At the invitation of Stanislaus County Director of Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Director Ruben Imperial, the Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, MD, joined with other contributors for the Stanislaus Behavioral Health Partnership (SBHP) and Partners in Mental Health as the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

Director Imperial recognized these additional partners joining in to accept the proclamation: Nai Kasick (VP, Medi-Cal Regional Lead, Health Net) and Jodi Nerell (Director, Local Mental Health Engagement, Sutter Health). Imperial also thanked these key partners for promoting Mental Health Awareness month within their organizations: Jeff Dirkse, Sheriff; Brandon Gillespie, Chief of Modesto Police Department; Mark Ferriera, Chief Probation Officer; and Superintendent Scott Kuykendall, Stanislaus County Office of Education.

Director Imperial led the BHRS staff presentation highlighting the SBHP continuum of mental health services in the Stanislaus community.

At the county board meeting in early May, officials said that Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) is taking the opportunity through the month of May to promote the BHRS Crisis and Warm Line as a resource for the community if they have a concern about their mental health or the mental health of a loved one. They can call the BHRS Crisis and Warm Line at (209) 558-4600 and they will be connected to a trained mental health professional who can help navigate the appropriate level of support and/or treatment they or their loved one may need.

The public can also visit the BHRS website at http://www.stancounty.com/bhrs/ to find information about the department’s community response and treatment services on how to access behavioral health services, tips on wellness, and informational videos on mental health and wellness topics. The videos were developed in partnership with county and contract partner behavioral health professionals.

Further information on the Network of Care can be found at https://stanislaus.networkofcare.org/mh/.

Mental health services are a covered benefit for Health Plan of San Joaquin members through Beacon Health Strategies (1-888-581-7526). HPSJ members and community residents also can get help from the behavioral health branches of county public health services (in Stanislaus, the BHRS).

HPSJ CMO Dr. Lakshmi Dhanvanthari said, “In this same spirit of Mental Health Awareness and partnership, Health Plan of San Joaquin staff and providers continue to collaborate widely throughout our service area on behalf of our 396,000 members to improve identification and coordination of behavioral health services.”

Following is a brief overview of additional behavioral health supports that touch members of Health Plan of San Joaquin.

Behavioral Health Integration – In 2021, the first year of a two-year statewide project, HPSJ partnered on programs and processes to improve identification and coordination of behavioral health services for members with behavioral health conditions. HPSJ providers increased mental health screening services to over 42,600 members and delivered direct services to over 9,900 members.

Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP) – A state-funded program is now underway to incentivize and enhance partnerships (new and existing, respectively) between plans, schools and counties. This three-year program provides payments through Medi-Cal managed care plans to create a comprehensive and continuous system of behavioral health care for Medi-Cal students so they can access these Medi-Cal services at their school.

Maternal Behavioral Health – Health Plan of San Joaquin actively partners with their primary care providers as HPSJ reaches out to every Medi-Cal prenatal patient. Each member receives multiple contacts, including at least one phone call and pertinent materials during each trimester. For complex pregnancies, support services are offered with an HPSJ care manager and health navigator. High risk pregnancies are supported with a social worker and case management team. HPSJ patients also have warm hand-offs to local resources including the High Risk Maternal and Child Health division of Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, at https://tinyurl.com/mabhswpv.

Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) Screening – ACEs are a variety of traumatic and/or stressful events experienced during childhood. These events contribute to what is considered “toxic stress”, which has lasting effects upon the body, increasing risk for various health issues. They also may reduce life expectancy. Screenings require either the provider or the patient/parent to fill out a questionnaire that helps identify the number of ACEs experienced by an individual. For children/teens ages 12-19, the questionnaire can be filled out either by the parent, or by the patient. These forms are maintained in the patient’s medical record. When providers determine there are high-risk ACEs scores and they think the member can benefit from counselling, they are asked by HPSJ to either call to refer, or have the member call, Beacon Health Options (888-581-7526) to assist with finding an in-network therapist.

Patients identified with Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), like homelessness or food insecurities, can benefit from several programs in the community and potentially from some of the Community Support Services offered by HPSJ. If an HPSJ member requires assistance connecting with these programs, they can contact HPSJ’s Case Management and Social Work teams directly.

Health Plan of San Joaquin, a not-for-profit, public health plan, has been serving members and the community since 1996. Located in the heart of California’s multicultural Central Valley, local HPSJ is the leading Medi-Cal managed care provider, serving over 70 percent in Stanislaus County and over 90 percent of Medi-Cal recipients in San Joaquin County. HPSJ offers a broad network of providers and works closely with doctors to develop programs and services to ensure quality health care for 396,000 members who are mostly working families and children, as well as seniors and disabled residents.