April 7, 2025

Top News 

California Expands Behavioral Health Care in Los Angeles County

On April 4, DHCS and Kedren celebrated the groundbreaking of Kedren South-Psychiatric Acute Care Hospital & Children's Village to serve the South Los Angeles community. This transformative project will provide a comprehensive system of care and support for children and youth experiencing significant mental health challenges—all in one location. It is funded by DHCS' Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 4: Children and Youth and will serve as an integrated “Village Care" model designed for children and their families to receive their services. DHCS awarded Kedren more than $57 million through BHCIP, which is part of California's ongoing commitment to expand behavioral health services for all Californians. With the passage of Proposition 1, even more behavioral health treatment facilities will be funded and built in 2025 and 2026.

Updates to the Behavioral Health Services Act County Policy Manual 

DHCS today opened the public comment period for Module 3 of the draft Behavioral Health Services Act County Policy Manual and released updates to the policy manual, which reflect content that was originally released for public comment in December as Module 2. The policy manual now includes clear guidance and information to behavioral health partners on draft and final Integrated Plan submissions, funding allocations, Medi-Cal payments, Full Service Partnerships, promoting access to care, early intervention programs, and workforce education and training. 

Once completed, the policy manual will be a comprehensive guide for counties, behavioral health providers, Tribal leaders, and other behavioral health stakeholders to implement the requirements of the Behavioral Health Services Act and support statewide reform and expansion of California's behavioral health system. It will serve as a critical resource as counties develop their draft Integrated Plans, which will be due in March 2026.

Please view the draft Module 3 by April 25 and provide your input here. Your feedback is vital to shaping the future of behavioral health services and supports in California. To learn about the feedback submission process, please watch this instructional training video. For specific questions about the policy manual, please email BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov. For specific public comment-related inquiries, please email BHTPolicyFeedback@dhcs.ca.gov.

​Program Updates

Protect Access to Health Care Act-Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) 

On April 14 at 11:30 a.m. PDT, DHCS will hold the first Protect Access to Health Care Act-SAC meeting (advance registration for online participation required) at 1700 K Street (first-floor conference room 17.1014), Sacramento. The committee is responsible for advising DHCS on developing and implementing components of the Protect Access to Health Care Act of 2024 (Proposition 35). Please see the agenda for this meeting, which marks the beginning of the formal stakeholder consultation process required under Proposition 35. Also, to help clarify the facts about California's Managed Care Organization Tax and outline how Proposition 35 implementation is progressing, DHCS published frequently asked questions. For general inquiries or to receive more information about stakeholder meetings, please email DHCSPAHCA@dhcs.ca.gov.

Dental Managed Care Transition

During the week of March 31, DHCS mailed 90-day notices to approximately 350,000 Medi-Cal members in Sacramento and Los Angeles counties, notifying them of upcoming changes to the available Medi-Cal dental plans in their county. If the member must make a plan choice because their previous plan no longer serves the county, the member will also be notified of their continuity of care protections and other important information. Members will also receive a similar notice at 60 days, which will include a Medi-Cal managed care enrollment packet, and at 30 days prior to the effective date of the changes. Additionally, in May, Medi-Cal Health Care Options will launch an outbound call campaign to members who receive a Medi-Cal managed care enrollment packet. Representatives will review available Dental Managed Care plan choices, answer questions, and facilitate enrollment in the member's chosen plan over the phone.

On January 31, 2025, DHCS provided go-live decisions to Dental Managed Care plans—Health Net of California, Liberty Dental Plan of California, and California Dental Network—that are scheduled to assume operations in both Sacramento and Los Angeles counties on July 1, 2025. The go-live decisions were based on DHCS' assessment of the plans' operational readiness deliverables, including network adequacy, systems testing, and specific quality improvement and oral health equity transformation components.

