Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), is the administrative entity for the following Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and Department of Social Services (DSS) programs: 

  • Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) 
  • Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD)  
  • Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH)
  • California Hub and Spoke System State Opioid Response IV (H&SS SOR IV) 
  • Incompetent to Stand Trial Diversion and Community Based Restoration Infrastructure Project (IST)

Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) is also serving as the Regional Care Coordination Agency (RCCA) for the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR)

Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP)  

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) to address historic gaps in the state’s behavioral health care continuum and meet the growing demand for services and supports across the life span. DHCS was authorized through 2021 legislation to establish BHCIP and award approximately $2.1 billion to construct, acquire, and expand properties and to invest in mobile crisis infrastructure related to behavioral health.

In March 2024, California voters passed Proposition 1, a two-bill package including the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) (Senate Bill 326) and the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024 (BHIBA) (Assembly Bill 531). The BHIBA portion is a $6.38 billion general obligation bond to develop an array of behavioral health treatment, residential care settings, and supportive housing to help provide appropriate care facilities for Californians experiencing mental health conditions and substance use disorders. DHCS was authorized to award up to $4.4 billion in BHIBA funds for BHCIP competitive grants. In addition, DHCS will enact changes resulting from Proposition 1 through the Behavioral Health Transformation (BHT) project, which aims to modernize the behavioral health delivery system, improve accountability, increase transparency, and expand capacity of behavioral health care facilities for California residents. Learn more and apply to the current round of funding.

Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) 

DHCS is expanding California’s behavioral health (BH) workforce to improve access, engagement, and productive participation in BH services for individuals and communities throughout the state. Through the Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) projects, DHCS aims to diversify and enhance the BH workforce across geography, race, ethnicity, language, culture, sexual orientation, gender identification, and other provider characteristics to improve access to BH services by ensuring that communities find themselves represented in their care providers.  Efforts to fund equity and growth in the BH workforce are progressing through four projects: Peer Workforce Investment (PWI), Expanding Peer Organization Capacity (EPOC), the Mentored Internship Program (MIP) and the impending Recruitment and Retention project, slated for launch in Summer 2023.

The PWI and EPOC projects are focused on increasing the capacity of peer-run programs to support  people on their process of recovery from mental health issues, substance use disorder, or both. These projects are also geared toward preparing peers for Peer Specialist Certification and delivery of peer Medi-Cal reimbursable services in 2023. Round 1 of the PWI and EPOC projects run from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, and fund 45 peer run behavioral health organizations.

The MIP project provides opportunities for students 18 and older, and at multiple stages of their education, to gain practical on-the-job experience. The goal of the MIP project is to enhance the professional development of a diverse selection of students through thoughtful mentored internships. Round 1 of the MIP project runs from April 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023 and funds 84 non-profit organizations and county-operated behavioral health service providers across 127 sites in 34 counties. Apply for Mentored Internship Project Round 2 funding!

Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program

Through the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program, DHCS will provide $1.5 billion in funding for the operation of bridge housing settings to address the immediate and sustainable housing needs of people experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions, including a serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD). BHBH Program funding is divided among four requests for applications (RFAs): a noncompetitive round for county behavioral health agencies (BHAs), a competitive round for tribal entities, and two additional competitive rounds for both county BHAs and tribal entities that will target specific identified gaps. Learn more and apply for the current round of funding. 

Incompetent to Stand Trial Diversion and Community Based Restoration Infrastructure Project (IST) Program

California’s Department of State Hospitals’ Incompetent to Stand Trial Diversion and Community Based Restoration Infrastructure Project provides $468.8 million in one-time grant funding to California counties to build, acquire, or develop residential housing settings for people who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial (IST). The focus of this project is to provide intensive treatment and wraparound services in a community-based, home-like setting in support of the Department’s Felony Mental Health Diversion Program and Community Based Restoration Program. 

The State of California has seen significant growth in the number of people who are found IST for various charges and committed to the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) for competency restoration services. Competency restoration is the process of providing therapy, education, medication, and other services to help a person regain their competency to the point they are able to understand and participate in their case within the justice system.

The number of people in need of these services currently exceeds the state’s capacity to serve them, resulting in people waiting for the care they need. The DSH IST Infrastructure Project creates more access to mental health services through diversion and community-based treatment and is one of several DSH projects to serve this population. Learn more here.

The Regional Care Coordination Agency (RCCA)

In April 2023, the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) Office of Opioid Settlement Administration (OOSA) awarded Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) a grant to serve as the Regional Care Coordination Agency (RCCA).

The RCCA, directed by the Statewide Opioid Settlement Administrator, will establish sub-awards with organizations that provide intervention, treatment, and harm reduction services for Illinoisans with substance use disorders (SUDs). Organizations receiving sub-awards will prioritize care to support people most impacted by the opioid crisis, including those who continue to face service inequities when seeking help across our state.

California Hub and Spoke System State Opioid Response IV (H&SS SOR IV)

This program will be supported by the California’s State Opioid Response (SOR) IV grant program funded by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). This grant was provided to DHCS by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The SOR IV grant supports the DHCS Opioid Response Project, which aims to address the opioid and stimulant use disorder (StUD) crises by improving access to treatment, reducing unmet treatment needs, and reducing opioid and stimulant-related overdose deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery service activities.

The CA H&SS is a component of the DHCS Opioid Response Project that consists of NTPs (known as Hubs) that are licensed to dispense methadone and other MOUD, and other MAT prescribers (known as Spokes) that primarily provide various buprenorphine formulations and ongoing OUD/SUD care and treatment.

The H&SS SOR IV program will be organized on a regional basis throughout California with a focus on strengthening the relationships between Hubs and their associated Spokes on a local basis, and among H&SS networks regionally. Additionally, the H&SS program will encourage and support sharing of evidence-based and emerging best practices among Hubs and among Spokes respectively on both a regional and statewide basis. Organizations that were grant recipients of previous SOR funding are eligible to apply. All SOR IV funding will be awarded on a competitive basis; new applicants have an equal opportunity for SOR IV grant funding as previously funded organizations.

The CA H&SS is being implemented throughout California to improve, expand, and increase access to MAT services across the state. The goal of this program is to increase access to OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery to all persons throughout the state. Organizations that actively provide culturally competent and non-stigmatized care to individuals and communities at highest risk of overdose are encouraged to apply.

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