Governor Gavin Newsom turned to the “dimmer switch” today and has
asked
19* counties (see below for list) to close all bars and cease
all indoor activities at restaurants, wineries, and family
entertainment spaces for at least three weeks. These
counties have the option to impose local orders, or the state
will issue county-specific orders.
This week, the ACEs Aware Initiative launched their monthly
newsletter. The goal of the newsletter is to provide
up-to-date information on the progress of the ACEs Aware
Initiative in California and how providers are utilizing ACEs
screening and results on a daily basis.
The Governor’s office recently
announced the appointment of Will Lightbourne to serve as
Director of the California Department of Health Care Services
(DHCS).
Earlier this week, the Assembly Health Committee and the Aging &
Long-Term Care Committee convened a joint oversight hearing to
discuss the COVID-19 outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities
(SNFs) and gather information about the state’s response.
The hearing focused on issues within SNFs that aided in the
spread of COVID-19 throughout the facilities, how the state and
SNF leadership have responded to those issues, and plans to
ensure the health and safety of SNF staff and patients in these
facilities moving forward.
Earlier this week, the California Department of Finance
submitted a letter to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee
indicating plans to provide a $5 million augmentation for food
banks from the emergency coronavirus funding bill the Legislature
passed in March.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) has begun accepting applications for COVID-19 Emergency
Response Suicide Prevention (COVID-19 ERSP) grants. Last week
SAMHSA announced the shortened turnaround due to the critical
need. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 22,
2020.
This week the Legislature began holding public hearings to review
the Governor’s May Revision Budget. With the condensed
Legislative timelines, the Budget Subcommittees are doing their
best to fully examine the proposed investments and cuts laid out
in the Governor’s 172 page
summary. In addition to their internal review, the
Legislature has made an asserted effort to hear from the all
parties that will be impacted by what the Legislature approves by
June 15.
At the time of this writing, 20 California counties have received
the go-ahead to allow dine-in restaurants, office spaces, and
some outdoor spaces to reopen with proper safety precautions
under Stage 2 of the Governor’s Resilience Roadmap. The CSAC map
below/above shows each county and links to their variance plans.
The state is investing nearly $28 million into two projects to
help counties with contact tracing efforts, including $8.7
million to operationalize an online training program for up to
20,000 new contact tracers and $18.7 million for a data
management system to support that new contact tracing workforce.
The California Department of Finance notified the Legislature on
the expected expenditures on May 8 as required by SB 89 (Chapter
2, Statutes of 2020).
CalOES announced that FEMA funding for the senior restaurant
meals program, now dubbed “Great
Plates Delivered,” has been extended from May 10 to June 10.
View resources and guidance documents for the Great Plates
Delivered program
here.
The Governor announced today that the state would be moving into
Stage 2 this Friday – for counties that can attest to their
readiness to do so.
With the state’s COVID-19 readiness “report card” in good shape –
conducting 30,000 tests daily, millions of N-95 masks on the way,
more than 2,000 hospital beds available, and 10,000 ventilators
at the ready – and significant pressure from local government
building by the hour, Governor Newsom released a new Executive
Order loosening his statewide stay-at-home order and promised new
guidance on Thursday.
Over the past week, the Governor has made a series of
announcements and focused significant time in his daily press
briefings on the issue of food assistance for older adults and
families.
Governor Newsom signed Executive
Order N-55-20 to extend deadlines and requirements for
Medi-Cal providers and facilities in the state.
The new Executive Order grants the Department of Health Care
Services (DHCS) the power to waive signature requirements for
psychiatric medications and extends the administrative deadlines
for reporting and inspections for substance use disorder and
psychiatric treatment facilities.
The California
Testing Task Force hosted a second webinar for local
elected officials, local public health directors and officers,
and local emergency managers to discuss the rapid increase in
COVID-19 testing capacity and areas that they will continue
working on.
Governor Newsom announced his four stage plan to reopen the state
today, called the California Resilience Roadmap. In response to
some county concerns shared by CSAC over the weekend, he
indicated that the reopening process could occur regionally and
promised to work closely with local health officers on the
roadmap. He also took the opportunity to emphasize that the state
is trending in the right direction and that he is thinking of the
stages, especially moving from stage 1 (which we are in
currently) to stage 2, in weeks, not months.
Over the weekend, the California Department of Public Health
released the new
COVID-19 testing prioritization document. The
California Testing Task Force also hosted a webinar to
discuss the increase in COVID-19 testing capacity and areas that
they will continue working on.
The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board has
begun accepting applications for the CMSP COVID-19 Bridge Loan
Program. The loan program aims to assist community health centers
continue the essential health care services during this pandemic.
