Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel (MCHAP) Meeting
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Meeting Location: Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
1501 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95814 (First Floor, Conference Room 17.1316)
Webinar: Register for Virtual Attendance
Agenda
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome, Opening Comments, Roll Call, and Agenda Nancy Netherland, Chair a. Review: The legislative intent of AB 357 (Chapter 376, Statutes of 2014), as subsequently amended, states that the health and well-being of California’s children should be among the state’s top priorities, and it is imperative that every child in California have meaningful health coverage that includes benefits to support healthy growth and development. Children’s health coverage should encompass more than just the treatment of diseases and illnesses; it should also cover services and care to promote healthy development and well-being, identify and address problems early on, and prevent chronic disease. Welfare and Institutions Code Section 14005.271 states that the Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel shall be an independent, statewide advisory board that shall advise the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on matters relevant to all children enrolled in Medi-Cal and their families, including, but not limited to, emerging trends in the care of children, quality measurements, communications between DHCS and Medi-Cal families, provider network issues, and Medi-Cal enrollment issues. b. Member Roll Call c. Review and Approval of March 12, 2025, Meeting Minutes |
| 10:10 – 11:00 | Director’s Update Michelle Baass, Director |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Scaling Evidence-Based Practices and Community Defined Evidence Practices (EBP/CDEP) Grant Program Tisha Montiero, Branch Chief, Office of Strategic Partnerships |
| 11:45 – 12:30 | BrightLife Kids and Soluna Impact Report and Updates Rebecca Sterling, Assistant Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships |
| 12:30 – 1:00 | BREAK |
| 1:00 – 1:45 | BH-CONNECT: Children and Youth Policy Updates and Opportunities Ivan Bhardwaj, Chief, Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Policy Division |
| 1:45 – 1:55 | Public Comment |
| 1:55 – 2:00 | Final Comments and Adjourn |
2026 Meeting Dates:
- March 12, 2026
- June 11, 2026
- September 10, 2026
- November 5, 2026
Note:
For individuals with disabilities, DHCS will provide free assistive devices, including language and sign-language interpretation, real-time captioning, note takers, reading or writing assistance, and conversion of training or meeting materials into braille, large print, audio, or electronic format. To request alternative format or language services, please call or write:
Department of Health Care Services
Office of Communications
1501 Capitol Ave, MS 0025
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 440-7660
dhcspress@dhcs.ca.gov
Please note that the range of assistive services available may be limited if requests are received less than ten working days prior to the meeting or event.