Mental health and substance use disorder member handbooks

Annual Notice of Changes

Changes are being made to San Francisco’s Behavioral Health Services Member Handbook 

Updated Member Handbook will be available on January 1, 2025.

The Member Handbook provides information on:

• How to receive both Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder treatment services,
• What benefits you have access to,
• What to do if you have a question or problem,
• Your rights and responsibilities.

Printed member handbooks will be provided to you upon request and free of charge. They will be made available within 5 business days. To request copies, call 628-754-9288 or email BHSMemberServices@sfdph.org. 

Below is a notable change concerning a new benefit coming in 2025:

• Behavioral health links under the Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative

The following changes to the Grievance and Appeal process are taking effect in 2025:

• The time in which BHS must make a decision on a grievance filed by (or on behalf of) a member has been reduced from 90 to 30 calendar days from the date on which said grievance was received.
• For both appeals and grievances, requests for 14 calendar day extensions to the timeframes in which BHS is required to make a decision has been eliminated.
• Members requesting a continuation of services while waiting for the resolution of an active appeal regarding their current services are no longer liable for payment of services received during that period if the decision is not in the member's favor.

For more information or to request auxiliary aids and services, including but not limited to large print documents and alternative formats, please contact San Francisco Behavioral Health Services at 1-888-246-3333 (TTY: 711)