By Mayra E Alvarez, Commission Chair, and Brenda Grealish, Commission Executive Director
In March 2024, California voters took a historic step by passing Proposition 1, signaling a strong commitment to addressing the behavioral health crisis with urgency, equity, and compassion. As a Commission, we have been entrusted with an important responsibility; to not only steward resources wisely, but to use them boldly – to drive the kind of transformation Californians deserve.
One of the most exciting elements of this mandate is the creation of the Innovation Partnership Fund – a $100 million investment that gives us the rare opportunity to disrupt the status quo and build new, bold models of care. We see this funding not as the end, but as a beginning: a seed investment to catalyze a much larger, pooled fund that includes resources from philanthropy, the private sector, and other partners across society.
This is not a problem government can – or should – solve alone. Building a behavioral health system that works for all of us will require a whole-of-society approach, drawing on the best ideas and energy from across sectors and disciplines.
This moment demands curiosity, creativity, and above all, collaboration.
A Learning Journey, Not a Final Destination
Since Fall, 2024, we have been on a listening and learning journey.
Through our initial conversations with advocates, county leaders, community-based organizations, people with lived experience, and our state partners, one thing is clear: This Fund must look and feel different from traditional behavioral health investments.
It must:
- Center equity, ensuring those closest to the pain are closest to the power to shape solutions.
- Break down silos that often impede coordination across systems.
- Test bold ideas that might not fit into traditional funding buckets, but that hold the potential to spark transformational change.
- Continuously learn with transparent processes, shared outcomes, and space for iteration.
What’s Next: Building the Framework Together
Over the coming months, we are building a collaborative, multi-tiered approach to designing the Innovation Partnership Fund, relying on the input of community and government partners, key informants, and Commissioners. This approach includes three key components:
1. The Program Advisory Committee (PAC)
The newly established Program Advisory Committee is a diverse group of Commissioners with deep expertise in behavioral health, community leadership, public systems, and lived experience. This committee will serve as the central body responsible for:
- Drafting the initial framework for how the Innovation Partnership Fund will operate.
- Developing guiding principles to ensure equity, transparency, and impact.
- Identifying potential priority areas and mechanisms for awarding funds.
- Integrating stakeholder and public input into the design.
The PAC will meet regularly throughout the summer and will ultimately present a recommended framework to the full Commission for approval this Fall 2025.
2. Community Engagement
We have heard clearly that traditional public comment periods are not enough. That’s why we are launching a broader, more inclusive strategy to hear from a wide range of voices in real time, in real dialogue. We will host two Virtual Community Engagement Sessions, open to all, focused on co-creating solutions, surfacing bold ideas, and receiving direct feedback. These sessions are scheduled for mid-August and early September.
These forums will include interactive elements – breakout discussions, open Q&A, and polling – to ensure participants can engage deeply and meaningfully.
We also recognize we cannot build a transformative fund without deeply integrating the perspectives of people with lived experience of mental health and substance use challenges. On July 1, we hosted a joint listening session for the Client and Family Leadership Committee (CFLC) and the Cultural and Linguistic Competency Committee (CLCC). The intention was to create a space where all Committee members, as well as community members from throughout California, were able address the intentions and strategies for both committees as they reconvened, including the opportunity to strengthen the Innovation Partnership Fund.
With individuals who are peer providers, consumers, family members, and representatives from diverse populations, the CFLC/CLCC are composed entirely of individuals who bring firsthand knowledge. We look forward to continuing to work with our community to improve the Commission to:
- Shape how we define innovation through the lens of lived experience.
- Identify priority problems the system needs to address.
- Provide candid, grounded feedback.
With meaningful engagement of those with lived experience and those closest to the challenges, the Commission will be stronger in our approach.
3. Partnering Across Government
We know innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. That’s why we’re also committing to deep and meaningful engagement with our partners at the California Health & Human Services Agency, including the Department of Health Care Services, Department of Health Care Access and Information, and California Department of Public Health.
At the same time, we are actively exploring how to bring philanthropy, private-sector innovators, and health systems to the table. If we do this right, we can leverage the Innovation Partnership Fund to build a larger, more sustainable movement for behavioral health transformation – one that taps the collective power of all sectors.
Looking Ahead
Our goal is to present a concept proposal to the Commission for vote by Fall 2025.
But this is only the beginning. Innovation is not a one-time event – it is a way of working, a mindset, and a commitment to continuous learning.
We recognize this process won’t be perfect. But perfection is not the goal: Progress is. And we believe we can make progress by walking this path together: humbly, transparently, and with purpose.
We are so grateful to be on this journey with you – and we look forward to building something extraordinary.