Cynthia Carmona to Discuss Groundbreaking New Programs to Bring Health Care and Services To People Experiencing Homelessness
More than 1,000 health care professionals will gather in Desert Springs, California today for the start of the California Association of Health Plans’ (CAHP) 36th Annual Conference. The three-day conference will host panels that delve into how health plans in California are dealing with new laws and responsibilities, and planning for the future. Cynthia Carmona, the Senior Director of Safety Net Initiative at L.A. Care Health Plan, will join a panel on Wednesday titled Innovative Care for the Homeless.
The number of people in California experiencing homelessness jumped by more than 22,000 to more than 173,000 during the pandemic, and that’s one reason that the majority of Californians consider homelessness to be a big problem. Health plans and other community-based organizations are piloting new programs to bring health care and services to people experiencing homelessness. Panelists will share lessons learned and steps that must be taken to tackle the homelessness crisis.
Cynthia Carmona will highlight the health plan’s historic innovation in the housing space and more recent efforts related to California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), a long-term commitment to transform and strengthen Medi-Cal through a person-centered approach that addresses social drivers of health, including housing insecurity.
Under CalAIM, L.A. Care is now offering its eligible Medi-Cal members four community supports related to homelessness. They are:
- Housing Navigation Services: Assistance with finding and securing safe and stable housing
- Tenancy Services: Support in Maintain Safe and stable tenancy once housing is secured
- Recuperative Care: Short-term residential care for individuals experiencing homelessness who no longer require hospitalization, but still need to heal from an injury or illness
- Housing Deposits: Assistance with identifying, coordinating, securing, or funding one-time services and modifications necessary to enable a person to establish a basic household
Additionally, Carmona will comment on planning efforts related to the Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP), meant to provide support to health plans that are helping their member experiencing homelessness find and secure housing. Under HHIP, L.A. Care is partnering witha number of local housing stakeholders in development of multiple programs to assist in housing L.A. County's homeless population.
The other two panelists in this session are Michael Hochman, CEO of Healthcare in Action, and Kelly Bruno Nelson, MSW, the Executive Director for Medi-Cal and CalAIM at CalOptima.