County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California

Member Services:Documentation Redesign: CBHDA, in partnership with provider associations, successfully engaged DHCS in making necessary updates to initial Documentation Redesign policy guidance, including aligning other documentation requirements with required Medi-Cal documentation, reducing excess documentation requirements; further reducing required elements in Medi-Cal progress notes; and identifying a more streamlined method to capture treatment planning activities. CBHDA Convenings: CBHDA continued to hold monthly Governing Board meetings, regular CBHDA Committee and Workgroup meetings, weekly Executive Board meetings, Annual Policy Conference and Annual Strategic Planning meetings to engage our members and provide advocacy and legislative updates, receive input and expertise from membership, and develop policy direction from County Behavioral Health Directors and staff.

Policy Development:Care CourtCBHDA worked with the Cohort 1 counties and Los Angeles County to implement CARE Court by October and December of 2023, respectively, and to inform policy, fiscal, and legislative proposals, including significantly increased funding for implementation of the new law. .Mobile Crisis DevelopmentCBHDA worked closely with input from counties to provide policy and implementation recommendations to DHCS resulting in Mobile Crisis Benefit BHIN 22-064 in the Fall of 2022.CBHDA worked in partnership with our CMS Mobile Crisis Planning Grant subcontractor, HMA, to design and implement training and technical assistance for counties implementing the Medi-Cal mobile crisis benefit.Mobile Crisis DevelopmentCBHDA worked closely with input from counties and our CMS Mobile Crisis Planning Grant contractor, Health Management Associates (HMA), to provide policy and implementation recommendations to DHCS resulting in Mobile Crisis Benefit BHIN 22-064 in the Fall of 2022.oCBHDA worked in partnership with our CMS Mobile Crisis Planning Grant subcontractor, HMA, to design and implement training and technical assistance for counties implementing the Medi-Cal mobile crisis benefit:WorkforceCBHDA is developing a 10-year strategic plan for strengthening the county behavioral health safety net workforce, which encompasses personnel who work for county agencies and the community-based organizations (CBOs) with which they contract, to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving safety net delivery system and the people it serves.CBHDA has partnered with the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to support the implementation of various workforce initiatives including the statewide 5-Year Workforce and Education Plan which was developed by region and includes funding for a variety of strategies including intern stipends, loan repayment and retention bonuses.Substance Use DisordersNetwork Adequacy Changes: CMS and DHCS continue to refine their tools and methodology for assessing and overseeing timely access to medically necessary services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. CBHDA has worked closely with DHCS to ensure that standards are fair, achievable, and accurately assess network adequacy. CBHDA successfully engaged DHCS in intensive conversations to develop and inform proposed changes to Network Adequacy submissions, including the addition of field-based services in the calculation of time or distance for DMC-ODS plans and informing revisions to the Timely Access Data Tool (TADT) to align with county workflows and better inform compliance standards. Children and Youth Behavioral Health Services Strengthening Partnerships with Youth Voice: CBHDA, in its unwavering commitment to address the behavioral health crisis, recognizes the importance of amplifying the voices of young people. In pursuit of this goal, CBHDA has actively engaged in various initiatives to strengthen partnerships with youth voices at the national and state levels.