The Health and Human Services (HHS) Policy Committee met on
Tuesday, November 28 during the CSAC 2017 Annual Meeting in
Sacramento County. The Committee heard informational updates on a
wide range of issues and voted to approve 2018 HHS advocacy
priorities. Further details are below and materials can be found
in the HHS Committee meeting packet
here.
Action Item
For its single action item, the HHS Policy Committee voted
unanimously to forward the draft 2018 HHS priorities to the Board
for approval early next year. The top three HHS priorities are
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), potential changes to the
Affordable Care Act (ACA), and homelessness and poverty issues.
Full descriptions of these key priorities and other HHS
priorities can be found in the HHS Draft 2018 Work Plan in the
meeting packet.
Informational Items
Margot Grant Gould, the Policy Director of the First 5
Association of California, provided an introduction on the role
of the First 5 Association, how they serve our local First 5
commissions, and the critical local services they provide using
tobacco tax revenue. The Association is focusing on a home visit
program for new families and continues to seek ways to maximize
their declining funding source. CSAC will continue to collaborate
with the First 5 Association on these issues in the coming year.
The HHS Policy Committee heard an update on CSAC’s IHSS
implementation efforts. These include establishing the new county
MOE, advocating for guidance and clarity on the wage and
bargaining provisions, and the success of the November IHSS
training attended by nearly 200 county staff.
Tom Joseph, from Waterman & Associates, provided an update on the
status of the ACA and the Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) at the federal level.
Lastly, the HHS Policy Committee opened the conversation about
the health and community impacts of legal cannabis, which will
continue next year as legalization is implemented in California.
