Membership and Seat Qualifications
The below listed summary of seats, term expirations and membership information shall serve as notice of vacancies, upcoming term expirations, and information on currently held seats, appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Appointments by other bodies are listed, if available.
Seat numbers listed as “VACANT” are open for immediate appointment. However, you are able to submit applications for all seats and your application will be maintained for one year, in the event that an unexpected vacancy or opening occurs.
Seat: 1
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Term expired 6/30/24 - Holdover Member Bahlam Vigil (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2028
Qualifications:
Member of Board of Supervisors
Seat: 2
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT
Term Ending: 3/2/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 3
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: Liza Murawski (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 4
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: Peter Thomas Murphy * (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2027
Qualifications:
Must be a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 5
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Term Expired 6/30/24 - Holdover Member Harriette Stevens
Term Ending: 3/2/2028
Qualifications:
Must be a family member of a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 6
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Lisa Williams
Term Ending: 3/2/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a family member of a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 7
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Term Expired 6/30/24 - Holdover Member Stephen Banuelos Term Ending: 3/2/2027
Qualifications:
Must be a family member of a consumer (a consumer is defined as a person who has received mental health and/or substance use services in San Francisco from any program operated or funded by the City, From a State hospital, or from any public or private nonprofit mental health agency).
Term: 3-years
Seat: 8
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Term Expired 6/30/24 - Holdover Member Genesis Vasconez
Term Ending: 3/2/2025
Qualifications:
Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in an ER, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
Term: 3-years
Seat: 9
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: Lisa Wynn ** and *** (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in an ER, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
Term: 3-years
Seat: 10
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: Carletta Jackson-Lane * and *** (second term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2027
Qualifications:
Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in an ER, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
Term: 3-years
Seat: 11
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: VACANT - Term Expired 3/02/25 Holdover Member - Kescha Mason * (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2028
Qualifications:
Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in an ER, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
Term: 3-years
Seat: 12
Appointing Authority: BOS
Seat Holder: Alexander Humphrey (first term)
Term Ending: 3/2/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in an ER, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
Term: 3-years
Seat Information
Floating Requirement (not assigned to a specific seat):
Please Note: Depending upon the posting date, a vacancy may have already been filled. To determine if a vacancy for this Commission is still available, or if you require additional information, please call the Rules Committee Clerk at (415) 554-5184.
* At least two members of the BHC shall be from the following professions: psychiatry, psychology, mental Health Social Work, nursing with a specialty in mental health, marriage and family counselling, psychiatric technology, or administration of a hospital providing mental health services or of a community mental health facility (can be fulfilled by any members from seats 2-12).
** At least one member of the BHC shall be a veteran or veteran advocate (a parent, spouse, or adult child of a veteran, or an individual who is part of a veteran organization including but not limited to the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the American Legion). May fulfill both the requirements to be a veteran or veteran advocate and the requirement to be a consumer or the parent, spouse, sibling, or adult child of a consumer (can be fulfill by any member from seats 2-12).
*** At least one member of the BHC shall be child advocate (includes a family member of a child consumer or consumer advocate for minors who use mental health services). A member may satisfy the requirements of both child advocate and the requirement under subsection c to be a consumer or parent, spouse sibling, or adult child of a consumer (can be fulfilled by any member from seats 2-12).
**** Fifty percent of the board membership shall be consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers, who are receiving or have received behavioral health services. At least one of these members shall be an individual who is 25 years of age or younger throughout the term. Members who exceed the age requirement during their term will be deemed to not be qualified to fulfill this requirement (can be fulfilled by any member from seats 2-7).
***** At least one member of the board shall be an employee of a local education agency (can be fulfilled by any member from seats 2-12).
Exclusions:
No member or their spouse shall be a full-time or part-time County employee of a County mental health service, an employee of the State Department of Health Care Services, or an employee of, or a paid member of the governing body of, a mental health contract agency.
A consumer who has obtained employment with an employer described in subsection (g), and who holds a position in which the consumer has no interest, influence, or authority over any financial or contractual matter concerning the employer may be appointed to the Commission. Such a member shall not participate in any matter concerning the member’s employer if prohibited by state or local law.
A term limit of two consecutive terms shall apply.
Application Process
Please Note: Depending upon the posting date, a vacancy may have already been filled. To determine if a vacancy for this Commission is still available, or if you require additional information, please call the Rules Committee Clerk at (415) 554-5184.
Next Steps:
Applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be contacted by the Rules Committee Clerk once the Rules Committee Chair determines the date of the hearing. Members of the Rules Committee will consider the appointment(s) at the meeting and applicant(s) may be asked to state their qualifications. The appointment of the individual(s) who is recommended by the Rules Committee will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.
Description:
The Behavioral Health Commission (“Commission”) shall consist of eleven (11 members) appointed by the Board of Supervisors:
- One member of the Board of Supervisors. (seat 1)
- At least three members shall be consumers (seats 2-4)
- At least three members shall be family of consumers (seats 5-7)
- Must be a person with experience and knowledge of the mental health system representing the public interest, which may include, but need not be limited to, people who engage with individuals living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of county offices of education, large and small businesses, hospitals, hospital districts, physicians practicing in emergency departments, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers. (seats 8-12)
- At least one member (from seats 2-12) shall be a veteran or veteran advocate.
- At least two members of the BHC (from seats 2-12) shall be from the following professions: psychiatry, psychology, mental Health Social Work, nursing with a specialty in mental health, marriage and family counselling, psychiatric technology, or administration of a hospital providing mental health services or of a community mental health facility.
No member shall serve more than two consecutive full terms. For the purpose of this term limit, terms beginning January 1, 2024, shall count as full terms. Provided however, that a member whose term ends January 1, 2024, and who has served for six months or less, will not be deemed to have served a full term.
The California Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 5604, requires: Fifty percent of the board membership shall be consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers, who are receiving or have received mental health services. At least 20 percent of the total membership shall be consumers, and at least 20 percent shall be families of consumers.
In counties with a population of 100,000 or more, at least one member of the board shall be a veteran or veteran advocate. In counties with a population of fewer than 100,000, the county shall give a strong preference to appointing at least one member of the board who is a veteran or a veteran advocate. A county shall notify its county veterans service officer about vacancies on the board, if a county has a veteran’s service officer.
The Commission shall review and evaluate the City and County's behavioral health needs, services, facilities and special problems and other duties as stated in Administrative Code, Section 15.14.
Report:
An Annual Report shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors on the needs and performance of the City and County's mental health system.
Holdover Limit:
Not Applicable
Authority:
California Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 5604 et seq.; and
Administrative Code, Section 15.12 et seq. (Ordinance Nos. 15-80, 452-85, 98-93, 337-99, and 240-19) (Ordinance No. 010-24)
Sunset Date:
None
Contact:
Amber Gray
Department of Public Health
650-438-3964
amber.gray@sfdph.org
Updated: December 22, 2025