A Call to Action: Bringing the Behavioral Health Services Act to Life

A landmark shift in California’s approach to mental health and substance use services is underway. The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) represents a fundamental reimagining of the state’s behavioral health system, one that prioritizes equity, accessibility, and whole-person care.

For the communities Children’s Institute (CII) serves, this transformation is more than a change in policy. It is personal. It means that children, youth, and families who have historically faced barriers to mental health care now have a clearer, more supported pathway to the services they deserve.

Leading CII’s transformation in alignment with the BHSA has become one of the most defining chapters of my career. While I have had the privilege of leading this work, it has only been possible because of an extraordinary team of dedicated leaders and professionals who embraced this vision alongside me.

Together, we approached this transformation not simply as a compliance mandate, but as a call to action. We have been intentional in aligning our programs, practices, and people with the spirit of the BHSA, building systems that meet communities where they are, respond to their unique needs, and deliver care grounded in compassion, innovation, and clinical excellence.

It means expanding access to behavioral health services while strengthening a continuum of care that ensures every child, every family, and every individual who walks through our doors at CII receives the support they need to heal and thrive. This means continually asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Are we doing it the right way?

Leading this transformation requires bold thinking, deep collaboration, and an unwavering belief that our communities deserve nothing less than the best. I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made and even more excited about where we are headed.

Our commitment to providing evidence-based, whole-family care is reflected in CII’s distinction as an early adopter of High-Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) Certification through the Center of Excellence at UC Davis, a nationally recognized, team-based planning process that centers the voice and vision of children and families.

In practice, clients are no longer expected to navigate complex systems on their own or fit into a one-size-fits-all model of care. Instead, they lead the design of their own path to wellness and success, working alongside therapists, care coordinators, parent partners, educators, family members, and other trusted sources of support.

For one family, that plan may focus on helping a child succeed in school while connecting parents to behavioral health services and community resources. For another, it may mean stabilizing a family after a traumatic event, strengthening relationships at home, or helping a transition-age youth build the skills and confidence needed to live independently.

This approach not only gives families a voice—it gives them agency. It recognizes that lasting change happens when families help shape the decisions that affect their lives and are surrounded by a coordinated circle of care that supports them every step of the way.

At CII, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of care, not because it is required, but because our families deserve nothing less. It reflects our belief that innovation and excellence are not destinations, but commitments we renew every single day for the communities that trust us with their most vulnerable moments.

We’ve never been content to wait for change to happen around us. When we identify opportunities to improve the way we serve children and families, we’re willing to lead within and beyond our own organization. As we implemented High-Fidelity Wraparound, my team and I established a regional Collaborative that brought together behavioral health providers from across Los Angeles County to exchange best practices, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and strengthen one another’s capacity to deliver high-quality wraparound care.

Through collaboration and partnership, we helped build a stronger network of providers working toward a shared goal: ensuring that children and families have equitable access to coordinated, evidence-based care—regardless of where they enter the behavioral health system.

Meaningful change is never the work of one person, and lasting transformation is never built alone. It is built through collective excellence and through teams that collaborate, support one another, and refuse to give up on the people who count on them most.

I am deeply grateful to CII President and CEO, Martine Singer, for fostering a culture where every team member is valued, supported, and empowered. Her leadership sets the tone for everything we do and inspires all of us to show up as our very best.

To my colleagues and team: Thank you for your intelligence, creativity, passion, and steadfast commitment to our mission. Your dedication to serving children, families, and communities with excellence has made this transformation possible.

Dr. Diane Elias, Ed.D., CP, LMFT, is Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health and Community Services at Children’s Institute.