The Commission for Behavioral Health’s newly elected 2026 Chair Al Rowlett, right, and Vice Chair Rayshell Chambers at the Nov. 20, 2025 Commission Meeting in Sacramento.
Key Takeaways
- Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF) Framework 4.0.
- Commissioners elected current Vice Chair Al Rowlett and Commissioner Rayshell Chambers to the offices of chair and vice chair, respectively, for 2026.
- Commissioners approved moving forward with a request for proposal (RFP) for the Transition Age Youth (TAY) advocacy grant.
Following robust conversation and input from the public, the Commission voted unanimously to adopt the IPF Framework 4.0 to inform the development and implementation of the fund, as specified in the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).
The community engagement process around the framework began in January and included a “Call for Concepts” survey aimed at seeking innovative project ideas from community partners, local and state agencies, and non-profit and private organizations. Community members and clients and individuals with lived experience, provided further feedback to inform the framework during three separate Commission-sponsored listening sessions.
The Commission hopes to release the Request for Proposal outline in early 2026 with the first grants going out in July 2026 to align with BHSA implementation.
Additional Items
- Commissioners unanimously elected current Vice Chair Al Rowlett and Commissioner Rayshell Chambers to the office of Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Rowlett and Chambers will begin their new roles on January 1, 2026.
- Commissioners approved the request for proposal for TAY advocacy grant; applications are due by January 16th, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.
- The Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants presented on their work advocating for the immigrant and refugee population in the Bay Area.
A full recording of the November 20 meeting is available here.
The next Commission meeting is scheduled for January 22.