By: Mario S. Turner

On March 26, 2025, Mario Turner attended the California Association of Health Plans’ “Shaping the Future of Behavioral Health” event in Burbank, CA. The gathering brought together leaders from state agencies, provider organizations, and health plans to discuss challenges, innovations, and evolving expectations in California’s behavioral health care system.

Below are highlights from the event, along with key considerations for behavioral health and EAP organizations moving forward:

Continued Regulatory Emphasis on Access and Parity

Mary Watanabe, Director of the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), opened the day by reaffirming the Department’s focus on enforcing timely access standards and mental health parity laws. The DMHC continues to conduct oversight through network reviews, complaint monitoring, and formal investigations.

Key Consideration: Regular internal reviews of access metrics, network adequacy, and parity documentation can help organizations stay aligned with DMHC expectations and avoid future compliance issues and enforcement actions.

Evolving Access Models: From Appointment Availability to Outcomes

Representatives from Two Chairs emphasized that solving access challenges in behavioral health is not just about the number of appointments available. Instead, their model focuses on outcome measurement, provider-client fit, and long-term engagement as the foundation for effective care.

Key Consideration: Exploring ways to measure and improve therapeutic outcomes, such as client progress tracking, satisfaction surveys, or provider matching algorithms, may enhance client experience and retention.

Proposition 1 and California’s Behavioral Health Infrastructure Expansion

Passed in 2024, Proposition 1 sets the stage for sweeping changes to California’s behavioral health system, including investments in residential care, housing supports, and the behavioral health workforce.

Key Consideration: Organizations may benefit from keeping an eye on local Proposition 1 funding opportunities and exploring how new infrastructure could support expanded or integrated service offerings.

Integrating Social Determinants of Health Into Behavioral Health Models

Speakers from ZeOmega and Clearlink Partners discussed how integrating social determinants of health (SDOH), such as housing, transportation, food security, and education, can lead to more sustainable behavioral health outcomes. Their session emphasized the need to treat root causes, not just symptoms.

Key Consideration: Embedding SDOH screening and community resource referrals into behavioral health workflows may support more holistic, person-centered care and promote long-term recovery.

Strengthening Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Response Strategies

Representatives from Millennium Health and Partnership Health Plan of California addressed the growing urgency of the opioid crisis, with panelists highlighting persistent gaps in access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and care continuity. Speakers emphasized the importance of provider education, reduced stigma, and seamless transitions between levels of care for individuals with opioid use disorder.

Key Consideration: Behavioral health organizations should evaluate access to MAT services within their networks, provide training around OUD best practices, and enhance outreach strategies to support early intervention and treatment adherence.

Aligning Behavioral Health with Housing Through Medi-Cal Initiatives

Recent Medi-Cal efforts such as BH-Connect and the Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP) are providing new pathways to link housing supports with behavioral health services. These programs include rent assistance, care coordination, and flexible funding mechanisms for high-need populations.

Key Consideration: Understanding the structure and funding of these initiatives can help organizations identify partnership opportunities with counties, Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCP), and local housing entities.

Looking Ahead

The CAHP conference reaffirmed that behavioral health in California is moving toward a more integrated, equitable, and outcomes-focused future. For EAPs and behavioral health plans, now is a good time to evaluate how clinical programs, partnerships, and operations align with these evolving expectations.