California Children's Trust

Our Vision

All children in California receive the support they need for healthy development and social and emotional well-being.

Why Our Children Need a Better Approach

We Need A Better Approach

Consider the Numbers

Only 5%

of children with Medi-Cal receive a behavioral health service

Only 35%

of youth in California who report needing mental health support actually receive it

43rd

is California’s ranking in providing behavioral, social and developmental screenings, which are key to identifying early signs of challenges

70%

of youth involved in California’s juvenile justice system have unmet behavioral health needs and youth of color are over-represented

The Crisis is Real

104%

increase in inpatient visits for suicide, suicidal ideation and self injury for ages 1-17

50%

increase in mental health hospital days for children

61%

increase in the rate of self-reported mental health needs

Better Approach 2

The Children’s Trust seeks to reimagine the way California supports children’s healthy development and social and emotional well-being. It’s not about providing more of the same. It’s about transforming services across systems, and scaling them to meet the needs of our communities. Our briefs give you the facts and propose a path for change.

Reimagining Child Well Being

Financing New Approaches to Achieve Child Well Being

Whole-Family Wellness for Early Childhood: A New Model for Medi-Cal Delivery and Financing

Reimagining Behavioral Health for California's Children and Their Families

Changing our systems to improve child well-being is our collective responsibility

Our solution focuses on bringing people and child-oriented systems together, throughout California, to redesign service delivery, promote health policies that consider the whole child and family, and create effective funding mechanisms that will transform our failing systems. We have an obligation and an unprecedented opportunity to create an integrated system that promotes healthy development, healing, and resilience for our children, youth and families.

A Once-In-A-Generation Reform Opportunity

California has a generational opportunity to reform our state’s troubled Medicaid program. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has presented a reform agenda through the CalAIM proposal.

In November 2019 we released our analysis of the CalAIM proposal.

With our reform partners, we have been carefully monitoring, participating and submitting written feedback on the proposal to DHCS. The following are our response letters to date.

Behavioral Health Medical Necessity Proposals with California Alliance

March 6, 2020

Behavioral Health Payment Reform with California Alliance

March 6, 2020

Behavioral Health Integration with California Alliance

February 21, 2020

Medical Necessity with California Alliance

January 3, 2020

Payment Reform with California Alliance & ACHSA

December 23, 2019