Rehder Named 2026 Behavioral Health Advocate of the Year
Region 2 Behavioral Health Coalition honors Jim Rehder after Idaho's regional behavioral health boards were decommissioned.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Special Needs
The Region 2 Behavioral Health Coalition named Jim Rehder its 2026 Behavioral Health Advocate of the Year. The award continues an annual recognition that the Coalition chose to preserve after the regional boards were reorganized.
Why it matters
Idaho's regional behavioral health boards were decommissioned earlier in 2026, and the Region 2 board reorganized as the Coalition. Preserving the advocate recognition signals continued emphasis on regional behavioral health leadership in North Central Idaho.
Rehder spent nearly 30 years with the Idaho Department of Correction and later served as an Idaho County Commissioner. The extraction does not specify how the Coalition's selection process differs from the former board's process.
The players
Jim Rehder
Rehder is a former Idaho Department of Correction employee and Idaho County Commissioner who served as long-time Chair of the Region 2 Behavioral Health Board.
Region 2 Behavioral Health Coalition
The Coalition is the successor body to the Region 2 Behavioral Health Board, formed after Idaho's regional boards were decommissioned.
The details
Rehder, a long-time Chair of the Region 2 Behavioral Health Board, was selected by the Region 2 Behavioral Health Coalition. The Coalition formed when the Region 2 board reorganized after Idaho's regional behavioral health boards were decommissioned.
Timeline
Earlier in 2026: Idaho's Regional Behavioral Health Boards were decommissioned and the Region 2 board reorganized as the Coalition.
2026: Jim Rehder was named the 2026 Behavioral Health Advocate of the Year.
Big Picture
The Coalition's decision to keep the annual advocate award after Idaho's 2026 decommissioning of its Regional Behavioral Health Boards shows regional behavioral health leadership being carried forward into the reorganized structure.
Families and individuals in North Central Idaho who rely on regional behavioral health services will continue to see advocacy recognition and coordination through the Coalition. The reorganization keeps a regional body involved in local behavioral health leadership.
The takeaway
Regional advocates often sustain local behavioral health work through structural changes, and recognizing them keeps community leadership visible during reorganization.
Further reading
Explore more on Special Needs services and advocacy across Idaho.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Big Country News.
