July 11, 2024

On Monday, July 1, San Mateo County launched the CARE court process ahead of the December 1, 2024, statutory deadline. San Mateo County is the ninth county to implement CARE, joining the seven first cohort counties – Glenn, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne – as well as Los Angeles County, which implemented CARE on December 1, 2023. Read more about San Mateo County’s CARE program here.

New Resources and Trainings

CARE Act Health Plan Contacts

The Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) has released a current contact list for California health plans, with points of contacts for CARE. On this list, most health plans identify specific contacts or departments, typically behavioral health. The contact list has been uploaded to the CARE Act Website Directory.  For any questions, please email info@CARE-Act.org.

CARE Act Sanctions and Claiming Process

A recording of the July 1 training for county behavioral health agencies on the CARE Act sanctions and claiming process is now available. Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) No: 24-014 issues guidance to counties regarding the distribution of funds deposited into the CARE Act Accountability Fund. BHIN No: 24-015 notifies counties about the CARE Act reimbursement rates and provides guidance on how to submit claims for CARE activities. Training topics include the sanction process and when/how funds will be returned to counties; how to submit claims to DHCS to be reimbursed for CARE Act activities; a demonstration of the resources and templates; and frequently asked questions.

Representatives from the Department of Health Care Service’s (DHCS) Local Governmental Financing Division (LGFD) will be available to answer questions and discuss the sanctions and claiming process during optional office hours. The office hours will occur on Tuesday, July 23 from 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. and Thursday, July 25 from 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to watch the training and/or review the training deck prior to attending the office hours. Links to register for office hours, presentation slides, and the training video can be accessed here.

Data Collection and Reporting Updates

Data Submission Options Live Training – SurveyMonkey, MOVEit, and the Data File Templates – Tuesday, August 6 at 11:00 am

DHCS and Health Management Associates (HMA) will host a live training for all Cohort II stakeholders involved in CARE Act Data Collection and Reporting on August 6 at 11:00 a.m. The HMA data team will provide live demonstrations of the SurveyMonkey platform and MOVEit file transfer application, in addition to a summary of the two data file template options and quality assurance process. This training will provide an opportunity to ask questions, discuss topics needing clarification, and share ideas and thoughts. Register here.

Data Dictionary Walkthrough

A recorded training for county behavioral health agencies on the CARE Act Data Dictionary is now available.  The training introduces the CARE Act Data Dictionary and resources to support data collection and reporting. It provides strategies to help participants navigate the CARE Act Data Dictionary; describes which CARE respondents will be tracked over time; distinguishes measurements periods for data collection; and assists with understanding the structure and format of a data element to guide standardized reporting. This is part one of a three-part series on CARE Act data collection and reporting. The training and supplemental resources can be accessed here.

CalHHS CARE Act Ad Hoc Groups

The following CalHHS CARE Act Ad Hoc Groups will be meeting next week:

• The CARE Act Training, Technical Assistance & Communications Ad Hoc Group will meet on Wednesday, July 17 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. via Zoom (Primary Physical Meeting Location: 1215 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814).
• The CARE Act Services & Supports Ad Hoc Group will meet on Thursday, July 18 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. via Zoom (Primary Physical Meeting Location: 1215 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814).

While the primary physical meeting location is in Sacramento for each of these meetings, it is anticipated that all ad hoc group members will participate remotely. A staff person will be onsite to accommodate any members of the public. Meeting notices and agendas, including Zoom links, for each meeting are available in the Meeting Materials tab of the respective Ad Hoc Group’s section on the CARE Act Working Group website.