To combat vaccine hesitancy, CalOptima has launched a video campaign featuring community leaders sharing messages about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The videos are in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to promote health equity and serve ethnic communities in Orange County. View the video collection on www.youtube.com/CalOptimaTV. Engaging trusted messengers to address vaccine myths is designed to boost the confidence of populations that experience lower vaccination rates. Emphasizing the community benefits of being able to gather safely with friends and family also has wide appeal. The videos include a call to action with information on how to schedule a vaccine appointment at Othena.com. To increase viewership, CalOptima will distribute the videos via social media postings and advertising. We encourage providers and community partners to link to and share the videos as well.

As California surpasses a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19 — administering more than 20 million vaccine doses, including four million in the state’s hardest-hit communities, and with hospitalizations continuing to steadily decline — Governor Gavin Newsome recently outlined the state’s next step in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

On June 15, California will fully open its economy if two criteria are met:

CalOptima members should always carry their CalOptima member identification card to access their health care benefits including doctor visits, therapy appointments and more. Click here to access a flier with details about what to do to request a replacement card. Flier will be translated to CalOptima’s threshold languages — Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic and Farsi — in the near future.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. The training provides skills to support someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. The training is also available in Spanish. Learn about the need for adult and youth mental health first aid.

Register for a discussion on Lanterman Petris Short (LPS) Conservatorship and tips for mental health planning. The webinar will take place on April 28, 2021, from 4–5 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register.