Santa Clara County health systems expand ‘dyadic’ early‑childhood screenings under CalAIM benefit

Santa Clara County’s Children, Seniors and Families Committee received an update Thursday on efforts to expand universal developmental screening and a dyadic early‑childhood behavioral‑health model across county and community clinics.

Presenters from Valley Health Care, First 5, UCSF and Bay Area Community Health described a multi‑partner pilot based on the HealthySteps model that embeds child‑development specialists in pediatric primary care to screen and intervene for social‑emotional and behavioral concerns in children ages 0–3.

“Early childhood is a critical time for children,” Serena Sai, director of operations for primary care at Valley Health Care, told the committee. “There are over seven visits during the first year and in total 12 before the child turns 3. That is a critical opportunity for health care settings to play a role.”

Panelists said the pilot began as a county referral in 2020 and builds on statewide CalAIM changes that established a dyadic care benefit under Medi‑Cal. Partners named in the presentation included Valley Health Care clinics, Bay Area Community Health, school‑based clinics, First 5 and three managed‑care plans in the county (Anthem, Santa Clara…