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
The Current State of Student Debt and Forgiveness
This webinar is designed for county HR and leadership teams seeking practical ways to support employees struggling with student debt.
Over 9 million public service workers, including full-time county employees, are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Yet fewer than 3 percent have successfully received relief.
The issue is not eligibility. It is awareness, complexity, and follow-through.
Please join us as we speak with student debt forgiveness expert Tony Raffa, who will clarify today’s student debt landscape, including:
- What recent policy and executive actions mean for public sector employees
- How Department of Education changes affect forgiveness eligibility, timelines, and compliance
- Which student debt relief programs do employees actually qualify for today
- The current status of the SAVE program
- Common application errors that delay or derail forgiveness
- Rising delinquency and repayment restart risks
- What HR teams need to know about collections, wage garnishment notices, and employer responsibilities
Attendees will also see how a new student debt navigation tool helps employees estimate their potential forgiveness, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce annual payments by an average of $2,244.
For HR teams, this means a scalable way to offer meaningful financial support without adding administrative burden.
NACo Public Health Leadership Academy Application Information Session
This webinar will review the key information applicants should know to apply to the Public Health Leadership Academy and provide an opportunity for applicants to ask questions.
USDA and HHS release new dietary guidelines
On January 7, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.
House passes legislation to increase the Crime Victims Fund
On January 12, the House passed the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (H.R. 909) by a voice vote.
SAMHSA cancels, reinstates thousands of behavioral health grants
Late on Wednesday, January 14, the Administration announced that thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants that had been terminated just one day earlier would be reinstated.
House passes three-year extension of ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
On January 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits (EPTCs) for three years, sending the measure to the Senate as lawmakers work to negotiate a bipartisan compromise.
CMS requires state Medicaid suspension upon arrest versus termination
Effective January 1, 2026, federal law now requires states to suspend, rather than terminate, Medicaid coverage when an individual is incarcerated.
