Sacramento, CA – As California begins to implement the voter-approved updates to our behavioral health system through the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), Governor Newsom appointed seven new Commissioners in February to the newly renamed Commission for Behavioral Health.
“California is embarking on an effort to modernize its behavioral health system,” said Mayra E Alvarez, Commission Chair and President of the Children’s Partnership. “Part of this modernization is an update to the Commission’s name and expanding its ranks with 11 new seats representing youth, veterans, people with housing industry and substance use disorder experience, and others, in order to better bring critical perspectives into the conversation about what more California needs to do to better meet the behavioral health needs of all who call California home.”
The diverse backgrounds of the seven new Commissioners appointed by the Governor in February, speak to the crucial needs California must meet to support wellbeing for all: bolster and expand existing services, expand support for substance use disorders, and increase transparency and accountability. The BHSA empowers the Commission to drive transformational change and improve outcomes in these areas. The Commission expects four additional new appointees to be named in the coming weeks.
“I am pleased to welcome these seven new Commissioners,” said Alvarez. “They bring crucial personal and professional experience that will invigorate our Commission, and I look forward to their meaningful contributions to the important work we have in front of us.”
The Commissioners newly appointed by the Governor are:
Pamela Baer fills the seat of a person with experience in community-defined evidence practices. Baer is a Lifetime Director of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, and Founder and Board Chairman of the Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Baer is also a Board member of the Giants Community Fund, an Advisory Board Member of Family House Inc. and Nest, a Founders Circle member of Every Mother Counts, and a member of The Kennedy Forum and Bay Area Regional Council of Dignity Moves. In addition, Baer was President and Owner of Markitlink, a brand strategy Direct Mail Agency from 1988 to 2000. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin.
Michael S. Bernick fills the seat of a representative of an aging or disability organization. Bernick is Counsel with the international law firm of Duane Morris LLP, a Fellow with the Milken Institute and Burning Glass Institute, and the longtime Research Director of the California Workforce Association. He has been active in California government for more than forty years, including as Director of the California Employment Development Department, 1999-2004, and Director of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, 1988-1996. Bernick is part of several major initiatives related to employment, housing and inclusion of adults with autism and other developmental differences. He is a board member of the Golden Gate Regional Center, board member at the California Policy Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Job Club leader at the adult autism group AASCEND. He writes regularly on autism employment, and is completing a trilogy of books on autism inclusion: The Autism Job Club (2015), The Autism Full Employment Act (2021), and The Autism City (scheduled 2027). Bernick earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Harvard University, a Bachelor of Philosophy graduate degree from Oxford University (Balliol College) and a Juris Doctor degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. The California State Library maintains a collection of his papers and writings on employment programs and policies in California dating back to the early 1980s.
Robert Callan, Jr. fills the seat of a family member who has had a substance use disorder. Callan has been a Realtor in San Francisco for 20 years and is currently with Sotheby’s International. He is a member of both the National Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors, as well as the San Francisco Association of Realtors. Callan has spent decades volunteering his time helping people living with substance use disorders and mental health challenges in places like San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (formerly San Quentin State Prison), the California Pacific Medical Center’s Psychiatric Unit in San Francisco, and The Salvation Army. In alignment with this passion, he also served on the Executive Board of the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center/Safe and Sound. Callan was also an early ambassador for The EARN (Earned Assets Resource Network), with the goal of breaking the chain of poverty by helping low-income people increase their financial resilience through saving money. In addition, Callan is a member of The Olympic Club, the Screen Actors Guild, and The Dolphin Club. Callan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College.
Chris Contreras fills the seat of a professional with expertise in housing and homelessness. Contreras is the Chief Operating Officer at Brilliant Corners, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding supportive housing opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness and institutionalization. Since joining the organization in 2014, Contreras has been instrumental in the development and implementation of innovative housing programs across California. Contreras is known for his work in developing and implementing the Los Angeles Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP), a widely recognized model for addressing homelessness, that has facilitated permanent supportive housing placements for over 12,500 formerly unhoused Angelenos. As COO, Contreras drives operational efficiency and strategic growth, working closely with stakeholders to improve organizational systems and enhance service delivery statewide. His expertise lies in creating scalable solutions that remove systemic barriers and address the complex housing needs of vulnerable populations. In 2025, Contreras was selected as a Durfee Foundation Stanton Fellow, where he is focused on exploring how belonging can be a catalyst to ending homelessness in Los Angeles County. He also received the 2023 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award and participated in the Social Justice Partners LA Racial Equity Fellowship. Contreras earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Makenzie Cross fills the seat of a person 25 or younger who has or had a mental health, substance use, or cooccurring disorder. She lives with major depressive disorder as well as anxiety. Cross has been a Youth Leader at KAI Partners since 2024. She was a Service Coordinator for Early Intervention at Alta California Regional Center in 2024. In addition, Cross was a Behavioral Specialist at the Center for Social Dynamics from 2022 to 2023. Cross is also a member of Impact 100 Greater Sacramento. Cross earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Merced.
