SEC. 15.12. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMMISSION – COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.

(a) There is hereby established a mental health board pursuant to the requirements of California Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 5604 et seq., to be known as the Behavioral Health Commission (“Commission”).

(b) The Commission shall consist of 12 members. The Board of Supervisors shall appoint all members, one of whom shall be a member of the Board of Supervisors.

(c) As required by California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5604, at least six members of the Commission shall be consumers or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers, with at least three members being consumers and at least three other members being family

of consumers. For purposes of this subsection (c), “family of consumer” includes domestic partners and significant others. For purposes of this Section 15.12, a “consumer” is a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, from a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency. The Board of Supervisors member position shall not count in determining whether the “consumer” and “family of consumer” requirements of this subsection are met.

(d) In addition to the requirements of subsection (c), one member of the Commission shall be a veteran or veteran advocate. For the purposes of this subsection (d), a “veteran advocate” includes a parent, spouse, or adult child of a veteran, or an individual who is part of a veteran organization including but not limited to the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the American Legion. Additionally, one member shall be a child advocate. For purposes of this subsection (d), a “child advocate” includes a family member of a child consumer or consumer advocate for minors who use mental health services. A member may satisfy the requirements of both subsection (c) and this subsection (d) concurrently. The Board of Supervisors member position shall not count in determining whether the requirements of this subsection (d) are met.

(e) In addition to the requirements of subsections (c) and (d), on or after July 1, 2024 two members shall be from the following professions: psychiatry, psychology, mental health social work, nursing with a specialty in mental health, marriage and family counseling, psychiatric technology, or administration of a hospital providing mental health services or of a community mental health facility.

(f) Any positions on the Commission not allocated to specific types of members may be filled by persons with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but need not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, large and small businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in emergency departments, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.

interest, which may include, but need not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, large and small businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in emergency departments, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.

(g) The Commission membership shall reflect the ethnic diversity of the client population in the City. The composition of the Commission shall, to the extent feasible, represent the demographics of the City as a whole. Except as provided in subsection(h), no member of the Commission or the member’s spouse shall be a full-time or part-time County employee of a County mental health service, an employee of the State Department of Health Care Services, or an employee of, or a paid member of the governing body of, a mental health contract agency.

(h) A consumer who has obtained employment with an employer described in subsection (g), and who holds a position in which the consumer has no interest, influence, or authority over any financial or contractual matter concerning the employer may be appointed to the Commission. Such a member shall not participate in any matter concerning the member’s employer if prohibited by state or local law.

(i) References in the Administrative Code or any other part of the Municipal Code, or any City ordinance, to the Advisory Board of the Community Mental Health Services, or to the San Francisco Mental Health Board shall be deemed references to the Commission.

(Added by Ord. 98-93, App. 4/13/93; amended by Ord. 337-99, File No. 992043, App. 12/30/99; Ord. 240-19, File No. 190497, App. 10/18/2019, Eff. 11/18/2019; Ord. 229-20, File No. 200951, App. 11/13/2020, Eff. 12/14/2020; Ord. 10-24, File No. 231076, App. 2/1/2024, Eff. 3/3/2024)

The Department shall provide administrative staff to the Behavioral Health Commission with Department employees.

(Added by Ord. 229-20, File No. 200951, App. 11/13/2020, Eff. 12/14/2020)