California Expands Access to Behavioral Health Services

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On September 25, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills into law to advance access to behavioral health services throughout the state. These bills are set to standardize training for peer professionals (SB 803), allow Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds to be used for substance use treatment services (SUTS) (AB 2265), and expand the legal definition of Mental Health Parity to include SUTS (SB 855).

We are energized and encouraged to see these laws get signed during a time when the need for access to behavioral health services is so critical, and yet resources are limited due to a nationwide staff shortage and the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19.

These new laws will also be important at Telecare in advancing the care we are able to provide to the people we serve.

SB 803: Peer Support Specialist Certification Act of 2020, establishes a statewide certification program for peer support specialists and provides the structure needed to maximize the federal match for peer services under Medi-Cal. The program defines the range of responsibilities and practice guidelines for peer support specialists, specifies required training and continuing education requirements, determines clinical supervision requirements, and establishes a code of ethics and processes for revocation of certification.

SB 803 will elevate the importance of the Peer Professional role in care and will help create standards Telecare will use moving forward as we make progress toward our goal of having at least two full-time equivalent (FTE) Peer Professionals in every program by the end of 2020. We are also continuing to push forward with innovative program models that elevate the role of Peer Professionals in our work, including our newest service, a peer navigation program which opened in San Joaquin County on October 1, 2020. California Peer Certification will not only support the strengthening of skills and knowledge of our current and future Peer Professional workforce, but it will also validate and solidify Peer Support Services as a valuable behavioral health service by the addition of a Peer Support Services billing code as part of the California State Medi-Cal plan of services. 

The Department of Health Care Services will have two years to set up the Peer Support Specialist Certification Program (2021 – 2022).

The other legislation that passed, AB 2265: Use of Funds for Substance Use Disorder Treatment and SB 855: Mental Health Parity, address the ongoing need to incorporate and expand substance use treatment as an essential part of treating the whole person. In 2017, Telecare made a commitment to expanding our services to individuals with co-occurring substance use needs. Since then, we’ve added new programs and models of care specifically for SUTS, including two recently opened “sobering centers” in Kern County, CA — Delano Recovery Station and Bakersfield Recovery Station. We will also soon open four new SUTS programs in Orange County.

We are grateful for the leadership and committed advocacy of Sacrament Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose), Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Assemblywoman Sharon Quick-Silva (D-Fullerton), and the countless others who continue to push the needle forward on accessing comprehensive behavioral health care for all communities.