Public Comment Time on Statewide Strategic Plan to Reduce Mental Health Disparities

The draft Strategic Plan released by the California Department of Public Health identifies strength based promising practices that will inform practitioners, program planners, and policy makers on improving services to better meet the needs of racial, ethnic and multicultural communities in a culturally responsive manner.

The purpose of the strategic plan is to provide community-driven direction to reduce disparities in racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ communities by:

A recent audit of Denti-Cal, the State's dental program that serves children with Medi-Cal, indicates that services have been provided to fewer than 50% of enrolled children. The root of the problem is thought to be too few providers participating in the program due to low reimbursement rates. Advocates have expressed concern about the problem worsening with Medi-Cal expansion.

The National Preconception/Interconception Care Clinical Toolkit

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals today announced a $100 million global initiative to address the epidemic of premature birth, the leading cause of death for newborns and the second leading cause of death for children under five. The 10-year, global initiative will be jointly funded by Lynne and Marc Benioff in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.