Publication

Mental Health in California: For Too Many, Care Not There

Behavioral Health, Providers
This Almanac report provides an overview of mental health in California: disease prevalence, suicide rates, supply and use of treatment providers, and mental health in the correctional system, plus available data on spending and quality of care.
Publication

Overcoming Data-Sharing Challenges in the Opioid Epidemic

Robert Belfort, Alex Dworkowitz
Behavioral Health, Opioid Safety
Federal confidentiality rules, such as the "Part 2" rules, can be a stumbling block for primary care practices seeking to integrate substance use disorder treatment. This paper summarizes the rules and outlines steps that practices can take to coordinate care and stay within the law.
Publication

Medi-Cal Moves Addiction Treatment into the Mainstream

Molly Brassil, Carol Backstrom, Erynne Jones
Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Opioid Safety
A fundamental shift is underway in California to expand, improve, and reorganize Medi-Cal’s system for treating people with substance use disorders. This report summarizes the experiences of the first counties to implement this new approach.
Publication

California’s Public Substance Use Disorder Treatment System for Youth: An Overview

Harbage Consulting
Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Payment & Financing
Adolescents and young adults often find it difficult to access substance use disorder treatment in California. This paper provides considerations for expanding public programs for youth.
Project

Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Opioid Safety
In Medi-Cal, treatment for patients with substance use disorder has long been run out of a separate program. Now California is implementing a broad move to modernize this system of care.
Publication

The Circle Expands: Understanding Medi-Cal Coverage of Mild-to-Moderate Mental Health Conditions

Don Kingdon, Molly Brassil, Erynne Jones
Medi-Cal, Behavioral Health
As of 2014, Medi-Cal enrollees with mild-to-moderate mental health conditions are entitled to receive mental health services through their managed care plans.
CHCF Blog

California Survey Finds Strong Support for Behavioral Health Benefits

Catherine Teare
Behavioral Health, ACA/Health Reform
Meaningful insurance coverage of mental health and substance use disorder is a reality for millions more people under the ACA, and Californians recognize its value.
CHCF Blog

Guidelines for Sharing Behavioral Health Data Show Power of Collaboration

Catherine Teare
Behavioral Health
Uncertainty about the legalities of behavioral health data sharing — what's permissible and what's required — slows efforts to achieve coordinated and integrated care that could benefit patients and providers. Read the full blog article.
Publication

California’s Current and Future Behavioral Health Workforce

Janet Coffman, Timothy Bates, Igor Geyn, Joanne Spetz
Behavioral Health, Opioid Safety, Workforce
This report synthesizes data about California’s behavioral health workforce. California needs to make substantial investments to meet future demand for behavioral health professionals.
Publication

Fine Print: Rules for Exchanging Behavioral Health Information in California

Deven McGraw, Robert Belfort, Alex Dworkowitz
Behavioral Health
The exchange of behavioral health information is constrained by operational challenges and legal concerns. Manatt Health describes the regulatory framework for sharing such data in California.