Supes OK behavioral health contract: Yuba County to partner with Peach Tree for mental health, addiction services
Mar. 26—The Yuba County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an agreement with Peach Tree Health on Tuesday to provide behavioral health and substance abuse services to youth and adults identified by county Health and Human Services.
Under this agreement, Peach Tree will provide behavioral health assessments and therapeutic treatment services through Dec. 31, 2026, at a contracted rate of $288,293 per year.
Yuba County Health and Human Services previously determined that certain behavioral health care services can be performed more efficiently through a contracted agreement with appropriate providers. Comprehensive access to behavioral health care for Yuba County's vulnerable populations will be maintained and expanded, officials said.
According to Deputy Director of Yuba County Child Protective Services Tony Gordon, Peach Tree Health was identified as a qualified behavioral health care provider, conveniently located in the same vicinity as Health and Human Services and the Yuba County Welfare Department.
"It's essential that our children, youth and families have the ability to access services that we know will allow them to maintain their personal family relationships, which we know are beneficial to developing healthy emotional supports. The services provided will be able to assist in removing barriers to achieve self-sufficiency," Gordon said. "Transportation and time management are issues we all face. Families come to the Packard (Avenue) building for court ordered visitation services or perhaps working with a social services worker onsite. Now they have the opportunity to also receive therapeutic services at one location."
Under this agreement, Yuba County will identify patients from Child and Adult Protective Services and CalWORKS and refer them to Peach Tree Health for behavioral assessments. In turn, Peach Tree will provide mild to moderate behavioral health therapy to referred patients. Those requiring specialized or intensive behavioral health services will be directed to Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health.
Peach Tree will also provide counseling for groups, families and individuals, parent education, crisis resolution, and mental health evaluation and treatment including co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
The total payment for contracting Peach Tree Health over three years will not exceed $866,769, Yuba County officials said. This also encompasses salaries and benefits for behavioral health personnel, including marriage and family therapists, an addiction medication specialist and behavioral health program manager. Gordon said that there is a non-general fund associated with this contract, and all funding comes from state and federal sources.
According to Gordon, mental and behavioral health care is the largest unmet health need among children and teens in foster care. Health and Human Services surveyed Yuba County residents to gain a better understanding of service needs priorities for families.
"Respondents felt that the highest priority needs for families with young children was affordable child care at 75%, but this was followed by child therapeutic services at 74%. Ranking fourth in the survey was developmental screening services for children with special needs. Mental health counseling for parents and caregivers was ranked eighth at 64%. As you can see, our community recognizes the need for these services," Gordon said. "In assisting youth in the child welfare system, we have experienced that these youth have multiple complex needs, and that when you add child welfare involvement in conjunction with possible placement into a foster care home, you can see why essential therapeutic services would be a priority."
