The Integrated Behavioral Health Team (IBHT), a division of Special Service for Groups (SSG) since 2013, officially closed its doors on June 30, 2026.
The closure marks the end of a transformative 13-year chapter in community wellness. The shutdown stems directly from funding priority shifts under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). These systemic changes disrupted vital linkages between mental health providers and Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs). It ultimately ended IBHT’s capability to support mild-to-moderate clients and concluded its highly successful, mutually beneficial partnership with Los Angeles-based FQHC Eisner Health.
Since its inception, IBHT maintained a powerful, active presence across the greater Los Angeles area. The team focused heavily on expanding healthcare equity. Their integrated partnerships successfully overcame deep-seated cultural, economic, and language barriers that historically blocked vulnerable individuals from accessing counseling and treatment.
With the closure of the division, SSG bids a heartfelt farewell to longtime IBHT Division Director Carmen Chacon, LCSW.
Chacon leaves behind an indelible mark on the agency’s infrastructure. As an influential voice on SSG’s Quality Assurance Committee, her implementation of strict monitoring, evaluation, and high patient care standards was instrumental in securing the agency’s prestigious CARF certification.
On July 23, senior SSG division heads and colleagues gathered for a special luncheon to honor Chacon. The agency celebrated her fierce dedication to community wellness and her masterful leadership of a mostly bilingual Spanish-speaking staff. Through her guidance, this dedicated team delivered life-changing behavioral health services to limited English proficient (LEP) clients who otherwise might have fallen through the cracks of the healthcare system.
