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County staff outline Medi‑Cal and CalWORKs funding opportunities, list 18 local school partners
Summary
County social services staff told the Children, Seniors and Families Committee on June 26 that they are pursuing Department of Healthcare Services funding, including DHCS fee‑schedule options, that could expand Medi‑Cal‑funded supports for CalWORKs families and children.
County social services staff told the Children, Seniors and Families Committee on June 26 that they are pursuing several Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) funding opportunities — including fee‑for‑service pathways under CalAIM — that could support behavioral health and housing supports for children, youth and CalWORKs families.
Deputy County Executive Kiely (as introduced at the meeting) said the department “outlined some significant opportunities” under DHCS and that staff will continue to pursue them to leverage medical funding for CalWORKs families and the county’s broader behavioral‑health community of care.
Why it matters: County staff said these funding sources could help the department add services — such as enhanced care management (ECM) and other Medi‑Cal‑eligible supports — that are not funded from the county general fund. Committee members pressed staff for details about local partners and eligibility, and asked how programs already in place can be broadened to serve older youth, former foster youth and others with higher education or internship experience.
Staff answered specific program questions. On the county’s SEFI employment partnership, staff said the program currently targets entry‑level civil‑service codes but the department is discussing adding additional job series (for example office specialist series and associate analyst positions) to broaden access for current and former foster youth who have college or internship experience. On the Intern & Earn program staff confirmed the hourly stipend is $17.50 and said they will investigate whether host sites or employers can be allowed to supplement that pay.
Committee discussion also covered the DHCS fee‑schedule pilot that allows school districts and related local educational agencies (LEAs) to contract with managed‑care plans and contracted providers so children can receive services regardless of insurance status. Staff said the county is in the fourth cohort and read aloud the 18 LEAs currently participating: Santa Clara County Office of Education; Sunnyvale School District; Mountain View Whisman; Eastside Union High; Morgan Hill Unified; Navigator Schools; Cambrian; Campbell Union; Rocketship; University Preparatory; Santa Clara Unified; Cupertino High; Evergreen; Franklin‑McKinley; Gilroy Unified; San Jose Unified; Mount Pleasant Elementary; Mountain View‑Los Altos. Staff described this as a readiness‑based rollout that the state DHCS manages by cohort and said the current focus is services for children and youth with mild‑to‑moderate needs.
What the committee asked for: Supervisors asked staff to provide a more strategic report for the next schooling services update describing each LEA’s implementation status and readiness, plus any data that would help target districts with the greatest need (for example child abuse/neglect reporting patterns). Staff agreed to share the list sent to board offices and to return with more detailed readiness and cohort status information at the next schooling services report.
Action: The committee voted to receive the report. Vice Chairperson Young and Chairperson Arenas voted yes; the motion carried.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue outreach to DHCS and managed‑care plans, return with an implementation/readiness update at the next schooling services report and follow up with the committee and individual supervisors’ offices on potential code expansions for SEFI and possible income‑supplement options for Intern & Earn host sites.
