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CDSS, DHCS push BH Connect to align mental-health, CANS and foster-care services; counties support unified CANS
Summary
CDSS and county representatives described BH Connect elements — joint home visits, activity funds, family-maintenance CFTs and one CANS — intended to integrate behavioral health and child-welfare services; counties and LAO asked for more detailed fiscal displays and implementation timing.
The panel reviewed BH Connect, the state initiative to align behavioral-health services and child-welfare practice, including joint home visits by child-welfare and specialty mental-health staff, activity stipends for youth, and alignment of the CANS tool between CDSS and DHCS.
Angie Schwartz of CDSS summarized the implementation schedule: guidance for family-maintenance child-and-family-team meetings released January 31, county claiming guidance under review, and a two-phase CANS alignment plan (phase 1: training and completion timelines anticipated Q2 2025; phase 2: CANS tool alignment and automation with CWS Cares expected Q4 2026).
CDSS and DHCS plan a joint request for information to identify fiscal-management models to operate both BH Connect activity funds and the tiered-rate strength-building dollars; that RFI was expected soon. Schwartz said the departments will coordinate design of joint home visits and of evaluation metrics that use existing dashboards (Safe Measures, CCR dashboard) and CWS Cares once it is implemented.
County representatives welcomed a unified (“one CANS”) approach to reduce duplication and support timely data entry. Diana Boyer (CWDA) and other county leaders said joint visits could speed CANS completion and strengthen cross-system care planning. LAO asked whether assumed start dates in the governor’s budget were realistic and whether May revision spending projections should be adjusted given ramp-up timelines.
Chair Jackson requested a comprehensive fiscal display of BH Connect elements affecting the subcommittee by March 28 and an update on the portion of 2024–25 BH Connect funds unlikely to be spent due to late implementation.
