Throughout the 2023-2024 Legislative Session, CSAC has kept you
informed about key legislative developments. With Governor
Newsom’s final actions now complete, CSAC will publish a series
of articles highlighting new laws and vetoed bills in each policy
area. This week, our focus is on the Health and Human Services
policy area, covering the impact of newly enacted legislation on
health services, behavioral health services, social services, and
homelessness.
For those intending to attend the upcoming Department of Health
Care Services (DHCS) CalAIM Justice-Involved Learning
Collaborative Webinar 6 covering Pharmacy Policy, please
be advised that the time and date have changed.
UPDATED DATE / TIME: December 12, 2024,
from 10 AM – 12 PM PT.
On November 12, 2024, the Department of Health Care Services
(DHCS) launched new resources to help providers succeed in the
California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM)
environment.
For those interested, please be advised that the Department of
Health Care Services’ Medi-Cal Outreach and Education team are
offering
live training webinars in December 2024 relating to the
Justice-Involved (JI) Reentry Initiative, and specifically,
policy and coverage for JI 90-day pre-release services.
The live webinars will be offered on the following dates:
On November 5, the Mental Health Services Oversight and
Accountability Commission
announced the appointment of veteran public servant Will
Lightbourne as interim executive director of the Commission, as a
search is initiated for a new leader following last month’s
resignation of its current executive director, Toby Ewing.
On November 4, Attorney General Rob Bonta
announced the completion of an opioid settlement with Kroger,
an American retail company that operates supermarkets and
multi-department stores throughout the United States.
The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) requires the Department
of Health Care Services (DHCS) to participate in stakeholder
engagement and consultation activities to support the planning,
development, and implementation of Behavioral Health
Transformation related policy.
DHCS has scheduled the next two public listening sessions:
California, alongside Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon, has
received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) to expand access to culturally-based substance use
disorder (SUD) treatment services. Two new categories of
interventions will now be covered by Medi-Cal, as developed by
the state in partnership with tribal partners:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) Homeless & Housing Resource Center (HHRC) will host a
webinar, “Identifying and Addressing Behavioral Health Needs in
Encampments,” on Wednesday, November 13 from 11:00 am –
12:30 pm.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) has released
Administrative Notice 24-05 (Notice), which amends the
program guidelines for 10 of HCD’s state-funded multifamily
rental housing programs. These amendments permit greater use of
project operating funds to provide supportive services to
residents throughout the life of the projects. The 10 programs
are:
This week, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
(CSCCE) at the University of California, Berkeley released their
2024
Early Childhood Workforce Index. This fourth edition of
the report, which has tracked progress since 2016, provides a
state-by-state look at policies and conditions affecting the
early care and education workforce. The new report includes:
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will
convene the following Community Assistance, Recovery, and
Empowerment (CARE) Act Ad Hoc Groups:
The Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF) will hold a webinar
titled “Population-Based Prevention in the Age of Proposition 1”
on Tuesday, October 15, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Featured speakers include Dr. Tomás Aragón, MD, DrPH, Director of
the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and State
Public Health Officer, and Julie Nagasako, Deputy Director of the
Office of Policy and Planning at CDPH. This webinar will help
prepare attendees for a more in-depth discussion at the BHTF
quarterly meeting on November 13.
CSAC would also like to share advisement for those impacted that
the Opioid Settlement Expenditure Reporting Form will
close next week, on September 30.
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will
convene the following Community Assistance, Recovery, and
Empowerment (CARE) Act Ad Hoc Groups:
CSAC would like to share that the Department of Health Care
Services (DHCS) will host live, virtual Medi-Cal
Justice Involved (JI) Screening Portal Office Hours to
answer any questions providers may have regarding the upcoming
release of the Medi-Cal JI Screening Portal.
Please refer to the following schedule for upcoming events.
This week, First 5 California launched a new campaign, Raise CA Strong, which aims
to build support for greater access to affordable childcare for
all California families. The launch of the Raise CA Strong comes
at the same time as the release of First 5 California’s new
report, “The Childcare
Crisis in California & 5 Pathways for Change.”
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will
convene the 988 Workgroup 6: Funding and Stability, on
Tuesday, September 3 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is hosting three
office hour sessions for counties and cities to ask the DHCS team
questions on the Opioid Settlement Expenditure Reporting Form.
These sessions are intended to be an informal opportunity to gain
additional clarification.
Those interested in attending sessions are required to register
in advance. Log-in information will be sent to registered
participants a day before each session.
