California Behavioral Health Response
Data Dashboard

ABOUT THE PROJECTS

In response to intensified behavioral health needs across California, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is implementing numerous projects to increase access to behavioral health care services statewide. These efforts aim to increase the availability of medications for addiction treatment (MAT), expand the behavioral health workforce, train service providers, and support mobile crisis services. This Data Dashboard creates a central resource for data about the impacts and outcomes of these projects.

Mat Expansion Project

Beginning in 2017, under State Targeted Response (STR) funds, and with continued funding under the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, the DHCS implemented the MAT Expansion Project. The goals of the MAT Expansion Project are to increase access to medications for opioid use disorders, reduce unmet treatment need, and reduce overdose related deaths through prevention, treatment, and recovery services. There are 30 sub-projects aimed at expanding treatment access throughout the state, including projects focusing on populations with limited MAT access.

Projects Under the Scope of the MAT Expansion Project Include:

  • Expanding access to buprenorphine and other treatment services in specialty and office-based treatment settings through a statewide Hub and Spoke system
  • California Bridge
    • Works with hospital emergency departments (EDs) to provide immediate MAT access to anyone inquiring about it.
  • Youth Opioid Response
    • Increases MAT access to youth.
    • Provides funding for prevention, treatments, intervention, and recovery services to youth and their families.
    • Provides funding for new grantees for implementation projects including capacity building projects and youth treatment services.
  • MAT Access Points
    • Supports start-up efforts throughout the state.
    • Aims to increase the number of treated patients with substance-use disorders (through medication, counseling, or other services).
  • Tribal MAT Projects
    • Aims to meet the opioid-use disorder needs of Tribal and Urban Indigenous communities, including prevention, treatment, and recovery.
    • Promotes opioid safety.
    • Improves the availability to MAT.
  • Additional projects to support increased MAT access

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESPONSE AND RESCUE PROJECT

Beginning in 2021, with funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), DHCS implemented the Behavioral Health Response and Rescue Project (BHRRP). The goals of BHRRP are to increase access to behavioral health care services, in response to intensified mental health and substance use related needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic statewide. BHRRP aims to make behavioral health treatment more accessible across California. It supports the expansion of the state's behavioral health workforce, the implementation and enhancement of mobile behavioral health crisis services and crisis response lifeline services, and additional projects to increase service access.

Projects Under the Scope of BHRRP Include:

  • Prevention
    • Friday Night Live Youth Prevention Program.
    • o Evidence-based prevention registry.
  • Crisis
    • Suicide Prevention Lifeline services.
    • Crisis Care Mobile Units (CCMU) Project to support mobile behavioral health crisis response services, with behavioral health crisis intervention programs and training for first responders.
    • Behavioral Health Justice Intervention Services (BHJIS) project supports behavioral health agencies and first responder, law enforcement, and community stakeholder groups to enhance their collaborative responses to behavioral health crises.
  • MAT Access Points
    • Supports start-up efforts throughout the state.
    • Aims to increase the number of treated patients with substance-use disorders (through medication, counseling, or other services).
  • Intervention and Treatment
    • Expansion of behavioral health workforce by supporting a peer-run workforce. The Behavioral Health Workforce Development Project funds opportunities available to city behavioral health agencies and providers.
    • Training for development treatment programs for first episode psychosis. Statewide First Episode Psychosis (FEP) hosts collaborative training sessions for FEP program models.
    • Telehealth accessibility. The Telehealth Infrastructure Project supports the purchase of provider telehealth equipment in health care facilities.
  • Recovery
    • Expansion of recovery services for mental health crises and substance use disorders.