State Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services Program

A large majority of consumers who utilize California's county mental health services are enrolled in Medicaid. Medicaid is a state-administered federal entitlement program (Medi-Cal), and each state sets its own guidelines regarding eligibility and services within the parameters of the federal law and regulations.

Unlike most other states, California's Medi-Cal specialty mental health program is entirely managed by local government. Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are living with a severe and/or persistent mental illness are eligible for services under California's Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services program, which is administered by the state Department of Mental Health (DMH). The Department of Mental Health, in turn, contracts with county mental health authorities to provide mental health services to this population.

• CMHDA's Medi-Cal Section 1115 Waiver Workgroup Meeting Materials (Link)

Background Material

• DHCS Section 1115 Waiver Concept Paper (October 19, 2009) (PDF 85 KB)
• California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems Waiver Recommendation
  (October, 16, 2009) (PDF 101 KB)
  • Cover Letter:  CAPH Waiver Recommendation (October, 16, 2009) (PDF 31 KB)
• CMHDA Brief Response to DHCS Concept Paper 1115 Waiver (October 30, 2009) (PDF 45 KB)
• Low Income Consumer Advocates' Recommendations for California's Next 1115 Waiver  (Link)
• CADPAAC: 1115 Waiver Concepts (Posted: November 30, 2009) (PDF KB)
• CPCA Paper, "Health Care Homes: Solution to Achieving Better Care Coordination and Long Term Cost Containment in Medi-Cal Waiver" (October 2009) (Posted: November 30, 2009) (PDF KB)
• California Hospital Association Comments Waiver (Posted: December 2, 2009) (PDF KB)
• Measurement of Health Status SMI NASMHPD (Posted: December 8, 2009) (PDF 689 KB)
• Connected Care Data Template (Posted: December 8, 2009)  ( PDF 118 KB)
• Interim Evaluation of Health Care Coverage Initiative in California (August 2009) (Posted: December 8, 2009) (Link)
• State Options For Improving Health And Health System Outcomes For Frequent Users Of Health Services  (Posted: December 8, 2009) (PDF 189 KB)
• Establishing Accountable Physical/Behavioral Health Care Homes: Pennsylvania’s Innovations Pilots
• Maryland Health Choice 1115 (Link) (Posted: December 8, 2009) (Link)
• Maryland Rare and Expensive Case Management (REM) Program (Posted: December 8, 2009)
• Integrating Behavioral Health Under Medicaid (Center for Health Care Strategies) (Posted: December 8, 2009)
• Purchasing Strategies to Improve Care Management for Complex Populations: A National Scan of State Purchasers (Center for Health Care Strategies) (Posted: December 8, 2009)
• Healthcare Payment Reform and Behavioral Health Safety Net, National Council for Community Behavioral Health System (Posted: December 8, 2009 (PDF KB)
• California Healthcare Foundation: Medi-Cal Waivers (March 2000) (Link)
• Cost Studies at Northern California Kaiser Permanente (C. Weisner Powerpoint) (January 28, 2010) (PDF 640 KB) 
• ACHSA Position Paper on Billing Medi-cal for Recovery Model Services (August 2008) (Posted: March 19, 2010) (PDF 130 KB)

 Medi-Cal 1115 Waiver Documents 

• DHCS Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Update Documents (May 2010)
  
  • Behavioral Health Technical Work Group Final Report And Recommendations - Department of Health Care Services - Medi-Cal 1115 Waiver (May 2010) (PDF 124 KB)
  • DHCS Section 1115 Waiver - Waiver Plan Requirements One Pager, “Health Plan Requirements under California’s Waiver (May 2010) (PDF 20 KB)
  • DHCS Section 1115 Waiver - Waiver Timeline (May 2010) (PDF 38 KB)
  • DHCS Section 1115 Waiver - Coverage Initiative One Pager, “Expanding Access to Care for Uninsured Low Income Adults” (May 2010) (PDF 23 KB)
  • DHCS Section 1115 Waiver - Enrollment and Transitions One Pager, “Enrolling in Medi-Cal Managed Care Under California’s New Waiver” (May 2010) (PDF 12 KB)
  • DHCS Section 1115 Waiver - Consumer Protection One Pager, “How California’s Waiver Protects Vulnerable Populations” (May 2010) (PDF 21 KB)
• CMHDA Brief Response to DHCS Concept Paper 1115 Waiver (October 30, 2009) (PDF 45 KB)
• DHCS Director's Message (Posted: October 20, 2009) (PDF 12 KB)
• DHCS Section 1115 Waiver Concept Paper (Posted: October 20, 2009) (PDF 85 KB)
• DHCS Section 1115 Waiver Renewal Stakeholder Process (Posted: October 20, 2009) (PDF 18 KB)
• CMHDA Principles for DHCS 1115 Demonstration Waiver (October 16, 2009) (PDF 33 KB)
• Governor's Letter to Congressional Delegation re: Medicaid Rules (April 8, 2008) (PDF 66 KB)
• DCHS Letter: Confidentially Policies Governing the Medi-Cal Eligibility Date System (February 5, 2008) (PDF 105 KB)
  

Agencies Links

• State Department of Mental Health (Link)
• DMH: Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health (Link)

For More Information

• Patricia Ryan, MPA – Executive Director
  Contact for state budget issues and association matters.
  pryan@cmhda.org
• Don Kingdon, PhD – Deputy Director & Small Counties Liaison
  Contact for Medi-Cal and other regulatory issues
  dkingdon@cmhda.org
• Kirsten Barlow – Associate Director, Legislation & Public Policy
  Contact for state legislation and public policy issues
  kbarlow@cmhda.org