CalWORKs

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, also known as CalWORKs, focuses on helping recipients move from public assistance to employment, or from welfare-to-work (WtW). In Los Angeles County, WtW services are provided by Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN). Most able-bodied parents are required to participate in the GAIN employment services program. Participants meeting WtW requirements may receive referrals to treatment for substance use, mental health, and domestic violence. The ultimate goal is to assist CalWORKs participants in becoming self-sufficient. CalWORKs cash aid is restricted to a four-year lifetime limit for most aided adults, which includes aid received in other States; however, aid continues for the eligible children. CalWORKs recipients who become employed and whose income from earnings exceeds the amount allowed to continue receiving cash assistance may continue to receive ongoing CalFresh benefits, Medi-Cal coverage, and child care and transportation services.

Links

Asian Pacific-Islander Targeted Outreach Program (API)

The Asian Pacific Islander (API) targeted Outreach Program is designed to provide SUD information and education to the Asian Pacific-Islander communities in Los Angeles County. The API SUD Community Outreach Worker offers different methods of outreach and engagement to the API population to help those they connect with overcome the fear, stigma, and barriers that prevent individuals from seeking treatment and recovery services. The Community Outreach Worker provides information and education regarding CalWORKs, substance use disorder and mental health services, and offers direct referrals to SUD treatment for those who identify as having an alcohol/drug abuse problem. The Outreach Worker focuses on identifying an individual's SUD needs and connect them with culturally and linguistically appropriate levels of staff and treatment services, where possible.

CalWORKs (CENS) Adult At-Risk

The Adult At-Risk Program is designed to provide individuals receiving DPSS CalWORKs (CW) benefits an opportunity to learn about and be aware of substance use disorders (SUD) through interactive educational sessions. This initiative provides education courses about the effects of substances and their impact on an individual’s life. These courses are designed for individuals whose screening results determined they might be at-risk of developing a SUD based on reports of experimental or early-phase substance use. The sessions are designed to teach ways to prevent adults from developing SUDs and maintain a healthy and SUD free lifestyle.

Real Talk. Real Options. Program

The REAL TALK. REAL OPTIONS. program, developed by the Department of Public Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (DPH-SAPC) in collaboration with Essential Access Health, is focused on integrating discussions around sexual and reproductive health in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings. Sexual and reproductive health are essential for individual, family and community health and well-being. Bodily autonomy and the ability to make personal and intimate decisions about our health are fundamental rights. Your ability to make personal and intimate decisions about your health are a fundamental and standard component of primary care, as well as within substance use disorder treatment.

For more information visit realtalkrealoptions.org.

Family Dependency Drug Court (FDDC)

The Family Dependency Drug Court (FDDC) Program is a collaboration between the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Superior Court, DCFS, County Counsel, SAPC, and attorneys for both the parent and children. The program addresses the needs of parents with substance use disorders while efforts are being made to foster family reunification. The program requires a minimum of twelve months of treatment and aims to:

1. Decrease time to reunification;
2. Reduce the number of substantiated allegations of abuse or neglect following reunification;
3. Lower the rate of subsequent removal after reunification; and
4. Track re-entry rates and the time that elapses before the termination of parent rights.

Substance Use Disorder - Trauma-Informed Parent Support Program

The Substance Use Disorder - Trauma-Informed Parent Support (SUD-TIPS) Program is a partnership between Department of Public Health-Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (DPH-SAPC) and DCFS. The purpose of SUD-TIPS is to ensure greater access to trauma-informed (SUD) services and early intervention services for DCFS-served adult parents. The services are intended to link DCFS families with timely and responsive support services to address substance use concerns. The project aligns Client Engagement and Navigation Services (CENS) SUD Counselors to the 19 DCFS regional offices within LA County. The CENS Counselors ensure greater access to trauma-informed substance use disorder (SUD) services and prevention and early intervention for mental health services for DCFS-involved parents/caregivers. The target population is any DCFS-served adult parent who has a referral or case involving actual or suspected substance use. Parents are referred by CSWs to the CENS staff for screening, referral, prevention, and/or early intervention services. The CENS Counselors receives referrals from the DCFS Children's Social Works located in the Regional offices within their CENS Service Planning Area (SPA). Upon receipt of those referrals CENS Counselors reach out to the parent and schedules an SUD screening appointment. Parent will be screened using the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) triage tool to determine if the parent needs SUD treatment and the provisional level of care to which the parent will be referred.

