent Voice of San Diego news article about the following recommendation being considered by the Board of Supervisors (BOS) tomorrow, December 9, 2025:
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Item #24, Recommendation #19
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This recommendation will transfer appropriation capacity from HHSA Behavioral Health Services to the Groups and their corresponding departments for one-time lump sum payments to the General employees.
- Transfer appropriations of $14,248,297 from HHSA, Behavioral Health Services, to Public Safety Group ($4,757,000), Health and Human Services Agency ($6,488,297), Land Use and Environment Group ($1,332,000) and Finance and General Government Group ($1,671,000), for one-time lump sum payments to the General employees as listed in Appendix D, based on previously allocated federal and State funding to be replaced with Unlocked Reserves. This transfer of appropriations is based on BHS operational savings and has no impact to services or the General Fund. The use of Unlocked Reserves is recommended based on San Diego County Administrative Code Section 113.1 for these time-sensitive operational expenditures.
If approved, this action item will transfer appropriations, also known as “funding authority,” from BHS to other County departments. The appropriations will be utilized to administer one-time lump sum payments to County employees that were approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year. It is important to emphasize that this recommendation only shifts “funding authority.” It does not transfer actual BHS funding to other departments or decrease the funding for mental health or substance use services. If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the County will utilize other non-BHS funding to support the one-time payments.
BHS remains committed to serving our beneficiaries and our community, ensuring that people with serious behavioral health conditions have access to essential treatment, housing and supportive services. We know your organizations are committed to the same mission. We also recognize the challenges that ongoing shifts to federal and State policy may be presenting for you and your teams.
We hope this clarification reduces ambiguity and reaffirms our commitment to maintaining stability across the behavioral health continuum of care.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or concerns by sending an email to Behavioral Health Services. You can also watch the Board of Supervisors meeting to learn more.
I value your partnership and am incredibly grateful for your continued dedication to the community.
Regards,
Nadia
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