Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services has received national recognition for two programs designed to help residents access mental health care more quickly and with stronger coordination among local agencies.
The department earned two 2026 National Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties for its XFERALL Patient Transfer Network and CARE Act Pre‑Petition Referral Pathway — both cited for improving how residents are connected to behavioral health services during critical moments.
County officials said the honors reflect ongoing efforts to strengthen the behavioral health system through partnerships, technology and early intervention.
“These awards reflect Merced County’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of our residents,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Daron McDaniel said. “When we come together with our healthcare providers, community partners and local agencies, we can create lasting solutions that ensure people receive the care they need with dignity, compassion and urgency.”
The XFERALL Patient Transfer Network, developed with Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center, replaced a slow, phone‑based transfer process with a real‑time electronic system linking emergency departments to psychiatric facilities. Since its launch in 2024, median placement times for adults dropped from roughly eight hours to 39 minutes. For children and teens, placement times fell from more than 24 hours to about seven minutes.
The CARE Act Pre‑Petition Referral Pathway focuses on connecting people with untreated schizophrenia spectrum disorders to services before their situations escalate. The program provides a referral phone line and email, community materials and coordinated follow‑up from BHRS staff. It also brings together partners including BHRS, Merced Superior Court, the Public Defender’s Office and County Counsel.
Since December 2024, the pathway has received 192 referrals, resulting in 69 CARE petitions, 54 CARE agreements, 57 diversions from the criminal justice system and 27 housing placements.
County Executive Officer Mark J. Hendrickson said the awards highlight what is possible when public agencies collaborate with purpose. “Our Behavioral Health and Recovery Services team continues to build practical solutions that expand access to care, strengthen partnerships across our community and create meaningful, lasting change for the people of Merced County,” he said.
BHRS Director Kimiko Vang praised staff and partners, saying the recognition reflects a culture of innovation and collaboration. “Behind every referral, every partnership and every improved process is a person whose life can be changed by receiving the right care at the right time,” Vang said.
The NACo Achievement Awards, established in 1970, honor county programs that improve services and can serve as models nationwide.
For Merced County, officials said the awards underscore work that is both locally rooted and nationally recognized — efforts aimed at faster patient transfers, earlier intervention and a behavioral health system centered on dignity, urgency and hope.
