Transformation Journey Update
February 2026 Director’s Newsletter
BHRS Transformation Journey 5-Year Roadmap Launch
We are all here to make a difference in our communities. We help individuals thrive and transform while preserving dignity and compassion. Transformation is essential to our growth—not just due to regulations but because it is the right thing to do. The world of behavioral health has changed, and will continue to change—demands are higher, standards are stricter, and scrutiny is more intense. We need to recognize that our communities’ needs have also changed, becoming more diverse and personalized than ever before.
As we begin 2026, our BHRS transformation journey continues with the launch of our BHRS Transformation 5-Year Roadmap, outlining our strategic priorities, milestones, activities to achieve them, and the outcome metrics for measuring success. The roadmap builds upon the following four priorities:
- Align strategy and fiscal stewardship in a way that empowers BHRS to adapt, evolve, and thrive
- Cultivate a culture at every level of the organization where data drives progress, transparency, and action
- Champion a spirit of learning, curiosity, healing, growth and continuous improvement
- Ensure every service reflects the voices, needs, and aspirations of those we serve
2025 Recap: How Your Input Shaped the Transformation Journey
Throughout 2025, BHRS undertook an extensive effort to gather meaningful input from 600+ staff, community members, leadership and partners. This collective engagement shaped the Transformation Journey and ensured our direction reflects real experiences, needs and aspirations. Key engagement activities included:
- 9 Transformation Journey working sessions across the organization
- 4 focus groups with staff, community and contractors
- Behavioral Health Commission and community presentations, 2 BHRS staff town halls and 4 drop‑in sessions
- 215 responses to the Transformation Journey survey
- 23 Community Program Planning (CPP) sessions
These inputs, including how staff, partners and community can remain supported during the Transformation Journey, directly informed several major outputs that now guide our next steps, including the refined Vision, Mission, and Values, the Communications Campaign Plan, and the BHRS Transformation Journey 5‑Year Roadmap Overview.
Refined Vision & Mission: Grounding Our Future Direction
As we moved through 2025, it became clear that revisiting our vision and mission was a critical step in aligning BHRS’s future with the transformation ahead. Staff and community partners emphasized the importance of clarity, inclusiveness and grounding our work in the realities and aspirations of our diverse communities. In response, we took time to refresh these foundational statements.
Refined Vision:
Everyone in our communities lives a meaningful life, where the challenges of mental health and/or substance use are overcome with respect and compassion, in a trauma‑informed and equitable manner, to the betterment of all.
Refined Mission:
Through prevention, treatment and recovery services, we inspire hope, resiliency and connection to help people in our community address mental health and/or substance use challenges. We are dedicated to advancing equity for everybody who lives, works and plays in San Mateo County.
Looking Ahead: The Behavioral Services Act Integrated Plan
With our strategic vision and priorities in place, the next focus is on the implementation of Prop. 1 requirements transitioning from Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to the new Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) funding and services requirements. BHSA goes live July 1, 2026!
A required BHSA 3-Year Integrated
Plan for fiscal years 2026-2029 will be presented at the
Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) on Wednesday, February
4. The Integrated Plan covers all behavioral
health funding streams and describes how
resources will be allocated across the behavioral
health care continuum of care (e.g., prevention,
outpatient, crisis, residential, recovery supports) to reduce
disparities and address unmet need.
The draft Integrated Plan will be available for review and public comment for a minimum of 30 days through Friday, March 4, 2026. Community members are encouraged to read and submit feedback on the draft Integrated Plan, as follows:
- Online Form
- Email to mhsa@smcgov.org / optional downloadable form
- Leave a phone message at (650) 573-2889
Community is welcome to attend the Behavioral Health Committee meeting on February 4th to hear the presentation on the draft plan:
In person: Wednesday, February 4th 3:30-5:30pm, 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Room 201, San Mateo, CA 94403.
Zoom: https://smcgov.zoom.us/j/94275521280?pwd=ZnRUTDFSMGI5VVVPTkdiS3NaZW9MQT09. Passcode: 457259
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