Karen Larsen fills the seat of a person who has or had a substance use disorder. Larsen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Steinberg Institute and as the organization’s first CEO, brings a rich history of public service and proven leadership to the role. Through her own life experience, her academic training, and over thirty years of recovery, she possesses an unwavering passion and ability to improve the lives of California’s most vulnerable communities. Previously, Commissioner Larsen served as the Director of Yolo County’s Health and Human Services Agency, an integrated agency providing social services, public health, mental health, and substance abuse services. In addition, she spent 20 years caring for uninsured, undocumented, and underserved people in community clinics and non-profit agencies. Her commitment to integrating care has ensured people receive the care they need and improved outcomes for those who have both a behavioral health challenge and other comorbid physical health conditions. Her leadership has inspired others to build bridges across systems as a mechanism for improving outcomes between health systems, the criminal justice community, school districts, cities, and other groups and organizations. Larsen is the mother of three children and a rescue dog. She has a long-term partner, is a member of the LGBTQ community, and is a long-time resident of Sacramento. Her self-care strategies include daily walks, a gallon of water a day, and gardening.
Marvin Southard fills the seat of a current or former county behavioral health director. Southard was the Director of Mental Health for Kern County from 1993 to 1998 and went on to hold the same position for Los Angeles County from 1998 to 2019 where he was a leader of systems and community engagement and helped mold change to create client centered systems including a children’s system of care. He was appointed as a Professor of Practice at the University of Southern California from 2015 to 2019 to create and direct their professional Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree program. In addition, Commissioner Southard was appointed by Governor Newsom as a Board Member of the California Institute of Regenerative (Stem Cell) Medicine and was also a member of the California Institute of Behavioral Health Sciences and the Network for Social Work Management. He is a principal at Capstone Solutions Consulting Group and volunteers for numerous community organizations including Mental Health America California, CIBHS, Proxy Parent Foundation, and the California Men’s Colony. Southard earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Work from University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Social Work degree in Community Organizing and Social Planning from University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. John’s College and Theologate.
In addition to Governor Newsom’s appointees, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas appointed a new assemblymember to fill the Commission seat designated for a member of the California State Assembly, as well as a designee for that position:
John Harabedian fills the seat of a member of the California Assembly. Harabedian is a California State Assemblymember who was born and raised in Sierra Madre, located in the 41st assembly district that he represents and includes his current hometown Pasadena, along with other cities like Bradbury, Claremont, Monrovia, San Dimas and portions of Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. He started his public service as a Sierra Madre City Councilmember in 2012, winning re-election once and later becoming mayor twice. Harabedian took the lead on the city’s solar energy initiative and co-founded the Clean Power Alliance to promote renewable energy across the region. He brings extensive legal and policy experience to the 41st State Assembly District with time as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, as well as experience working with leading institutions like Latham and Watkins, Stanford’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and the Equality Pro Bono Project. Harabedian earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a master’s degree in comparative social policy from Oxford University and a law degree from Stanford University.
Rosielyn Pulmano is the designee of the Speaker of the Assembly should Commissioner and Assemblymember Harabedian be unavailable. Pulmano is a Health Policy Consultant in the Office of the Speaker of the Assembly.
And finally, President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate, Mike McGuire has appointed a designee for sitting Commissioner and Senator Dave Cortese:
Marjorie Swartz is the designee for the seat representing a member of the Senate, should Commissioner and Senator Cortese be unavailable. Swartz is a Principal Consultant in the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
About the Commission:
The Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, known as the Commission for Behavioral Health (CBH) and formerly the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, was initially established to oversee implementation of Proposition 63 (the Mental Health Services Act of 2004) and to drive innovation and accountability in California’s mental health system.
The CBH champions wellbeing for all Californians through behavioral health prevention and intervention, including mental health and substance use disorders. By working with community partners, individuals with lived experience, family members, State agencies and the legislature we help to increase public understanding, catalyze best practices, and inspire innovation. Our goal: accelerating transformational change.