Administration
This unit is responsible for the overall planning, budgeting, implementation, direction, and evaluation of the services provided by the Department of Behavioral Health Services. The unit is responsible to assure that all services are provided in accordance with County, State and Federal mandates and for the coordination and the integration of mental health, Mental Health Services Act and alcohol & drug systems of care among County programs, community services agencies and private health providers & organizations. The administration unit works directly with the Behavioral Health Advisory Board and other citizen advisory boards in the assessment of mental health and alcohol & drug community needs and is the liaison with Federal, State, County and private agencies.
Behavioral Health Advisory Board
The role and function of the board is to review and evaluate the community's mental health needs, services, and special problems; review any county agreements entered into pursuant to Section 5650; advise the governing body and the local mental health director as to any aspect of the local mental health program; review and approved the procedures used to ensure citizen and professional involvement at all stages of the planning process; submit an annual report to the governing body on the needs and performance of the county's mental health system; review and make recommendations on applicants for the appointment of a local director of mental health services; review and comment on the county's performance outcome data and communicate its findings to the State Mental Health Commission; Perform other duties or functions as may be transferred to the Behavioral Health Advisory Board by the Board of Supervisors; assess the impact of the realignment of services from the state to the county, on services delivered to clients and on the local community.
The Behavioral Health Advisory Board consist of eleven members, 10 members appointed by the Board of Supervisors and one member who is appointed by the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to represent the Board of Supervisors consistent with Section 5604 (a) of the California Welfare and Institutions Code.
All meetings of the Behavioral Health Advisory Board are open to the public. Regular meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. Please see agenda for meeting and location.
Meeting Agenda - April 16, 2024
Behavioral Health Advisory Board Annual Report
Meeting agendas, minutes and backup documents are available at the ICBHS Administrative Office, 202 N. 8th Street – Third Floor, El Centro, CA
or via email request to mhb@co.imperial.ca.us or call (442) 265-1605.
Harold Walk
Chairman of the Board, District 3 Representative
Mr. Walk is employed as s real estate agent by Pat Seay Real Estate. He was raised on a farm in Imperial Valley and is a graduate of Cal Poly, Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics. Mr. Walk has an extensive background in real estate, land management, commercial banking, finance and business management. He has served on the Imperial County Mental Health Board for 18 years, and his other current community activity is membership in The Rustlers Social Club. Former activities include serving on the El Centro Planning Commission (14 years), Small Business Development Center Advisory Committee (14 years), Imperial Valley Economic Development Loan Committee (10 years), Imperial Valley College Foundation (2 years), Joint Strike Fighter Committee (2 years), Financial Institutions Fund Committee for Education (2 years) and El Centro Elementary School District Citizens Oversight Committee (4 years). Mr. Walk has two adult children, a daughter, Kelsey, with a doctorate in Physical Therapy and a son, Bryan, with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Kurt Leptich
Vice Chairman of the Board, District 4 Representative
Mr. Leptich is the retired Senior Director of the Special Education Department for the Imperial County Office of Education. He has called Imperial County home since 1965. Mr. Leptich finds great happiness with his wife of 35 years along with their two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Personal affiliations include the EL Centro Kiwanis Club, Valley Baptist Church, and the Sunrunners car club. His passions include spending time with a large extended family, rebuilding antique automobiles and working around his house
Horencia Armendariz
District 1 Representative- Supervisor Jesus E. Escobar
Hortencia Armendariz is the mother of three sons, Cesar, Alejandro and Camilo Jr. She is a mother- in -law to Edna and Michelle, a grandmother to Cassidy and wife of Camilo Garcia. Recently, she retired after a 37 year journey with the Calexico Unified School District.
For two decades, she led the coordination of the Calexico Family Resource Center and Student Services. Hortencia's professional journey began by earning an associate degree from Imperial Valley College, a bachelors degree, and a Teaching Credential in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University. Her teaching career started in 1986 at Washington Elementary School, and she later transitioned to the Calexico Unified School District as a resource teacher.
