Madera County to apply for nearly $1 million to expand mobile public-health and behavioral services
May 06, 2026 | Madera County, California
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Madera County said Tuesday it will apply for a competitive Innovation Partnership Fund grant to expand mobile public-health services by integrating behavioral-health staff, a move county leaders said aims to reach underserved residents where they live.
Sarah Boss, Madera County public-health director, told the Board of Supervisors the department will submit an application (RFA IPF-001) that allows awards up to $5 million but that the county plans to request just under $1 million. The proposed project would add behavioral-health programming to the county’s two mobile-health vans and a trailer and augment stationary “drop-in” hubs — Hope House and Mountain Wellness Center — with resilience programming, on-site behavioral-health services, and supports such as brief interventions and referral services. Boss said the application is due May 8 and, if funded, the county would begin rolling out services in July; award notices are expected in mid-June.
Why it matters: County officials said the combined mobile-and-site approach is intended to reach rural communities, encampments, shelters, agricultural worksites and tribal lands where traditional clinic access is limited. Boss described an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, case workers and nurses that would provide screenings, field-based assessment and triage, and connections to longer-term care.
Board reaction and vote: After questions from supervisors about timeline and public access to details, the board voted to authorize submission of the application; the roll call recorded a unanimous 4–0 vote in favor. Boss said the team is finalizing application details and invited board members to contact her for specifics.
What’s next: The county will submit the application by the May 8 deadline and expects announcements in mid-June. If awarded, staff said services would begin in July and the county will report back to the board on implementation details and partner coordination.
Sarah Boss, Madera County public-health director, told the Board of Supervisors the department will submit an application (RFA IPF-001) that allows awards up to $5 million but that the county plans to request just under $1 million. The proposed project would add behavioral-health programming to the county’s two mobile-health vans and a trailer and augment stationary “drop-in” hubs — Hope House and Mountain Wellness Center — with resilience programming, on-site behavioral-health services, and supports such as brief interventions and referral services. Boss said the application is due May 8 and, if funded, the county would begin rolling out services in July; award notices are expected in mid-June.
Why it matters: County officials said the combined mobile-and-site approach is intended to reach rural communities, encampments, shelters, agricultural worksites and tribal lands where traditional clinic access is limited. Boss described an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, case workers and nurses that would provide screenings, field-based assessment and triage, and connections to longer-term care.
Board reaction and vote: After questions from supervisors about timeline and public access to details, the board voted to authorize submission of the application; the roll call recorded a unanimous 4–0 vote in favor. Boss said the team is finalizing application details and invited board members to contact her for specifics.
What’s next: The county will submit the application by the May 8 deadline and expects announcements in mid-June. If awarded, staff said services would begin in July and the county will report back to the board on implementation details and partner coordination.
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