​February 23, 2024 - Stakeholder News

​Top News

California Children's Services (CCS) Monitoring and Oversight Program Implementation One-Year Deferral

DHCS is deferring implementation of the CCS Monitoring and Oversight program, including the CCS Monitoring and Oversight Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DHCS and county CCS programs, for one year, from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025. An additional year allows county CCS programs more time to implement the CCS Monitoring and Oversight MOU, reallocate staff, and conduct readiness activities for the new July 1, 2025, implementation date. The deferral also aligns with the CCS Whole Child Model expansion, implementation of CCS quality metrics, finalization of policy guidance, and issuance of technical assistance guides to help operationalize the CCS Compliance, Monitoring, and Oversight program.

Welfare and Institutions Code article 5.51 section 14184.600(b) established the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Act, requiring DHCS, in consultation with counties and stakeholders, to develop and implement initiatives to enhance oversight and monitoring of county administration of the CCS program. This includes requiring each county to enter in a MOU with DHCS to document each county's obligations in administering the CCS program.

For more information, please see the CCS Compliance, Monitoring, and Oversight Program webpage. Please submit your questions to CCSMonitoring@dhcs.ca.gov.
 

Program Updates

Population of Focus (POF) Spotlight: Enhanced Care Management (ECM) for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

DHCS this month released the ECM for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness POF Spotlight, which is designed to help current and prospective ECM providers serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness develop and enhance their ECM models. It also supports provider and community-based organizations that are considering whether to contract as a provider of ECM for individuals experiencing homelessness. The spotlight includes two detailed member vignettes that illustrate how to deliver ECM to the Individuals Experiencing Homelessness POF, with examples of how Community Supports services, such as housing transition and navigation services, housing deposits, and housing tenancy and sustaining services, can be integrated to best serve individuals and families. This spotlight and the previously released ECM for Children and Youth POF Spotlight are available on DHCS' ECM and Community Supports webpage.

COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program Evaluation Report

On February 26, DHCS will post on its website the COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program Evaluation Report, which covers the program period of August 29, 2021, through March 6, 2022. The report shows changes in COVID-19 vaccination rates for Medi-Cal members statewide and by managed care plan (MCP) across ten outcome measures. The COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program was a $350 million incentive payment program in which MCPs were eligible to earn incentive payments for activities designed to improve vaccination rates among their enrolled members. All 25 MCPs participated.
 

Join Our Team

DHCS is hiring for our communications, human resources, auditing, health policy, information technology, and other teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website.

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

CalAIM Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICF/DD) Carve-In Office Hours

On February 28, from 3 to 4 p.m., DHCS will host an office hours session (advance registration required) as part of its educational webinar series on the CalAIM ICF/DD Carve-In. The office hours provide a dedicated forum for DHCS and the Department of Developmental Services to engage with ICF/DD Homes, Regional Centers, and Medi-Cal MCP representatives to address questions related to ICF/DD Carve-In policy requirements and implementation of the transition to managed care that took effect on January 1, 2024.  

Office hour participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance when registering for the session. Additional details about upcoming webinars are available on the CalAIM ICF/DD LTC Carve-In transition webpage. 

CalAIM Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Technical Assistance (TA) Marketplace Virtual Vendor Fair

On February 29, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., DHCS will host the first virtual PATH TA Marketplace Vendor Fair. TA Vendor Fairs are an opportunity for vendors to pitch their organization and services to potential ECM and Community Supports providers and encourage utilization of the TA Marketplace. TA Recipients and organizations interested in learning more about the TA Marketplace, including how to apply to receive free services, are invited to attend. This is the first in a series of upcoming vendor fairs and will focus on presentations from vendors providing services in Domain 3 of the PATH TA Marketplace: "Engaging in CalAIM through Medi-Cal Managed Care."

Additional upcoming TA Vendor Fairs include the ECM Vendor Fair on March 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and the Building Data Capacity Vendor Fair on March 28, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

CCS Redesign Performance Measure Quality Subcommittee Meeting

On February 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., DHCS will host the quarterly virtual CCS Redesign Performance Measure Quality Subcommittee meeting to provide a comparison analysis by which CCS Whole Child Model (WCM) and Classic CCS counties will be evaluated. Assembly Bill 118 (Chapter 42, Statutes of 2023) mandates that DHCS annually provide a comparison analysis on its website regarding trends in CCS enrollment among CCS WCM and Classic CCS counties by January 1, 2025. In addition, DHCS must establish utilization and quality measures relating to CCS specialty care centers, to be reported annually, and require any WCM plan subject to access or quality of care findings in the most recent medical audit to implement quality improvement strategies.

Meeting registration and additional information about the subcommittee are available on the CCS Redesign Performance Measure Quality Subcommittee webpage.

Consumer-Focused Stakeholder Workgroup (CFSW) Meeting

On March 1, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., DHCS will hold the CFSW meeting. The purpose of the CFSW is to provide stakeholders an opportunity to review and provide feedback on a variety of consumer messaging materials. The forum focuses on eligibility- and enrollment-related activities and strives to offer an open discussion on Medi-Cal policies and functionality. CFSW participants are advocates from the consumer protection community, representatives of provider associations, and experts in the health care field.

Meeting materials, including the agenda, will be posted on the CFSW webpage no later than noon on February 28. Please email your questions to DHCSCFSW@dhcs.ca.gov.

Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) Webinar for Families and Community Partners

On March 13, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., DHCS will host a HACCP webinar (advance registration required) to share guidance with families and communities about applying for hearing aid coverage and maximizing HACCP benefits once enrolled. DHCS welcomes interested families, families currently participating in HACCP, and community partners to join this webinar for program updates, tips, and a question-and-answer session. For more information, please visit the HACCP webpage.
 

In Case You Missed It

DHCS Awar​ds Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities

As part of California's ongoing efforts to combat the overdose epidemic, DHCS awarded more than $10 million to 25 DHCS-licensed nonprofit, residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities throughout the state. This funding continues California's support of community organizations on the ground, doing the day-to-day work of caring for and supporting people struggling with SUDs. The funding supports SUD treatment facilities with costs associated with startup, recruitment, mentorship, and training programs to increase provider knowledge and comfort with prescribing Medications for Addiction Treatment.

RFI: California Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Initiative Centers of Excellence (COE)

On January 31, DHCS released a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input from interested parties to establish one or more COEs that will offer training and technical assistance to Medi-Cal specialty behavioral health providers and county behavioral health plans. The deadline for responses to the RFI is March 1. This opportunity is to support fidelity implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP), including Assertive Community Treatment, Forensic Assertive Community Treatment, Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis, Individual Placement and Support model of Supported Employment, Clubhouse Services, and additional EBPs for children and youth. Please review RFI #23-070 for more information about the specific functions of COEs and the included EBPs. Please submit your questions about the RFI to PCDRFI3@dhcs.ca.gov.