Weekly Wrap-Up
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Announcements


Senator Jim Beall Champions Mental Health Legislation to Certify Peers

Earlier this week, long-time mental health champion Senator Jim Beall introduced legislation SB 803 to create state certification for mental health care providers known as Peer Support Specialists. The Peer Support Specialist Certification Act of 2020 establishes a statewide certification program for peer support specialists and provides the structure needed to maximize the federal match for peer services under Medi-Cal.

Last year, Senator Beall's bipartisan effort, SB 10, made it to the Governor's desk with unanimous votes, where it was vetoed. Sen. Beall is reintroducing this legislative initiative as an effort to make strategic, cost-effective reforms to California's mental health programs.




Governor Newsom Previews $1 Billion in Budget Proposal to Jump-Start New Homeless Fund and Provide Behavioral Health Services, Signs Order to Accelerate State Action to Fight Homelessness
 
Governor announces the creation of new California Access to Housing and Services Fund in executive order, previews his 2020-21 Governor's Budget with more than $1 billion to fight homelessness, including $750 million for this new Fund, and a major new investment to reform Medi-Cal so that health providers transform health care to deliver integrated physical and behavioral health
 
Executive order requires state agencies to take urgent and immediate action by January 31, 2020 to make available state properties and facilities to rapidly increase housing and shelter options




Updates on Medi-Cal Healthier California for All
New Name Reflects Medi-Cal Initiative's Aims, History
 
The Department of Health Care Services is renaming its multi-year reform initiative aimed at improving the health outcomes and quality of life for California's population in Medi-Cal. Effective immediately, the broad-based effort to transform the Medi-Cal delivery system, program and payment structure will be known as Medi-Cal Healthier California for All.
 
The change reflects the initiative's clear alignment with Governor Gavin Newsom's platform to build a "California for All," as well as the long history and public familiarity with the Medi-Cal name for California's version of the Medicaid program.
 
The initiative incorporates innovations that have been successfully tested through the state's federal 1115 Waivers, such Whole Person Care Pilots, Health Homes, the Coordinated Care Initiative and others. When it was originally released on Oct. 29, 2019, it was referred to as "California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal," or CalAIM.
 
Online references to the initiative on the Department's website have been updated to reflect the revised Medi-Cal Healthier California for All name for the initiative. Existing bookmarks to a handful of web pages that include the old terminology will be automatically redirected to the updated pages.



New Report Released on Maternal Mental Health

A Summary of State and National Maternal Mental Health Efforts
The report looks at all of the work implemented in both California and nationally to address maternal mental health since April 2017, when California's state strategic plan was issued by the state's Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health.

The report details many noteworthy efforts including, the USPSTF recommendation to screen for maternal mental health disorders, the American College of Obstetric and Gynecology's Maternal Mental Health expert workgroup and effort to define the 4th Trimester, PSI's new Perinatal Mental Health "board test" and clinical designation (PMH-C) for therapists and mid-level providers, federal legislative action including grants being distributed to seven states to address maternal mental health, and more.
 

Events


January 14 - 17, 2020
Quarterly Meeting

Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside
4875 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92106
 
The California Behavioral Health Planning Council's January meeting will be held in San Diego. Committee meetings occur on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
 
General Session begins at 1:30 p.m., Thursday April 18, 2019. Here are a few key things that will happen at this meeting during General Session:
  • Andrea L. Crook, Director of Advocacy, Access California to present on Access California and State of the Community 2019
  • Meet and greet with Captain Emily Williams, LCSW-PIP, BCD, NEW Regional Administrator, Region IX, SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Kelly Pfeifer, MD, and Jim Khooler, MD to provide an update on behalf of the Department of Health Care Services   
For more information about this and future meetings, including the agenda and meeting materials, visit the Council's website.





CalAIM Stakeholder Update
 
Please see below for information on this month's California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) workgroup meetings.
 
The public is welcome to attend all CalAIM workgroup meetings in person, or by phone or computer audio (via the links below). All meetings will be held at 1700 K Street in Sacramento, in the first-floor conference room. Please note that space is limited and will be allocated on a first come-first served basis. Members of the public who call in will be placed in listen-only mode. All materials will be available approximately one week before each meeting on the CalAIM webpage under the relevant workgroup tab. The webinar platform is being used for telephonic purposes only. Materials will not be projected via webinar. Meetings will not be recorded.
 
Population Health Management/ Health Plan Annual Enrollment
 
January 7, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
Behavioral Health - Payment Reform [POSTPONED]
 
The Behavioral Health - Payment Reform workgroup meeting scheduled on January 10 has been postponed and will be rescheduled. Once the new date and time is identified, DHCS will notify stakeholders.
 
NCQA Accreditation
 
January 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
Enhanced Care Management/In Lieu of Services
 
January 22, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
Behavioral Health
 
January 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:

January 24, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
January 29, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
January 30, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
Full Integration Pilots
 
January 31, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Register here to join by phone or computer:
 
Each of the CalAIM proposals will be discussed in at least one public venue. While the majority of the CalAIM proposals will be discussed through the workgroup process, some proposals will be covered only in the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC), the Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee (BH-SAC), or other existing stakeholder venues. For a list of CalAIM proposals and the stakeholder meeting(s) where they will be discussed, click here. This month, CalAIM will be discussed at the following public meetings:
 
Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee
 
January 6, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
This special BH-SAC meeting will allow stakeholders an additional opportunity to provide feedback on the CalAIM proposals that primarily impact the behavioral health delivery system. Visit this webpage for more information.
 
CalAIM Dental Stakeholder Meeting
 
January 6, 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
January 21, 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
These meetings will be used to discuss the New Dental Benefits and Pay for Performance initiatives in the CalAIM proposal. Visit this webpage for more information.

Consumer-Focused Stakeholder Workgroup
 
January 10, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The following CalAIM proposals will be discussed: Enhancing County Eligibility Oversight and Monitoring and County Inmate Pre-Release Application. Visit this webpage for more information.

California Children's Services (CCS) Advisory Group
 
January 15, 9:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
The CCS Advisory Group is meeting is to discuss the CalAIM proposal and how it may impact the services for children and youth with special needs. Please visit this website for more information.

California Collaborative for Long-Term Services & Support
 
January 24, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The California Collaborative for Long-Term Services & Support will be discussing the impact of the CalAIM proposal on policies that affect seniors and individuals living with disabilities. Visit this webpage for more information.
 
Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Panel
 
January 30, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Panel will discuss policy that affects children on Medi-Cal plans under CalAIM. Visit this webpage for more information.

Finally, please save the date for the CalAIM Long-Term Services & Supports convening on February 24, 2020. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is hosting this convening to discuss its proposal to expand access to integrated care for dual eligible Californians. DHCS will discuss its transition plan within the CalAIM initiative based on stakeholder feedback provided in January 2020. DHCS welcomes members of the public to attend this convening by phone or in person. For more details about this convening, please visit the CalDuals blog or the DHCS CalAIM website.
 
For a complete list of meeting dates and details, please visit the CalAIM webpage. Please send any questions and comments regarding CalAIM to [email protected] DHCS will be collecting comments on the CalAIM proposal through February 29, 2020.

 

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