State Funding for County Behavioral Health Crisis Services: Examples and Opportunities
Available On-Demand
This webinar is available on-demand. If you have issue accessing the recording, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.
State support can be pivotal for counties pursuing the sustainability and expansion of their local behavioral health crisis services and infrastructures. In this webinar, speakers will explore examples of state-funded initiatives that bolster county-level behavioral health crisis services. This session will share lessons learned from two different counties that have successfully navigated state funding opportunities to enhance their crisis response systems. Participants will gain insights into the potential avenues for securing and utilizing state funds, learn about the challenges and triumphs experienced by county programs, and discover new opportunities to strengthen their local behavioral health services.
Hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation, this presentation will offer information and inspiration to support county efforts in addressing behavioral health crises using new or existing services.
Resource
County Funding Opportunities to Support Community Members Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
To inform local decision making, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) developed a chart of funding opportunities across federal, state and county governments and non-government sectors. This funding chart can help county leaders identify possible funding streams to build and strengthen local behavioral health crisis response continuums.
The funding sources reflect opportunities across behavioral health, criminal legal and related systems. Due to the cross-sector nature of crisis response, some sources focus on certain populations, like youth, while others target a certain supportive piece of the crisis continuum, like workforce or training. Counties can blend and braid these resources to build a robust, accessible and sustainable behavioral health crisis continuum of care.
Watch Recording
Enhancing Child Welfare: Best Practices for Measuring and Improving Outcomes
Join us for an insightful webinar focusing on child welfare specifically designed for county governments. We will delve into evidence-based practices, informed funding decisions, cost efficiencies, and effective program management. Key areas of discussion will include out-of-home placements, prevention services, and reunification services.
County Countdown – June 30, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership. This week features the Senate reconciliation debate, transparency on sanctuary designations and more.
DHS releases list identifying sanctuary jurisdictions; includes nearly 400 counties
NACo, along with the National League of Cities, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, requested additional clarification on the methodology used to create the list, and noted concerns around the legal challenges that localities face when complying with ICE detainers. As of this time, NACo has yet to hear of a county receiving a formal notification that they were included on the list.
NACo submits recommendations on the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy
On June 20, NACo submitted formal comments to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to help shape the development of its 2026 National Drug Control Strategy. This strategy serves as the nation’s blueprint for reducing illicit drug use, and the ONDCP plays a central role in coordinating federal drug policy across government agencies.
Supreme Court’s Trump v. Casa, Inc. ruling limits use of nationwide injunctions: what this means for counties
On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Trump v. Casa, Inc. limiting federal district court judges' ability to issue universal injunctions to prevent federal policies from going into effect nationwide.
U.S. House of Representatives introduces legislation to expand Medicaid coverage for behavioral health treatment facilities
On June 20, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act in the U.S. House of Representative. This bill aims to improve access to behavioral health care nationwide by removing long-standing Medicaid funding restrictions for behavioral health treatment in certain facilities, providing new flexibility for states and counties to meet growing behavioral health needs.
NACo Legal Advocacy: City of Buffalo et al. v. Kia/Hyundai
The question at hand in City of Seattle et al. v. Kia/Hyundai is whether or not the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard preempts state tort claims brought forth by local governments alleging that Kia and Hyundai’s failure to install “reasonable” anti-theft technology constitutes negligence and public nuisance.