Californians, like the rest of the country, are facing significant mental health challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic. The need for new and enhanced behavioral health supports and interventions has come into strong focus in recent years and states are leveraging their Medicaid programs to respond.

In response to the clear need for a more robust infrastructure, in September 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin awarding nearly $4 billion in grants over a five year period to state and local governments to support strengthening the public health infrastructure, workforce, and data systems.

Thanks to tireless advocacy combined with impressive outcomes data, funding was allocated in the California state budget to support the continuation of the program. This is a prime example of how initial federal investments can ultimately lead to long-term sustainability of successful programs.

When Aurrera Health launched the ACEs Aware initiative on behalf of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) in late 2019, we knew we were on the forefront of change.

A core element of all Medicaid Section 1115 “research and demonstration” waivers is an evaluation of the demonstration program and its efficacy in meeting the demonstration’s goals. Historically, however, Section 1115 waiver evaluations have been an afterthought for states and CMS, limiting their ability to inform future Medicaid policy and financing approaches.

States are leveraging American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to support a multi-faceted policy approach to strengthening state health care infrastructure and the health workforce.

Pathways to Resilience will serve as a convenor of state leaders, policymakers, and administrators and offer a forum to collaborate and share best practices with colleagues across the country. We will draw on the wisdom of a Steering Committee of Governors’ First Spouses – chaired by Delaware First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney – who have committed to help champion this work.

Last year, Aurrera Health Group teamed up with the California Department of Health Care Services to provide early education and targeted technical assistance for providers on implementing Enhanced Care Management and Community Support services, two key parts of the CalAIM initiative. This experience revealed several promising practices for other states pursuing whole-person approaches to health care delivery.