Justice-Involved Initiative: How Providers Can Help Bring Equitable Care

Californians who have spent time in jails, prisons or youth correctional facilities face a higher risk for both physical and mental illness. The number of incarcerated Californians with a mental health diagnosis rose by 63 percent in the last decade, and 66 percent of those currently incarcerated require substance use treatment. But even after their release, overdose is the leading cause of death for Californians who have been justice-involved––at a rate three times higher than other states.

The Justice-Involved Initiative is a statewide, Medi-Cal-based program, and it’s tied to some of the Medi-Cal enhancements we’ve been discussing. But it’s an even greater initiative with federal Medicaid funding, which seeks to restore equity to the criminal justice system and provide young people and adults with a healthy reentry into the community after incarceration––and a new start in life.

Read on to learn more about what this transformational program means for your county.

How the Justice-Involved Initiative Works

Like all the Medi-Cal Enhancements we’ve examined in this series, the Justice-Involved Initiative is about care coordination. The program is administered by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), along with counties, state agencies and community organizations. Together, all parties will collaborate to ensure a safe, healthy, connected reentry process to vulnerable individuals leaving incarceration. The following individuals are eligible for the Justice-Involved Initiative:

• Youth

• Adults with a mental health diagnosis

• Adults with suspected substance use disorder

• Adults with a chronic clinical condition or significant non-chronic clinical condition

• Adults with traumatic brain injury, intellectual or development disability

• Adults who are HIV/AIDS positive

• Women who are currently pregnant or up to 12 months postpartum

So, what will reentry services look like? Beginning 90 days prior to release, qualified individuals will begin receiving services under Medi-Cal. These can include physical and behavioral health, medication, labs and radiology, and Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) for substance use disorder. Reentry care managers will be provided to coordinate across multiple providers and develop a treatment plan for each individual. This process will help create a smooth transition with continuity of coverage through Medi-Cal––rather than forcing people to find care themselves once released. Many individuals will be eligible for other Medi-Cal enhancements, such as Enhanced Care Management (ECM) or Care Supports.

The Importance of Care Coordination

Care under the Justice-Involved Initiative is complex. Not only does it involve a variety of physical and mental health providers, but care must also be coordinated with correctional facilities and justice departments themselves––law enforcement, courts, etc. As a participating county, the success of the program depends largely on how well you communicate information, share data and collaborate to provide services––with efficiency, not gaps or redundancies.

Fortunately, there are adaptable technology platforms that support the unique needs of the program. All care records, communication, medication orders and lab results can be digitized and shared through a single platform––so there’s no need for Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), jails, sheriff's offices and substance use treatment facilities to purchase separate solutions. Leveraging integrated care coordination tools, counties can ensure data sharing across organizations––dispatch, the Sheriffs’ Departments, courts, behavioral health and community organizations (housing, food, employment).

As an added bonus, this program provides the opportunity for counties to secure the funding to solve care coordination and other challenges through PATH JI.

Serving the Most Vulnerable

The Justice-Involved Initiative is critical for ensuring that incarcerated Californians transition smoothly to community life––with the tools and supports they need to succeed. It’s an ambitious program, uniting corrections, law, social services, mental health, primary care and more––and bringing every county together to ensure success. With a little help from care coordination tools, strong partnerships and Medi-Cal, you can transform lives and continue to position California as a leader in human services.