California’s Behavioral Health Services Act (Prop 1 – BHSA) is one of the most significant shifts in our state’s behavioral health system in years
California’s Behavioral Health Services Act (Prop 1 – BHSA) is one of the most significant shifts in our state’s behavioral health system in years — and full implementation is required by July 1, 2026. The intent is clear: better serve people with the most significant needs, and strengthen housing, treatment, and accountability. But at the…
American Institutes for Research (AIR) for presenting the Oakland Children’s Initiative (OCI)
🎉 Shoutout to our evaluation partner Gabriele Fain at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) for presenting the Oakland Children’s Initiative (OCI) process study results at the April 2026 OCI Commission meeting at Oakland City Hall last week. As an Oakland based firm, RDA Consulting, SPC‘s Health & Human Services team was thrilled to contribute…
CDSS CalOAR Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Cycle
Counties across California are gearing up for the CDSS CalOAR Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) cycle — and we know it can feel like a lot. Balancing implementation, stakeholder engagement, data collection, and state reporting isn’t easy… but it’s also an opportunity to strengthen CalWORKs and improve outcomes for families who need support most. At RDA…
RDA works alongside grantees to strengthen their capacity for data collection, reporting, and evaluation so they can better understand and .
As we transition from the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Cohort 4 into Cohort 5, that’s one of the biggest lessons we’re carrying forward. CalVIP supports community-based efforts to reduce violence across California. As the technical assistance provider, RDA works alongside grantees to strengthen their capacity for data collection, reporting, and evaluation, so they…
Evaluation of the Bay Area Air District’s (BAAD) James Cary Smith (JCS) Community Grant Program
We are excited to share highlights from our three-year evaluation of the Bay Area Air District’s (BAAD) James Cary Smith (JCS) Community Grant Program where we employed ripple effect mapping – a versatile participatory evaluation tool! RDA facilitated three, half-day workshops with staff and community members from 20 grantee organizations, including youth and monolingual Spanish-speakers, to…
CoCo Probation AB109 Learning Collaborative Trainings
RDA Consulting was honored to deliver three Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Interventions trainings for the Probation Department’s contracted AB 109 providers. We are thankful for our longstanding partnership with the Contra Costa County Probation Department and the Office of Reentry and Justice. It is especially meaningful to see strong relationships continuing to grow across the…
Annual Staff Retreat 2026
RDA Consulting, SPC recently held its annual all-staff retreat. Our team members traveled to the Bay Area from various locations, including Portland, New York, Florida, South Lake Tahoe, and many other places across the United States to join us. The agenda included foundational discussions for strategic planning with our partners at Be Kind Lyfe, self-discovery…
Honoring Indigenous Justice on Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2025
RDA Consulting observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day annually in place of the Columbus Day Federal holiday. First observed in Berkeley, California in 1992, the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day has spread across the United States. Today, 17 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and numerous localities nationwide celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday…
Supporting Juneteenth and Abundant Opportunities
We know that poverty disproportionately affects Black women and children in the US, which compounds disparities in maternal and child health. These disparities, an effect of systemic racism, are further exacerbated by social and economic stressors. The results of poverty, including lack of safe housing and access to healthy food, and the stress created by…
SB 36: What Does Tool Validation Involve?
California Senate Bill 36 requires agencies conducting pretrial risk assessments to complete a validation at least once every three years. Local validation studies are not just a requirement of SB 36 but an opportunity for your agency to improve your pretrial practices while ensuring equitable, safe, and timely release of eligible defendants. The validation process…
Choosing Your MHSA to BHSA Transition Team
As your county prepares to develop an Integrated Plan for the 2026–2029 fiscal years to meet BHSA implementation requirements, complex changes in planning and reporting may seem daunting. One of the most impactful changes is that counties must now report on all behavioral health funding sources and services. These include local, state, and federally funded…
Supporting Native American Heritage and Indigenous Peoples’ Days
The members of RDA Consulting, SPC observed Native American Heritage Day last Friday, November 29 as we do each year. When I shared that with a colleague, they wondered about the difference between Native American Heritage Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This difference is simply and beautifully defined by Weyodi OldBear, a writer and self-described…
Juneteenth Recognition for Young Women’s Freedom Center Oakland
In the words of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. For the third year since Juneteenth became a federal holiday, RDA Consulting made a financial contribution to an Oakland-based organization nominated by our staff that works for Black independence and empowerment. This year, RDA Consulting…
Enhancing Equity in Pretrial Procedures: The Significance of Senate Bill 36 and Local Risk Assessment Validation
By Jennifer Lux, Senior Consultant, Penelope Fergison, Senior Consultant, and Carrie Coen, Associate Director, Justice INTRODUCTION In the current landscape of criminal justice reform, the spotlight is on ensuring fairness and equity during the pretrial phase of legal proceedings. At the forefront of this discussion is California’s Senate Bill 36 (SB 36), a groundbreaking piece…
Five Ways California’s Counties Can Prepare Now That Prop 1 Has Passed
by Amalia Freedman, CEO After two weeks of counting votes, California voters passed Proposition 1 by a hair. The proposition, a two-part initiative aimed at improving equitable access to behavioral health services, provides new funding for treatment facilities and housing support while updating the 20-year-old Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Millions of Californians who cope…