Behavioral Health Planning Council

The Minnesota Behavioral Health Planning Council (BHPC) is an integrated mental health and substance use disorder council that advises the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Administration regarding Minnesota’s Mental Health and Substance Use Block Grant.

Applications for open positions on the Behavioral Health Planning Council are now being accepted.

Responsibilities of the Behavioral Health Planning Council
- Review plans provided to the council by the state (pursuant to 42 U.S.C., Chapter 6A, Part B, Subpart I, §300x–4.(a) Review of State Plan by Mental Health Planning Council) and submit to the State any recommendations of the council for modifications to the plans.
- Serve as an advocate for adults with serious mental illness, children with severe emotional disturbance, other individuals with mental illnesses, and people experiencing or at risk of experiencing substance use disorder.
- Monitor, review and evaluate not less than once each year, the allocation and adequacy of mental health and substance use disorder programs and services within the state.
- Establish council bylaws, including group norms/values, leadership and decision-making structures.
- Represent council activities under the direction of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division, as needed.
In addition, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division looks to the Behavioral Health Planning Council to:
- Inform DHS about issues at the local level.
- Point out structural gaps in the system and identify barriers in the delivery of services to communities.
- Consult on policy development: DHS will share what they are planning and ask for the council’s feedback.
- Offer insights for consideration on effective measures and themes/issues DHS should consider in its work.
Membership in the Behavioral Health Planning Council

The Behavioral Health Planning Council is composed of residents of the State of Minnesota, including representatives of the principle State agencies with respect to: mental health, education, vocational rehabilitation, criminal justice, housing, and social services. Minnesota seeks balanced representation for mental health and substance use/misuse experiences for each federally required seat in the council. A minimum of 50 percent of council members are people who are not State employees or providers of mental health services. Bylaws of the council (PDF).

Current BHPC Members
Meeting Information
The Minnesota Behavioral Health Planning Council meetings are the first Monday, every other month, from 1 to 3 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and guests are encouraged to attend.

2025 Meeting Dates
- February 3, 2025
- April 7, 2025
- June 2, 2025
- August 4, 2025
- October 6, 2025
- December 1, 2025
Location Information:

In-Person: Minnesota Department of Human Services, Elmer L. Andersen Building, 540 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

There is also a new link for the meetings:

Microsoft Teams meeting

In-Person: Elmer L. Andersen Building, 540 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101 Room C2222

MS Team: Join the meeting now

Audio Only: +1 651-395-7448, Phone Conference ID:210176354561
Meeting Minutes
- February 3, 2025
- April 7, 2025
- June 2, 2025
- August 4, 2025
- October 6, 2025
- December 1, 2025
Member Documents
Minnesota Combined Mental Health and Substance Use Block Grant
The Behavioral Health Administration is developing the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026-2027 Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) and Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUPTRS BG) application and plan that will be submitted to SAMHSA by August 29, 2025. The draft of the application and plan are available for the Behavioral Health Planning Council and public comments. The application and plan consists of 4 sections:
- State Information section
- Planning Steps 1 and 2: Assessment of the strengths, capacity, and unmet service needs and gaps for mental health and substance use disorder services in Minnesota
- Priority Areas and Performance Indicators Tables and Expenditure Planning Tables
- Environmental Factors and Plan
After September 1, 2025, the full draft of FFY 2026-2027 Block Grant application will be available electronically via the Web-based Block Grant Application System (WebBGAS) by following these steps:
- Go to: https://bgas.samhsa.gov/
- Enter username: citizenmn
- Enter password: citizen
- Click on "View an Existing Application"
- Click on the “FY 2026-2027 Combined MHBG/SUPTRS BG Application/Behavioral Health Assessment and Plan"
Send questions or feedback about the Mental Health and Substance Use Block Grant applications and reports to Kari.Irber@state.mn.us.
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