DHCS is committed to strengthening family-based services and supports for children and youth living with significant behavioral health needs, including children and youth involved in child welfare. BH-CONNECT initiatives to support children and youth include:
- Clarification of coverage of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children and youth
- Activity Funds Initiative
- Initial Joint Behavioral Health Visit
- Aligning the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
Visit BH-CONNECT EBPs to learn more about EBPs for children and youth and BH-CONNECT Resources for federal approvals and policy guidance related to initiatives to support children and youth.
Activity Funds Initiative
- Activity Funds will cover the costs of activities and items to support the health and wellbeing of children and youth involved in child welfare.
- Activity Funds may cover the costs of physical wellness activities and goods that promote a healthy lifestyle (e.g., sports club fees and gym memberships) and strengths-developing activities (e.g., music and art lessons and therapeutic summer camps).
- To qualify for Activity Funds, a child or youth must have a behavioral health condition or be at high risk for a behavioral health condition and be currently or formerly involved in the child welfare system.
Initial Joint Child Welfare/Specialty Mental Health Visit
Alignment of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Tool
- DHCS and CDSS are partnering to align their CANS processes to ensure that county child welfare agencies, county juvenile probation agencies, county behavioral health delivery systems and behavioral health providers administer the same CANS tool.
- By aligning the CANS tool, CANS results will be more easily shared and comparable across systems, leading to more coordinated care and avoiding redundancy.
- Alignment of the CANS tool will take place across two phases of policy changes: initial policy changes specific to administrative alignment, followed by programmatic alignment related to the use of the CANS tool, including automation of CANS and training/certification requirements.
Child Welfare Liaison
- In 2024, DHCS issued APL 24-013 requiring all Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCP) include a Child Welfare Liaison.
- The MCP Child Welfare Liaison is designed to be the point of contact for county child welfare agencies and to serve as an advocate on behalf of members involved in child welfare.
- The MCP Child Welfare Liaison is responsible for ensuring the needs of members involved with child welfare and foster care are being met, including identifying and resolving issues related to accessing services and providing assistance to staff responsible for member care coordination.
