June 1, 2026

Program Updates

New Application Types Added to Behavioral Health Licensing and Certification Portal

On June 2, DHCS will expand access to the Behavioral Health Licensing and Certification Portal. Mental health providers will be able to submit all mental health licensing and certification application types directly through the portal, including for Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers, Psychiatric Health Facilities, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities, Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs, Social Rehabilitation Programs, Special Treatment Programs, and Children’s Crisis Residential Programs. This expansion builds upon previous portal releases and supports the Mental Health for All initiative by bolstering care delivery and accelerating provider licensing.

Behavioral Health Public County Profile

On May 28, DHCS released the first iteration of the Behavioral Health Public County Profile, previewing California’s first public-facing tool showing how counties plan, fund, and deliver behavioral health services. The profile includes data that counties are required to report under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and supports Proposition 1’s commitment to statewide transparency. The initial version of the profile brings together county demographic breakdowns, homelessness and housing-related behavioral health services, and draft Integrated Plan submission statuses into a single, easy-to-understand dashboard. Future versions will add performance measures and reporting sections, supporting ongoing oversight and continuous improvement in California’s behavioral health system. The Integrated Plan is a three-year plan required by the BHSA that outlines how counties will utilize various behavioral health funding sources to meet statewide and local outcome measures, reduce disparities, and address unmet needs along the Behavioral Health Care Continuum. For the first time, Californians, policymakers, and stakeholders can compare county data and track progress toward statewide goals. Over time, more data, monitoring, and performance measures will be added to the tool. Please email any questions to BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov.

Join Our Team

DHCS is hiring for its Health Care Financing, Investigations, and other teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website.

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

DHCS posts upcoming public meetings on its Calendar of Events. DHCS provides free assistive services, including language interpretation, real-time captioning, and meeting materials in alternate formatting. To request services, please email the Office of Civil Rights at civilrights@dhcs.ca.gov at least ten working days before the meeting.

Smile, California Mobile Dental Van Event (Plumas County)

On June 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT, a Smile, California mobile dental van event will be held in Plumas County to provide free dental services, including x-rays, cleanings, and sealants, to community members. The van will be located at 372 Main Street in Chester, California. Families may call 1-888-585-3368 to schedule an appointment, pre-register, and complete the consent forms ahead of time, and they may visit SmileCalifornia.org for more details. Smile, California is DHCS’ Medi-Cal Dental education and outreach campaign designed to help more than 14 million members access and use their dental benefits.

Updated Medi-Cal Requirements for Ordering/Referring/Prescribing Providers 

On June 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PDT, DHCS will hold a public stakeholder webinar to discuss the draft regulatory provider bulletin, “Updated MediCal Requirements for Ordering/Referring/Prescribing (ORP) Providers Forms and Procedures. For those unable to attend, written comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. PDT, on June 9 to be considered for publication. When submitting written comments, please ensure that the commenter and organization/association being represented are both identified in the comments. Written comments should be submitted to DHCSPEDStakeholder@dhcs.ca.gov. Based on the public comments received, DHCS will publish the final bulletin on the Medi-Cal providers and DHCS Provider Enrollment Division websites.

Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council Meeting

On June 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the quarterly Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council meeting via public webinar. The Voices and Vision Council is a unique space where Medi-Cal members, Medi-Cal health plans, providers, community-based organizations, and state/county partners come together to provide direct input to the DHCS leadership team. For more information, please visit the Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council webpage or email VoicesandVisionCouncil@dhcs.ca.gov.

In Case You Missed It

Public Comment Period for CalAIM 1915(b) Waiver

On May 21, DHCS launched 30-day public and Tribal comment periods (through 11:59 p.m. PDT on June 20) to gather feedback on its plan to submit a five-year renewal application for the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Section 1915(b) waiver, which is currently set to expire on December 31, 2026. To support stakeholder understanding, DHCS posted a high-level overview of the CalAIM 1915(b) renewal application, outlining core components and key policies governing delivery systems authorized under the waiver. Additional details are available on the DHCS CalAIM 1115 Demonstration and 1915(b) Waiver webpage.

Substance Use Disorder Integrated Care Conference: Registration Now Open

On May 1, DHCS opened registration for the 20^th annual Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Integrated Care Conference, which will take place on August 25-27, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach and Convention Center. This three-day conference is designed for behavioral health researchers, administrators, policy staff, advocates, and professionals in SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Early bird registration is available through July 31. For questions about the SUD Conference, please email DHCSPrevention@dhcs.ca.gov.