With a commitment to excellence, Hortencia pursued higher education, achieving a masters degree and an administrative credential in 1995. She took on various leadership roles in education administration, including assisting principal, principal, and interim assistant superintendent within the Calexico Unified School District. She currently serves on the California Community College Trustees Board at the state level and is Board of Trustee at Imperial Valley College.
Beyond her professional work, Hortencia has been a board member for several organizations, including Amigos for Alejandro, Calexico Education Foundation, Calexico Neighborhood House, Calexico Wellness Center, and the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance (CASCWA). Currently, she holds the position of Rotary's Assistant Governor and past president within the Calexico Rotary Club. Hortencia's passion is serving the community, and she is always extending a helping hand.
Raul Ureña
District 1 Representative- Supervisor Jesus E. Escobar
Raul Ureña Raggio resides in Calexico with his wife and son. He is a certified Phlebotomist Technician and works at El Centro Regional Medical Center-Calexico Outpatient Center. He serves as the director of the Heffernan Memorial Healthcare District and is a member of the Calexico Unified School District Citizens Bond Oversight Committee. He has served on the Behavioral Health Advisory Board since March 2021.
Benny Benavidez
District 2- Supervisor Luis A. Plancarte
Mr. Benavidez started his career at Imperial County Probation as a Juvenile Hall Officer in the 1970's. In the 80's, he transitioned to the services of Probation Officer and worked investigations and supervision. In the 1990's, Mr. Benavidez transferred his knowledge to the Department of Corrections. He quickly went up the ranks and concluded his career with that agency in 2011 as the Parole Administrator. Mr. Benavidez returned to the Imperial County Probation Department as Chief PO until his retirement in November 2014. In 2015, he began his appointment to the local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
In 2017, Mr. Benavidez was appointed to the CALBHBC Governing Board of Directors and is currently serving as the president. Mr. Benavidez possesses a degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Diego State University and is currently a Correctional Science instructor for Imperial Valley College. He has been married for 42 years and is father to two wonderful children, who also follow in the family tradition of public service.
Civic Involvement: Imperial County Mental Health Board (Chair); Imperial County Community Correctional Partnership (Past Chair), Juvenile Justice Committee, Juvenile Justice Joint Community Partnership, I.C. Chief of Police Association, California Chief Probation Officer Association, Regional Director for American Probation and Parole Association, San Diego Gang Commission, San Diego Prisoner Reentry Roundtable and more.
Carlos Acuña
District 2 ~ Supervisor Luis A. Plancarte
Mr. Acuna resides in El Centro. He is a valley native, born in Calexico. He is married to Rosario Acuña, a retired elementary school teacher, and they have two adult children, Christian and Karysse. He graduated from the University of Arizona, Tucson, with a degree in Secondary Education, Emphasis in English and from Western State University, College of Law, in San Diego. In 2022, he retired from the practice of law. He was appointed to and served for nine years as trustee on, the Imperial Valley College Board of Trustees representing the El Centro School District, Area 2. He also served on the Imperial Irrigation District's Local Entity that established criteria to determine which parties in and around agriculture in the Imperial County were impacted by fallowing. He served as the Site Council parent representative for Wilson Junior High in El Centro. He worked as a deputy district attorney in the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office.
As an adjunct instructor, he taught a Criminology class at San Diego State University, Calexico campus. His hobbies include reading old school noir novels, sociology books, newspaper columns on international politics and economics on the www, watching classic films, and spending time with his immediate and extended family and dashing out the occasional poem.