​Join Our Team

DHCS is seeking talented and motivated individuals to serve as:

• Chief of the Benefits Division (BD). The Chief of BD leads the development, implementation, and administration of medical coverage policies for health care services provided by the state's Medi-Cal program. The Chief also oversees several specialty programs within Health Care Benefits and Eligibility, including Every Woman Counts, Prostate Cancer Treatment, and Hearing Aid Coverage for Children. Applications must be submitted by April 18.

• Chief of the Investigations Division (ID). The Chief of ID leads all investigation activities for DHCS programs, including Medi-Cal. These activities include fraud data analytics, the Medi-Cal Fraud Hotline, complaint intake, investigative audits, and provider and member fraud investigations. Additionally, the Chief of ID is responsible for developing and implementing policies and processes related to fraud, waste, and abuse investigations under the division's purview and ensuring compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. Applications must be submitted by April 25.

DHCS is also hiring for its managed care, quality and population health management, accounting, and other teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website.

​Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

DHCS posts upcoming public meetings on the Calendar of Events. 

California Children's Services (CCS) Advisory Group Meeting 

On April 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the CCS Advisory Group quarterly meeting (advance registration required). DHCS and the CCS Advisory Group partner to ensure children in the CCS/Whole Child Model (WCM) program receive appropriate and timely access to quality care. Agenda topics include updates on 2025 priorities, including the 2025 WCM expansion; county compliance, monitoring and oversight; and Medi-Cal Rx pediatric integration. Additional information and meeting details are available on the CCS Advisory Group webpage.  

Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup

On April 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the next Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup meeting, as required by Senate Bill 65 (Statutes of 2021, Chapter 449), to examine the implementation of the Medi-Cal doula benefit, in accordance with section 14132.24 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The meeting will be held at 1501 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA, and is open to the public. The link for this meeting will be available on the DHCS Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup webpage. The workgroup will discuss ways to minimize barriers to doula services and continue discussions regarding the workgroup's report to the Legislature, which must be posted on DHCS' website by July 1, 2025.

Traditional Health Care Practices Benefit Implementation

On April 22, DHCS will present an overview of Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 25-007 – Traditional Health Care Practices Benefit Implementation at the Tribes and Indian Health Program Representatives meeting (advance registration required). The presentation is open to the public and will review policy guidance to support Indian Health Care Providers and Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System counties in implementing this new benefit. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance to traditionalhealing@dhcs.ca.gov with the subject line “Traditional Health Care Practices Implementation." For questions about traditional health care practices or this BHIN, please email traditionalhealing@dhcs.ca.gov.

Chosen Family, Part 2: Contraception and Fertility for Transgender and Gender Diverse People 

On May 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PDT, DHCS will host the Chosen Family, Part 2: Contraception and Fertility for Transgender and Gender Diverse People webinar (advanced registration required). Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people represent a growing subset of patient populations, but many continue to report a lack of provider knowledge when it comes to TGD health. This session will build on TGD health terminology and competency essentials presented in Part 1 of this webinar series by reviewing evidence-based recommendations for contraception, fertility, and family-building counseling. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, a transcript and recording of the webinar, along with additional resources, will be available on the Family PACT website at a later date.

​In Case You Missed It

Now Open: Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) Round 4 Application

On January 6, DHCS opened the PATH CITED Round 4 application window, which includes funding opportunities to support the implementation of the new transitional rent Community Support. The PATH CITED initiative provides funding to build the capacity and infrastructure of on-the-ground partners, including community-based organizations, hospitals, county agencies, Tribes, and others, to successfully participate in Medi-Cal. All organizations providing the transitional rent Community Support must do so in partnership with their county behavioral health department. To demonstrate this partnership, all CITED applicants planning to request funding to support the transitional rent Community Support must also submit a Letter of Support in collaboration with the county behavioral health department.

The deadline to apply for PATH CITED Round 4 funding is 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 2, 2025. The guidance document and application are available on the PATH CITED webpage. Please send any questions to cited@ca-path.com.