Memorandum
Date: April 7, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Elise Jones, Director of Behavioral Health Services
Subject: Approve the Participation Agreement between the County of Lake and the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) for participation in the Psychiatric Inpatient Concurrent Review (PICR) Program for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30,2028, with a maximum funding amount not to exceed $120,960, and authorize the Chair of the Board to sign
Executive Summary:
Lake County Behavioral Health Services requests approval to participate in the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) Psychiatric Inpatient Concurrent Review (PICR) Program for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
The PICR Program provides concurrent review and authorization services for psychiatric inpatient hospital and psychiatric health facility services on behalf of participating county Mental Health Plans (MHPs). Participation in this program assists counties in complying with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) utilization management requirements outlined in Behavioral Health Information Notices (BHIN) 19-026 and 22-017, which were issued to ensure compliance with federal mental health parity regulations.
Under the program, CalMHSA administers the service on behalf of participating counties and coordinates with its contractor, Acentra Health, LLC, to provide a web-enabled utilization review platform and clinical review services. These services support counties in meeting required concurrent review and authorization functions for psychiatric inpatient care.
Lake County will be invoiced monthly based on the number of Treatment Authorization Requests (TARs) completed for psychiatric inpatient services. Actual costs will vary depending on utilization.
The maximum funding amount for this agreement is $120,960 for the term July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with funding provided through Behavioral Health program funding sources.
Purchasing Considerations
This agreement qualifies for exemption from competitive bidding pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.
CalMHSA is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) created by California counties to jointly develop and administer behavioral health programs and services. Lake County is a member of this JPA and participates in programs administered through the authority.
Participation in the PICR Program constitutes an intergovernmental cooperative agreement between public entities rather than a traditional vendor procurement. CalMHSA acts as the fiscal and administrative agent for the program and manages the underlying service contract with Acentra Health on behalf of participating counties. As such, competitive bidding is not applicable.
Participation in the PICR Program supports compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements while improving efficiency in utilization management processes for psychiatric inpatient services.
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Estimated Cost: _____ Amount Budgeted: _____ Additional Requested: ______ Future Annual Cost: _____
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Recommended Action: Approve the Participation Agreement between the County of Lake and the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) for participation in the Psychiatric Inpatient Concurrent Review (PICR) Program for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30,2028, with a maximum funding amount not to exceed $120,960, and authorize the Chair of the Board to sign.