By: Abigail Coursolle, Alexis Robles-Fradet, and Carly Myers
Executive Summary
Children and youth involved in child welfare often have complex mental health needs, due in part to their compounding experiences with trauma and often inadequate access to appropriate services. In California, the State’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) provides a critical safety net for foster children and youth. In Medi-Cal, County Mental Health Plans (MHPs) provide Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) to beneficiaries with intensive mental health needs.
In September 2023, the National Health Law Program published a report analyzing available data related to foster youth access to Medi-Cal SMHS in California and the five California counties with the largest foster youth populations. This Report updates that research, with a focus on data from the State and Los Angeles County on timely access to SMHS between 2022–2024. As detailed in our Report, we uncovered significant deficiencies in timely access to SMHS for foster children and youth. Accordingly, we provide recommendations to improve timely access for these populations, as well as to improve the availability, content, and timeliness of State and County SMHS data.
This research was made possible in part through the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
