Report Type: Governance Infrastructure
Behavioral Health Initiative Structure
YEAR
2025
AUTHOR / ORGANIZATION
BernCo
GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE
Bernalillo County, City/County Joint
What is this?
A single-page governance flow diagram produced by Bernalillo County as part of its 2025 BHI documentation. It maps the decision-making pathway from subcommittee review through Steering Committee vetting to governing body approval and fund allocation. There is no methodology; this is a structural reference document.
Summary
The BHI Structure diagram makes explicit a governance model that is itself a form of systems change: it distributes decision-making across subcommittees with community membership rather than concentrating authority in a single agency. This design reflects a growing consensus in behavioral health systems reform that community voice must be embedded at the proposal review stage, not just in public comment periods. For systems planners in Bernalillo County, this diagram clarifies where and how to engage: subcommittees are the entry point for community members, advocates, and providers to shape funding priorities before they reach the governing body. The structure also reveals that Albuquerque Public Schools has a formal seat at the approval table alongside the ABCGC, signaling a cross-sector integration between education and behavioral health that is rare and significant. Systems change advocates working on school-based mental health, youth services, or ACEs-informed approaches should take note of APS’s role. The diagram does not indicate how subcommittee members are selected, how often they meet, or what decision criteria are used — important gaps for anyone seeking meaningful participation. When paired with the BHI Services chart (R021), the structure diagram completes the picture of how Bernalillo County’s behavioral health funding system is designed to work.
BH Systems Change Recommendations
This diagram does not contain narrative recommendations, but the governance model it depicts embodies several systems change principles: multi-stakeholder participation at proposal review, cross-sector co-governance (health + education), and a clear accountability pathway to an elected governing body. For systems change advocates, the most important insight is that the subcommittee level is where community voice can meaningfully influence funding decisions. The diagram also reveals that behavioral health and education are formally linked at the approval level — an infrastructure that could support integrated school-based mental health initiatives if leveraged intentionally.
How to Use for Systems Planning
**What it IS useful for:** -Mapping entry points for community and provider engagement with BHI; understanding where in the process to submit proposals or public comment; identifying cross-sector partnership opportunities (especially with APS); orienting new staff, board members, or advocates to BHI governance **What it DOES NOT provide:** -Subcommittee meeting schedules or application processes; criteria for subcommittee membership selection; budget figures or funding cycle timelines; information on how the Steering Committee makes decisions
Key Facts & Data Points
-4 subcommittees: Crisis Services, Community Supports, Supportive Housing, Prevention & Harm Reduction -Subcommittee membership: community members, technical advisors, and BernCo staff -Governance pathway: Subcommittees → Steering Committee → ABCGC + APS → Bernalillo County Commission -APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) has formal co-approval authority alongside the ABCGC — notable cross-sector integration -The Bernalillo County Commission is the ultimate approving and fund-allocating body
Priority Services & Findings
**SUD Organizations** -Represented through the Crisis Services Subcommittee and Prevention & Harm Reduction Subcommittee **Mental Health/Crisis Care** -Crisis Services Subcommittee (focus: improve response for individuals in psychiatric or substance use crisis and diversion to appropriate services) **Integrated Primary Care** -Prevention & Harm Reduction Subcommittee (focus: prevent substance use and severe psychiatric distress through early identification and treatment) **School-Based/Youth Services** -APS formal co-governance role; Prevention & Harm Reduction Subcommittee focus area aligns with school-based services
Immediate Actions for Systems Planners
-Identify which subcommittee(s) are most relevant to your organization's work and seek participation or at minimum observer status -Contact BernCo to understand the subcommittee member selection process and current openings for community member seats -Use the APS co-governance role as a lever to advance school-based behavioral health priorities — engage both BHI and APS leadership jointly -Map your organization's programs to one or more subcommittee focus areas to align future funding proposals with BHI structure -Ask the Steering Committee what criteria it uses to vet proposals before forwarding to ABCGC
Key Contacts
**/ - No Contacts Included in Report