HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.12.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Program Funding Cuts for Public Hearing on May 20, 2026.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.;
Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth
Cc:Nuzum, Danielle; Kennelly, Scott; Rowe, Tiffany; Mutony, Heather
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Program Funding Cuts for Public Hearing on May 20, 2026
Date:Tuesday, May 12, 2026 2:15:48 PM
Attachments:image001.png
Please see Board Correspondence -
Lewis LeeAdministrative Technician - ConfidentialButte County Administration25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 • Oroville, CA 95965T: 530.552.3326www.buttecounty.ca.gov | lelee@buttecounty.ca.gov
From: L Johnson <derain85@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 12:13 PM
To: MHSA, DBH <mhsa@buttecounty.ca.gov>; Clerk of the Board
<clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>
Subject: Program Funding Cuts for Public Hearing on May 20, 2026
To whom it may concern,
It has come to my attention that Butte County Public Health will no longer be
supporting the following programs as of June 30, 2026:
Stonewall Alliance of Chico
6th street Youth Shelter
Caminar Severe Mental Illness Housing and Support
Caminar dream catchers-employment and life skills for people with disabilities
NAMI Butte County
African American family and cultural center
Hmong cultural center
Passages Connections
Torres Shelter peer partnership
NVCSS promotores
NVCSS Iversen Wellness Center
I would like to ask why these specific programs were selected for discontinuation, and
what criteria were used in those decisions. I would also like to ask how community input was
used to make these decisions, and how community and providers will be collaborated with to
establish next steps. As a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee that is dedicated to the
support of mental health in Butte County, I find the funding withdrawal from many of our
most important programs that target support for those with severe and persistent mental
illness, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and support for homeless youth and LGBTQ+
individuals very disturbing.
Our county is particularly in need of these services as it is rural and holds the largest
cities of Oroville and Chico for many surrounding miles. Mental health support is also vital in
this area due to not only the high rate of Adverse Childhood Experiences, which is higher than
the state average, but also due to the effects of both the Camp and Park Fires.
I am devoted to the development of Butte County’s mental health resource network
and the people that live here. Stripping back these programs that are essential for the continued
mental health support and well-being of Butte Country residents as well as more concrete
supports such as housing and other resources offered by these programs without strong, clear
transitional planning for their recipients is reckless at best and downright dangerous at worst. I
urge the county to carefully consider how far residents would need to travel in order to receive
equivalent services and what services they intend to offer as a substitute to our most
vulnerable and marginalized residents before subjecting them to the upheaval that the ending
of these programs would most certainly cause.
Sincerely,
Lorraine Johnson
MFT Trainee
Chico, CA resident since 2007