Eligible entities are federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural
Health Clinics, and Tribal Health Programs with active contracts
in one of the
35 CMSP counties.
Accompanied by Santa Clara Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Susan
Ellenberg, as well as San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Governor
Newsom delivered one of his daily COVID-19 updates over the
weekend from a newly leased Motel 6 in Santa Clara County.
This backdrop was significant as Governor
Newsom announced a new statewide master lease
agreement/template with Motel 6 corporate. The agreement includes
5,025 new rooms across Motel 6 locations in 19 counties, and
contains language on extending the leases into the future beyond
the COVID-19 pandemic.
CSAC and county affiliates submitted a coalition
letter to our California Congressional delegation requesting
their support in urging extensions to the Section 1115 Medicaid
waiver and the Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services
(1915(b)) waiver. Our coalition has specifically asked our
delegation to support a one-year extension for both waivers.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has created a new
aid code for individuals to assist them in accessing testing,
treatment, and care for COVID-19 related services. Approved
federally as part of the CARES Act, California can now provide
access to coverage for COVID-19 diagnostic testing,
testing-related services, and treatment services, including all
medically necessary care, at no cost to the individual.
In response to the statewide impacts of COVID-19, DHCS announced
the postponement of the California Advancing and Innovating
Medi-Cal (CalAIM) implementation activities. In addition to the
postponement DHCS will request the extension to the current
Medicaid Section 1115 and Section 1915(b) Specialty Mental Health
waivers from the federal government.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced
$186 million in funding for state and local public health
departments for COVID-19 response. California will receive $27.5
Million of this allocation from the CDC.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) released new
guidance on Employment Services provisions in the California Work
Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program,
through an
All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL). The guidance
encourages counties to minimize the fiscal impacts on families,
during a time of economic uncertainty, while continuing to
support them through supportive services.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) have release an announcement for a webinar and a Funding
Opportunity Announcement (FOA), both to assist with the impacts
to the behavioral health system due to COVID-19.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force indicated last night that
they are relying on a model by the
Institute for Health Metrics
and Evaluation at the University of Washington to prepare for
a health care surge in coronavirus cases.
After growing concerns voiced by the general public, individuals
deemed essential workers, news outlets, and others on the use of
face masks, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
issued guidance on the proper uses of cloth face coverings for
the general public. The guidance stops short of mandating the use
of face coverings and instead can be summarized as an
informational document.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSAC has been working
across all policy areas to support flexibility throughout county
operations and programs. Over the last few weeks, CSAC has worked
closely with several county affiliates, stakeholders, and state
departments to ensure necessary adjustments are made to vital
county services.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) announced awards totaling $427.9 million from the No Place
Like Home (NPLH) program.
The NPLH program funding was approved to invest in the
development of permanent supportive housing for persons who are
in need of mental health services and are experiencing
homelessness, chronic homelessness, or who are at risk of chronic
homelessness.
The California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) has
begun accepting applications for the second round of funding of
the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Grant Program for
Children and Youth (CY) Grant Program. The deadline to apply in
this second funding round is 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
Counties are working around the clock to identify and respond to
the spread of the novel coronavirus in California. Federal,
state, and local governments and departments have closely
monitored the developments of the novel coronavirus, dubbed
COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.
The National Association of Counties (NACo), the Aetna
Foundation/CVS Health, and the American Public Health Association
have launched the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge, an
initiative to accelerate systems-level approaches to improving
community health.
The Office of the California Surgeon General and the California
Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will host a live
informational webinar on Wednesday, February
26, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM. The webinar will provide
an overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Aware
Initiative, why providers should screen for Adverse Childhood
Experiences (ACEs); the Medi-Cal certification and payment
process; and screening tools, clinical protocols, and resources
for providers.
CSAC and Counties continue to engage in the robust stakeholder
process for the Governor’s Medi-Cal Healthier California for All
initiative, formerly known as CalAIM. The initiative seeks to
streamline and simplify the state’s Medicaid program while
presenting opportunities for counties to better serve Medi-Cal
beneficiaries and special populations such as foster youth, those
living without shelter, and people transitioning from
institutions like jails, hospitals, and skilled nursing
facilities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a
proposed new federal rule for increased Medicaid fiscal
transparency late last year called the Medicaid Fiscal
Accountability Rule, or MFAR.
CSAC, along with the County Welfare Directors Association of
California, submitted comments on January 31 opposing the new
rule, which would limit the types of funding states can use to
draw down federal financial participation (FFP) for Medicaid
services.
