July 22, 2024 - Stakeholder Update​

Top News​

Critical Funding Opportunity Available to Expand Behavioral Health Services

On July 16, DHCS released the Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: Launch Ready Request for Applications (RFA). Eligible organizations can apply for funding to construct, acquire, and rehabilitate properties for behavioral health services for Medi-Cal members. DHCS will award up to $3.3 billion in grants to projects that expand community-based behavioral health facilities and services.

This funding aims to address significant treatment gaps by improving access to behavioral health care. Interested parties can find application instructions on the BHCIP website and submit their applications by December 13, 2024. This initiative, part of Proposition 1, seeks to transform California's mental health and substance use disorder systems, providing more comprehensive care for the state's most vulnerable populations. For more information, contact DHCS at BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov.

State, Pathway Society Break Ground on Santa Clara County Substance Use Disorder Treatment Center

On July 18, DHCS and Pathway Society broke ground on a new substance use disorder treatment center in Santa Clara County. This new facility will provide essential withdrawal management services to Medi-Cal members, homeless individuals, and those involved in the justice system. Funded by a $6.4 million grant from BHCIP, the Pathway for Compassionate Detoxification aims to close critical gaps in mental health and substance use care.

This project is part of California's push to expand behavioral health services, supported by Proposition 1 bonds set to fund more facilities in 2025 and 2026. The new facility will add 14 withdrawal management beds, bringing the total to 86, and offer comprehensive services like screenings, consultations, and counseling sessions.

DHCS Boosts Clinic Capacities for Enhanced Medi-Cal Services

DHCS awarded $37 million to 49 clinics throughout California that provide Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports services to Medi-Cal members. This funding is part of the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure, Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) Initiative, aimed at enhancing clinics' capacity to participate in the Medi-Cal delivery system.

These awards build upon the CITED Round 1 funding of $207 million and CITED Round 2 funding of $144 million announced in 2023, representing all of California's 58 counties. ECM and Community Supports are crucial to Medi-Cal transformation, serving the highest-need Medi-Cal managed care plan members by providing in-person care coordination, housing assistance, and other community-based services. CITED-Clinics funds will support these services through investments in the provider workforce, infrastructure, information technology systems, and capacity building.

Additional CITED Round 3 funds for applicants not awarded clinic funding will be announced in August 2024. For more information about the PATH CITED initiative, please visit the PATH website.

Services Operational Following CrowdStrike Outage

DHCS is working diligently to resolve the global computer outage related to the CrowdStrike update that impacted multiple Windows computers and systems nationwide. We understand the importance of maintaining uninterrupted services and ensuring the security of our systems.

Currently, all public-facing applications associated with DHCS have successfully recovered from this outage. This includes critical services that members, providers, and stakeholders rely on daily, including the DHCS website, Medi-Cal website, CalHOPE website, Medi-Cal Provider Portal, Medi-Cal Eligibility Database System, MEDSLITE, Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review, and MOVEit for secure managed file transfers. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

Join Our Team

DHCS is seeking a highly-skilled, exceptionally motivated individual to serve as:

• Indian Health Program Coordinator to develop, implement, coordinate, operate, and evaluate the American Indian Health Program for DHCS. (Final filing date: August 9)

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

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

Peers in the Crisis Care Continuum – Lunch and Learn Session

On July 23, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT, the Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF) will hold a virtual lunch and learn session on Peers in the Crisis Care Continuum (advance registration required). The lunch and learn will give stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the roles that peers with lived experience are playing in community-based respite care in California and nationally, and opportunities to expand the work of peers across the entire behavioral health continuum.

Speakers will include Keris Myrick (Vice President of Partnerships and Innovation at Inseparable and podcast host of Unapologetically Black Unicorns), John Travers (Project Director at Project Return Peer Support Network), Victoria Ramirez, (Peer Supporter for Hacienda of Hope and Project Return Peer Support Network), and Nze Okoronta (Executive Director at SOAR Case Management who oversees the Solstice House Peer Run Respite and Peer Run Warmline). A webinar recording will be posted on the BHTF website.

Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC)/Behavioral Health (BH)-SAC Meeting

On July 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the SAC/BH-SAC meeting (advance registration required) at 1700 K Street (first floor conference room 17.1014), Sacramento. 

SAC provides DHCS with valuable input on ongoing California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) implementation efforts and helps DHCS further its efforts to provide high-quality, equitable care. BH-SAC provides DHCS with input regarding behavioral health activities and was created as part of the ongoing effort to integrate behavioral health with the greater health care system. It incorporates existing groups that have advised DHCS on behavioral health topics. For more information, please email SACinquiries@dhcs.ca.gov or BehavioralHealthSAC@dhcs.ca.gov.

Proposition 64 Advisory Group Meeting

On July 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the Proposition 64 Advisory Group (Prop 64 AG) meeting at The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, 1321 Garden Highway, Suite 210, Sacramento. Meeting information, including the agenda, webinar link, and additional materials, will be posted on the Prop 64 AG webpage and emailed to Prop 64 AG members.

The meeting will provide updates on the logic model and evaluation of Elevate Youth California (EYC), a statewide program designed to address substance use disorders by investing in youth leadership and civic engagement for youth of color and Two-Spirit/LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 26 living in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. During the meeting, an EYC grantee will present on working with youth living in these communities and highlight successes from participating in the EYC program.

The purpose of the Prop 64 AG is to share emerging trends in youth substance use, make recommendations to DHCS on best practices in youth substance use prevention, and provide feedback on Youth Education Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account-funded program assessment, implementation, and evaluation. DHCS launched EYC in 2019 and, to date, has awarded more than $257.7 million through 365 grants with five rounds of standard track grants, three rounds of capacity building grants, and one round of innovation funding. EYC currently operates in 55 of 58 counties. For more information, please see the EYC website or email elevateyouthca@shfcenter.org.

Coverage Ambassador Webinar

On July 25, from 11 to 11:45 a.m. PDT, DHCS will host a Coverage Ambassadors webinar (advance registration required). The discussion will reflect on the Medi-Cal eligibility redetermination campaign that officially ended on May 31, 2024. Meeting information, including the webinar link, will be posted on the DHCS Coverage Ambassadors webpage. For more information, please email Ambassadors@dhcs.ca.gov.

Proposition 1 Behavioral Health Transformation Public Listening Session

On July 30, from 1 to 2 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host a public listening session on substance use disorder services available under the Behavioral Health Services Act. In March 2024, California voters passed Proposition 1, which includes the Behavioral Health Services Act and Behavioral Health Bond. During the session, which is open to the public, attendees can comment on the guidance DHCS is developing for substance use disorder funding. Visit the Behavioral Health Transformation webpage for more information about the public listening sessions and additional resources. Please send questions related to Behavioral Health Transformation and/or the public listening sessions to BHTinfo@dhcs.ca.gov. Additionally, please sign up for Behavioral Health Transformation updates.

Updated Medi-Cal Established Place of Business Enrollment Requirements and Procedures for Licensed Midwives and Certified Nurse Midwives - Webinar

On August 1, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PDT, DHCS will hold a public stakeholder hearing via webinar (advance registration required) to discuss the regulatory provider bulletin entitled “Updated Medi-Cal Established Place of Business Enrollment Requirements and Procedures for Licensed Midwives and Certified Nurse Midwives." Effective September 17, 2024, individual licensed midwife and certified nurse midwife providers may report an “administrative location" as their service address, and that administrative location will be exempt from certain established place of business requirements.