Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Approves Go-Live of the Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative in Three Counties
October 10, 2024
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced on Wednesday, October 9, the launch of the Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative. This initiative is designed to provide a comprehensive suite of medical and mental health services for youth and adults in state prisons, county jails, and youth correctional facilities in the 90 days prior to their release, aiming to ensure a smoother transition and improving overall well-being and public health outcomes. Three California counties—Inyo, Santa Clara, and Yuba—were approved as of October 1 to begin delivering a targeted set of Medi-Cal services to people returning to communities after incarceration.
The Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative is focused on ensuring Medi-Cal members have continuity of coverage and are supported to access key services to help them successfully return to their communities. Medi-Cal members who receive pre-release services in prison, jail, or a youth correctional facility will receive a comprehensive care transition plan to coordinate the medical, behavioral, and social services that will support them in the critical days and weeks following release. Further, all participating members are eligible to receive Enhanced Care Management (ECM) from their Medi-Cal managed care plan upon release. Together, the targeted set of pre-release services and the continuity of services and care coordination following release will improve health outcomes for Medi-Cal members throughout this important transition and further advance California’s health equity goals.
On September 30, DHCS formally received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conditionally approve correctional facilities to go-live with pre-release services even if the correctional facility has not yet fully met all of the readiness requirements provided that the correctional facility:
- Is ready to go-live with, at a minimum, providing pre-release care management and warm handoff services; Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) services; and, providing Medi-Cal members with a 30-day supply of medications upon release, as clinically appropriate and in accordance with California’s Medicaid State Plan.
- Submits to DHCS a time-bound action plan for increasing capacity and achieving a pass rating by the end of a defined 12-month ramp up period as part of their readiness assessment review process.
Read the full DHCS news release here. Access the Reentry Demonstration Initiative Implementation Plan here.
CSAC Annual Meeting: CalAIM JI Workshop – Join Us!
At our Annual Meeting, CSAC will be convening a workshop dedicated to CalAIM JI implementation and best practices. Conference attendees are encouraged to join CSAC and county leaders to learn about the CalAIM JI initiative and its implementation, which will bring targeted Medi-Cal services into correctional facilities. State and county staff, as well as public safety professionals, will share how the justice-involved initiative seeks to facilitate a smooth transition throughout the reentry process.
