By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH
THE CENTER SQUARE CONRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) – This past week over $400 million in state grants was designated as funds for the improvement and expansion of California’s healthcare workforce and infrastructure as part of a larger $1 billion investment strategy. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the healthcare package deemed essential to deliver expanded behavioral health, mental health and general health care services.
“California is committed to ensuring people have the services they need and supporting the next generation of health care workers,” he said.
Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) through Capacity and Infrastructure, Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITE), funds would be provided from the Department of Health Care Services $119 million allocation.
State Medicaid Director Jacey Cooper explained “CITED funding will help address the gaps in local organizational capacity and infrastructure, enabling these local partners to scale up the services they provide to Medi-Cal members.”
PATH “will support the expansion of the capacity and infrastructure needed to implement Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, and increase access to services statewide through medical care support systems such as data exchange capabilities, additional staff and billing systems,” the Department ofHealth Care Services said in a released statement.
Ninety-eight organizations will benefit from the funding which can be used for projects such as evaluating and addressing gaps in community services, developing outreach plans for underserved populations and concrete support, such as IT systems, infrastructure and an increased workforce.
“These are tangible dollars that will help organizations add staff, develop capabilities, such as billing and data exchange systems, and enable community partners to successfully contract with managed care organizations to provide the new Medi-Cal benefit of Enhanced Care Management and Community Support services,” Ms. Cooper said.
Additionally, seventy-eight organizations will be supported from the Department of Aging’s $89 million budget to increase a caregiver workforce.
“Grants were awarded to diverse organizations with innovative ideas to offer training and incentives for the direct care Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) workforce and unpaid family and friend caregivers. The 78 grantees include non-profit organizations, universities and training providers, and for-profit organizations that will train the direct care workforce in all 58 California counties,” a Feb. 1 release by the department said.
The announced package had grants allocated for post-high school students to train in practical on-the-job experience in behavioral health careers, supported by the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) $18 million grant.
“DHCS also awarded more than $4 million to 54 driving under the influence (DUI) programs to support the creation of linkages to resources and referral options to treatment to reduce opioid overdoses and opioid-related traffic fatalities and to curb recidivism amongst DUI program participants with an opioid use disorder (OUD) or substance use disorder (SUD).”
Health Care Access and Information will receive $170 million “to support behavioral health students and professionals in advanced practice, nursing, behavioral health, and allied health professions; to support social work education in 23 schools; and to support 17 new and expanded programs and create 87 new residency positions across California in 54 organizations.
The Department of Developmental Services was allocated $22 million for “75 community-based organizations and regional centers to improve equity, diversity, and service access to all Californians with developmental disabilities.”
“These crucial investments in our health care workforce and infrastructure build upon that commitment by strengthening our community partners, health care infrastructure, and continuing our work to bring the state’s health care system into the 21st century,” Gov. Newsom stated.
