Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council

The Kentucky Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council is seeking membership applications from individuals to represent:

  • Adults with Lived Experience of a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or a co-occurring mental health/substance use disorder
  • Young Adults with Lived Experience (ages 18 – 25) of a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or a co-occurring mental health/substance use disorder
  • Family members of an adult with lived experience of a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or a co-occurring mental health/substance use disorder

Membership eligibility is described on Page 1 of the Membership Application (see Related Links).

Council Description

Established by administrative order in 1989, the Kentucky Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council conforms to Public Law 102-321, which requires formulation of such a council and specifies its composition be made up of 51 percent of consumers and family members of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.

The council is charged with the following duties:

Council Duties

  • Report directly to the Commissioner of DBHDID.
  • Assist DBHDID in designing a comprehensive, recovery-oriented system of care.
  • Advise DBHDID on the use of the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUPTRS-BG) funds and the Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) funds, and on the quality of statewide, recovery-oriented behavioral health services.
  • Review the biennial combined SUPTRS-BG and MHBG Application and annual SUPTRS – BG and MHBG Reports pursuant to Public Law 102-321, Section 1915(a), and submit recommendations to DBHDID prior to the September 1 and December 1 due dates, respectively.
  • Advocate for individuals in recovery, children and youth with behavioral health challenges, and family members.
  • Monitor, review, and evaluate, no less than once a year, the allocation and quality of statewide, recovery-oriented behavioral health services

Council Meetings and Committees

The full council meets quarterly and has several established committees, including Executive, Bylaws, Membership, and Finance and Data, and ad hoc committees deemed appropriate by the council membership.

Council Mission and Vision

The council’s mission and vision are as follows:

Mission: The council is the active voice promoting awareness of and access to effective, affordable, recovery-oriented and resiliency-based services in all communities

Vision: We believe that all children, adolescents, and adults in the Commonwealth have the right to excellent, recovery-oriented, resilience-based behavioral health services that are affordable, equitable, client-driven, and assists community members to achieve their full potential, and live and thrive in their community.

Council Membership

The council is composed of representatives from state agencies, providers, individuals with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders, family members of individuals with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders, parents/guardians of a child with behavioral health challenges, and two young adults with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders. Access the "Membership List" link in the Related Links box for a list of members.

The council currently has 37 members:

  • Six individuals with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders.
  • Six parents/grandparents/guardians/foster parents who are caring for a child (birth through age 20) with behavioral health challenges
  • Six family members of an individual with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders.
  • Two young adults (age 18-25) with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorders.
  • Four representatives of advocacy organizations with which DBHDID contracts with for services.
  • Two provider organization representatives.
  • Eleven state agency representatives.

The ratio of parents of children with behavioral health challenges to other members of the council must be sufficient to provide adequate representation of these children.

Most importantly, the federal law council governing the council (Public Law 102-321) states that not less than 50 percent of the council members are individuals who are not state employees or providers of mental health services.

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