Introduction

CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) opens the door to a stronger whole-person approach to addressing the social factors that impact the health of people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. While Medi-Cal has not historically paid for housing or shelter, CalAIM’s Enhanced Care Management and housing-related Community Supports are avenues by which managed care plans (MCPs) can fund the care coordination and housing-related services many people need to stabilize themselves after inpatient care and to locate, transition into, and remain healthy in permanent housing.

CalAIM relies on MCPs to implement these integrated services at the community level. As such, MCPs will need to seek out and collaborate with new partners in the homeless services, affordable housing, and supportive housing sectors (collectively referred to in the handbook as the “housing-related sector”) to successfully deliver on the whole-person approach to care.

The handbook aims to help MCPs navigate what may be unfamiliar territory and to support them in establishing and strengthening partnerships in the housing-related sector. The handbook provides key considerations, useful steps, and best practices MCP staff will need to successfully implement the housing-related Community Supports.

• Chapter 1: What works. Guidance for MCPs in understanding the evidence-based practices that support best outcomes for those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
• Chapter 2: Housing-related services providers. Priorities, capacity, and opportunities in partnering with homeless response systems.
• Chapter 3: Planning and execution. The opportunities and challenges for MCPs as they build systems and programs with their new partners.
• Chapter 4: Data sharing. A model for MCPs to plan, develop, and get the most out of data sharing with their housing-related sector partners.

Who Should Read This Handbook?

The content of this handbook is most relevant to MCP staff working in these areas:

• Medical management and clinical leadership
• Provider relations or network development
• Community Supports leads and leads for members experiencing homelessness
• Member services
• Population health team and data analytics

About the Authors

Ian Costello is a program manager on the national Strategy and External Affairs team of the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). Jaline Gilliam, LICSW, is the associate director of the CSH Los Angeles office. Marcella Maguire, PhD, is the director of health systems integration at CSH. Cheryl Winter, MPH, LICSW, is a senior program manager at CSH Los Angeles.

CSH is the national champion for supportive housing, demonstrating its potential to improve the lives of very vulnerable individuals and families by helping communities create more than 385,000 real homes for people who desperately need them.