California’s Medi-Cal program is midway through a five-year effort to expand and improve its system for treating people with addiction and substance use disorder.

This effort, the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System pilot program, has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance substance use disorder treatment by organizing care, expanding services, and integrating treatment into the larger health care system. Nineteen counties that represent 75% of all Medi-Cal beneficiaries are already providing services in the program, and the services will come online in another 21 counties soon.

The California Health Care Foundation held a briefing about this key program on Thursday, December 6, in Sacramento.

Speakers included:

• Jennifer Kent, MPA, Director, California Department of Health Care Services
• Marlies Perez, MA, Chief of Substance Use Disorder Compliance, Department of Health Care Services
• John Connolly, PhD, Interim Division Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
• Jeffrey DeVido, MD, MTS, Chief, Addiction Services, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Marin County Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Catherine Teare, MPP, Associate Director of High-Value Care, California Health Care Foundation