Nancy Lee Rhodes
District 2 ~ Supervisor Luis A. Plancarte
Mrs. Rhodes relocated to Imperial County 28 years ago with her husband and family with the sole purpose of starting the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in Imperial County. In 1994, she started the non-profit agency CASA, as the Executive Director. CASA of Imperial County serves foster children in the dependency system. After fourteen years, Nancy retired from CASA and then within eighteen months found a rewarding volunteer job. She volunteered with the El Centro Police Department in their CIPS ( Community in Police Service) volunteer program for seven years. She and her husband started a non-profit organization called BBiUganda in 2012, which supports and assists the poor in Uganda. Mrs, Rhodes has served on the Behavioral Health Advisory Board since 2000.
VACANT
Nicole Castañeda
District 4 ~ Supervisor Ryan E. Kelley
Ms. Castañeda began her career with Pioneers Memorial Hospital in 2001. Since 2004, she has worked in the emergency room and is now the Lead Clinical Manager and Nurse Educator of the Emergency Department. She graduated from Imperial Valley College in 2003 and went on to receive her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Phoenix.
Vacant
Michael W. Kelley
Representative of the Board of Supervisors
Michael " Mike". Kelley is a lifelong resident of Imperial County and graduate of Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus. Mike has been employed by the County Of Imperial for the past 49 years; 10 years at Probation and Corrections as Juvenile Detention Officer, Deputy Probation Officer, Assistant Superintendent Juvenile Hall, Superintendent Juvenile Hall, and Director of Juvenile Facilities, and 10 years as Court Administrator/ Jury Commissioner for Superior and Municipal Courts of Imperial County, 17 years as Chief Probation Officer, and 12 years as a member of the Board of Supervisors for District 3.
Mike will serve his fourth term as Board of Supervisor including three times as Chairman of the Board. Mike serves as the President for California Association Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCo) and Chairman for the local, Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). Since 2013, Mike has served as the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) representative for the County of Imperial. Mike has served as Mayor and Council member for the City of Imperial, and as past Chairman of Imperial Valley Association of Governments. His extensive and successful experience in the administration of personnel and multi-million dollar budgets has served his community well.
Mike is heavily involved in his community. His most rewarding experience has been coaching team sports such as T-ball, Farm League Baseball, Little League Baseball, Soccer and Pop Warner Football.
As a father and grandfather of children living in Imperial County, Mike is committed to preserving our quality of life and retaining the history and traditions of Imperial County making it better and safer place to live for generations to come. He will strive to protect Imperial County resources including our water, farmland, air quality, environment, education, health, recreation and our citizens by addressing all issues with a fair, honest and balanced approach.
Medical Records
The Medical Records Unit is responsible for maintaining and managing access to discharged case management and clinical charts created via direct services at ICBHS.
Medical Records
202 N. 8th Street
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1555
Outreach Services & Center For Clinical Training
Outreach Services provides community information and education to ensure access to services, including services to treat an urgent condition. Outreach Services provides information on the specialty mental health services, the availability of cultural and linguistic services, and accessing services. Outreach Services assists in informing underserved minority groups, the homeless population, elderly population and hard to reach individuals with mental health disabilities about the availability of cultural and linguistic services.
Please click on Events at the top of the page for community events and trainings.
Outreach Services/Center For Clinical Training
651 Wake Ave.
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7442
Patient's Rights
The Patient's Rights Office protects the patient, consumer, and human rights of all recipients of psychiatric services. The Patient's Rights advocate investigates complaints concerning mental health services, monitors mental health facilities, provides training and education regarding mental health law, and ensures that recipients of mental health services are notified of their rights.
Patient's Rights
202 N. 8th Street
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1561
Quality Improvement
The goal of the Quality Improvement Program is to improve access to, and delivery of, mental health services while assuring that services are community based, beneficiary directed, age appropriate, culturally competent, and process and outcome focused. The Quality Improvement Program approach is an integrative process that links knowledge, structure, and process together in order to assess and improve quality. This approach is designed to coordinate with performance monitoring activities throughout the organization including, but not limited to, beneficiary and system outcomes, utilization management, clinical records review, monitoring of beneficiary and provider satisfaction, and resolution of beneficiary and provider grievances/appeals.