June 24, 2024
Top News
Paula Wilhelm Appointed Deputy Director for DHCS Behavioral Health
On June 19, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Paula Wilhelm as Deputy Director for Behavioral Health to lead DHCS' efforts to strengthen the state's behavioral health continuum of care for all Californians. Wilhelm served as Interim Deputy Director for Behavioral Health since March 2024 and as Assistant Deputy Director for Behavioral Health since December 2022. Prior to that, she worked for the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, where she served as a Senior Policy Analyst and then as the Director of Policy. She also served in Medicaid-focused roles at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, California Association of Public Hospitals, and Health Care Safety Net Institute. Wilhelm began her health care career providing direct client services and administrative support at community-based women's health clinics in Atlanta and San Francisco.
California Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Behavioral Health Center
On June 21, DHCS and Encompass Community Services celebrated the
groundbreaking of the new
Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center in Watsonville that will serve youth and young adults. DHCS awarded Encompass more than $9.3 million to build this safe space to address gaps in behavioral health care, enabling Encompass to serve more than 1,300 community members with critical resources annually.
DHCS will distribute roughly $4 billion in
Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) grants under Proposition 1 bond funds to address historic gaps in the behavioral health care system and meet the growing demand for services and support throughout the lifespan of people in need. More information about Proposition 1 can be found at
mentalhealth.ca.gov. DHCS holds regular public listening sessions. Updates and recordings of the sessions are available on the
Behavioral Health Transformation webpage. Please sign up on DHCS'
website to receive monthly updates.
Join Our Team
DHCS is seeking a highly skilled, exceptionally motivated individual to serve as:
- Assistant Deputy Director for Behavioral Health to provide management and support in implementing behavioral health initiatives designed to achieve equitable health care outcomes and ensure consistent access to high-quality mental health and substance use disorder care. (Final filing date: July 12)
- Chief of the Clinical Assurance Division (CAD) to serve as the principal policymaker and lead the CAD team in the implementation of utilization management for Medi-Cal fee-for-service members in partnership with DHCS' Health Care Benefits and Eligibility program. Additionally, the Chief of CAD is responsible for the administration of Treatment Authorization Requests (TAR), the TAR-free program, and post-payment utilization control of Medi-Cal benefits.
The salary range for this position is $11,435 to $13,623 per month. Possession of a medical license is desired, but not required. A salary range of $13,624 to $17,855 per month is available for candidates who are medical doctors or clinicians. (Final filing date: June 26)
DHCS is also hiring for its
legislative and governmental affairs, human resources, auditing, health policy, information technology, and other teams. For more information, please visit the
CalCareers website.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars
Children's Presumptive Eligibility (CPE) and Newborn Gateway Portals
On June 25 at 10 a.m. PDT, DHCS will host the final CPE and Newborn Gateway portal overview webinar. Registration is available through the
Medi-Cal Learning Portal. Additionally, a recording of the webinar will be available by searching for course code CNPE104RW. DHCS will post information about the Newborn Gateway on its social media channels (
Facebook,
Instagram,
LinkedIn,
X) to share as widely as possible.
Starting July 1, DHCS will introduce new online portals for providers to improve access to coverage and care for new families. Through CPE, providers may grant temporary, full-scope coverage to eligible applicants. This portal replaces the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) gateway portal. The Newborn Gateway portal is for reporting births with linkage to Medi-Cal and the Medi-Cal Access Infant Program within 72 hours of birth or 24 hours after discharge. Providers must complete certification training to use these portals and enroll eligible infants into coverage starting on July 1.
Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Demonstration Addendum: Public Hearing
On June 25 at 3:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the first public hearing for the BH-CONNECT Demonstration Addendum (
advance registration required). On June 14, 2024, DHCS began the 30-day public comment period for an addendum to the pending
BH-CONNECT demonstration. California will submit an addendum to the BH-CONNECT demonstration application to further strengthen the continuum of behavioral health care. The addendum will offer two new options for county behavioral health plans to cover. For more information, please visit the
DHCS BH-CONNECT webpage.
California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) PATH Best Practices Webinar
On June 27, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host a webinar,
Tools to Better Engage Eligible Members in CalAIM (advance registration required). The webinar is part of a biannual series of Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Collaborative Planning and Implementation (CPI) webinars designed to highlight best practices for implementing Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, increasing providers' successful participation in CalAIM, and improving collaboration with Medi-Cal managed care plans, state and local government agencies, and others to build and deliver quality support services to Medi-Cal members. For more information, including past webinar resources and recordings, please visit the
PATH CPI webpage.
In Case You Missed It
Now Available: CalRx®-Branded Naloxone
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that CalRx®-branded over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, will be available for free to eligible organizations through DHCS' Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP). CalRx is also working on an option for individuals to buy CalRx OTC naloxone nasal spray directly. Additional details will be shared on the NDP website as they become available. Please contact the NDP at Naloxone@dhcs.ca.gov if you have any questions.
