County Behavioral Health Directors Association Of California

ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR PUBLIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEMS.

MEMBER SERVICES:HOSTED CBHDAS THIRD ANNUAL VIRTUAL LOBBY DAY: CBHDA HELD ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL LOBBY DAY YET WHICH INCLUDED VISITS WITH OVER 60 LAWMAKERS AND LEGISLATIVE STAFF TO DISCUSS CBHDAS PRIORITY BILL AND BUDGET ASKS. ORGANIZED FIRST-EVER ALL VIRTUAL POLICY FORUM: IN LIGHT OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, CBHDA HOSTED A TWO-DAY ALL VIRTUAL POLICY FORUM IN OCTOBER 2021 WITH OVER 300 REGISTERED ATTENDEES AND EQUITY-FOCUSED KEYNOTE ADDRESSES BY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES LEADERS.MEMBER ORIENTATION VIRTUAL LEARNING SERIES: CONTINUED THE VIRTUAL MEMBER ONBOARDING SERIES WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO HELP ONBOARD AND EDUCATE NEW DIRECTORS ON CBHDAS ROLE AND SERVICES AS A MEMBERSHIP-BASED ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, AS WELL AS PROVIDE NEW DIRECTORS WITH INFORMATION ON CORE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY ISSUES.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT:CALAIM IMPLEMENTATION AND ON-GOING ADVOCACY CBHDA WORKED WITH MEMBERS TO PROVIDE COMMENTS AND SHAPE IMPLEMENTING POLICIES FOR: PAYMENT REFORM, SPECIALTY MENTAL HEALTH (SMH) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, STANDARDIZED SCREENING AND TRANSITION TOOLS, THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (BHQIP), NO WRONG DOOR, ENHANCED CARE MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTS, CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND DOCUMENTATION REDESIGN. CBHDA HAS SINCE BEGUN TO ADVISE DHCS ON THE CALAIM INITIATIVES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE INTEGRATION OF MENTAL HEALTH.STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVANCING EQUITYCOMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH EQUITY PROJECT (CMHEP): ENGAGED ETHNIC SERVICE MANAGERS (ESMS) AND COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIRECTORS TO INFORM PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE CULTURAL COMPETENCE PLAN (CCP) REQUIREMENTS. PROVIDED DHCS, CDPH, AND CMHEP CONSULTANTS WITH BACKGROUND TO ENSURE CCP UPDATES CONSIDER THE HISTORY OF ESMS AND CCPS IN ADDRESSING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES. EQUITY, JUSTICE AND HEALING WORK: CBHDA CONTINUES ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, JUSTICE, AND HEALING WORK THROUGH COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ETHNIC SERVICE MANAGER (ESM) ONBOARDING TRAINING.

ADVOCACY:MAJOR SUCCESSESBH RECOUPMENTSPREVENTED THE RECOUPMENT OF $252.5 MILLION IN COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FUNDING DUE TO STATE ERRORS IN IMMIGRATION STATUS AND INPATIENT-RELATED CLAIMS.CALAIM ADVOCACYSTAFF AND MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS STAKEHOLDER WORKGROUP MEETINGS, TESTIFIED IN LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS, AND CBHDA HAS SUBMITTED DOZENS OF FORMAL COMMENT LETTERS ON CALAIM TO DHCS AND THE LEGISLATURE TO SHAPE POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION. CHILDREN AND YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTHENSURED CBHDA HAD A VOICE IN THE MANY CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS IMPACTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN NEED OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.CARE COURT SUCCESSFULLY LOBBIED FOR AND ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO A TOP-LEVEL GUBERNATORIAL PRIORITY, CARE COURT. CBHDA MONITORED AND ADVOCATED AT EVERY LEVEL OF THIS SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGE. MOBILE CRISIS BENEFIT CBHDA WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DHCS TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK FOR A NEW MANDATORY STATEWIDE MOBILE CRISIS BENEFIT WITHIN MEDI-CAL DELIVERED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WITH FUNDING PROVIDED ENTIRELY THROUGH AN ENHANCED FEDERAL MATCH AND STATE NON-FEDERAL SHARE.WORKFORCE WORKED IN COALITION WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVOCATES AND PROVIDERS TO RAISE AWARENESS REGARDING THE DEEPENING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE CRISIS AND ADVOCATE FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME $200 MILLION STATE GENERAL FUND OVER FOUR YEARS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE INVESTMENTSHOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING LOBBIED TO SECURE $1.5 BILLION IN BRIDGE HOUSING WITH EXCLUSIVE FOCUS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLIENTS, WITH A MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING TO BE STRUCTURED THROUGH DIRECT ALLOCATIONS TO COUNTIES, RATHER THAN THROUGH COMPETITIVE GRANTS, THANKS TO ADVOCACY BY CBHDA.