CBHPC Systems and Medicaid Committee
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Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) often encounter multiple care systems and regularly face challenges with accessing the services they need due to the complex structure of California’s public behavioral health system. The Systems and Medicaid Committee (SMC)
advocates for system integration to ensure persons with SMI have access to client-family driven, responsive, timely, and culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
The initial focus of SMC is on California’s Medicaid Infrastructure, as the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Initiative provides a framework for the Medicaid Section 1915(b) and 1115 Waivers, with the goal to identify and manage risk through whole person care approaches, address social determinants of health, reduce complexity and increase flexibility in the Medi-Cal system, and improve quality outcomes. It also aims to drive delivery system transformation through value-based initiatives and payment reform. Additionally, the SMC is focused on California Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT), an 1115 Waiver Demonstration that leverages federal funds to improve access and care for Medi-Cal members living with behavioral health conditions through the expanstion of a comprehensive continuum of community-based behavioral health care services. The Committee’s activities include exploring options for the future public behavioral health system, engaging with stakeholders, and influencing policy development for Medi-Cal. The primary focus is on access, continuity of care, and outcomes for individuals with SMI, children with serious emotional disturbance (SED), and individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), while addressing all levels of care. The committee will also examine the integration and intersection of treatment with the following systems:
- Physical Health Care
- Child Welfare
- Juvenile Justice
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Vocational Rehabilitation/Employment
- Developmental Disabilities
- Aging
More Information on our purpose, mandates, goals, and members is contained in
SMC Charter and
SMC Work Plan 2024-2025.
Upcoming SMC Meetings
Quarterly
Meeting
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Date: June 18, 2026
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Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
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Location: Riverside, CA
- Meeting agenda to be posted no less than 10 days prior to the meeting.
Please visit the
Systems and Medicaid Committee Meetings Archive page for information on past meetings.
Committee Documents
The Systems and Medicaid Committee has developed the recommendation letters below to support ongoing improvements within California’s public behavioral health system. These documents outline the committee’s analysis and recommendations aimed at strengthening access to services and enhancing the quality of care for individuals and families across the state.
Resources
The following section includes resources relevant to the work of the Systems and Medicaid Committee, such as proposals and reports, policy guidance, and webpages from external organizations.
Proposals and Reports
- Continuing the Transformation of Medi-Cal Concept Paper (2025)- The purpose of this concept paper is to outline DHCS' vision and goals for the next five years, including plans for advancing the renewal of the CalAIM waivers and other initiatives.
- CalHHS Behavioral Health Crisis Care Continuum Plan (2023)- The future-state vision described in this Plan is an aspirational view of what the state’s behavioral health crisis care system could look like in the future, when all Californians at risk of – or experiencing – behavioral health crises can access quality care.
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Youth at the Center Report (2023)- A call-to-action for a reimagined behavioral health ecosystem from children, youth, and families across California.
Organizations and Workgroups
Webpages