Pregnant and Parenting Women (PPW)

All PPW Treatment Providers must treat the family as a unit and admit both women and their children, (age 0-16) into treatment services as appropriate. PPW Treatment Providers must serve the following individuals with a SUD: pregnant women, women with dependent children, women attempting to regain custody of their children, postpartum women and their children, or women with substance exposed infants.

Dependent children age 0-16 can receive support services while the mother is enrolled in treatment. This includes:

• Residential Room and Board: For Child (age 0-16) accompanying parent to residential treatment services. Contingent on participation in Residential Treatment services by perinatal or parenting woman.
• Recovery Bridge Housing Bed: For child (age 0-16) accompanying parent to Recovery Bridge Housing (RBH). Contingent on participation in RBH by perinatal or parenting woman.
• Child Case Management: Arrangement, coordination and monitoring of services for children: primary medical care, primary pediatric care, gender-specific treatment, and therapeutic interventions.
• Cooperative (Co-Op) Child Care: Licensed-exempt and delivered while the mother is receiving treatment services. Parent, legal guardian, or adult relative of at least one child in the co-op agrees to care for their children and must combine their efforts so each parent rotates as the responsible caregiver with respect to all the children in the cooperative.
• Licensed-Like Child Care: State licensed, treatment agency provides on-site child care and supervision to children in a group setting while the mother is receiving SUD treatment services.
• Transportation: Transportation (using an agency owned or leased vehicle) for the mother and child(ren) 0-16 years of age. May be used only to ensure access to the following services: primary medical care, primary pediatric care, gender-specific treatment, therapeutic services for children. Not available to residential providers as this benefit is built into the residential rate.

Women and Children Residental Treatment Services

The Women and Children’s Residential Treatment Services (WCRTS) program is a funding source to be used to support services that are not covered under Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) for PPW patients receiving services in Residential settings. Covered non-Drug-Medi-Cal cost include residential room and board, as well as the full cost of treatment services for women ineligible for or unenrolled in Medi-Cal, and receiving services in a PPW residential program. The four primary goals include:

1. Demonstrate that alcohol and other drug abuse treatment services delivered in a residential setting and coupled with primary health, mental health, and social services for women and children, can improve overall treatment outcomes for women, children, and the family unit.
2. Demonstrate the effectiveness of six-month or 12-month stays in a comprehensive residential treatment program.
3. Develop models of effective comprehensive service delivery for women and their children that can be replicated in similar communities.
4. Provide services to promote safe and healthy pregnancies and perinatal outcomes.

The four outcomes include:

1. Preserving family unity
2. Promoting healthy pregnancies
3. Enabling children to thrive
4. Freeing women and their families from substance abuse

Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist Project

Through funding received from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), and American Rescue Plan Act, SAPC developed the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Specialist Project to support staffing at PPW treatment providers that elected to participate, to ensure stronger integration of SRH services for patients in treatment. The SRH Specialists received focused training to assist patients in integrating their SRH needs with their SUD treatment goals through enhanced care coordination. The SRH Specialists coordinate services for patients at their PPW site, working closely with other SUD counselors and Licensed Practitioners of the Healing Arts (LPHA) who have completed SRH training to offer individualized care to patients in their decisions about their reproductive health needs, and to coordinate SRH services at their agency. In addition, the SRH Specialists work with other trained staff at their agency to help patients access and navigate a comprehensive array of SRH services, support an integrated continuum of care, assist with connecting patients with community partners and other ancillary services.

Reproductive Health Screening

Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) works with the Pregnant and Parenting Women (PPW) Treatment Provider Network by offering "Pregnancy/Parenthood Attitudes, Timing, and How Important" (PATH) trainings for staff utilizing the reproductive health screening accessed on Sage. The PATH training prepares providers to discuss when, and/or if, patients would like to have children at some point whether pregnant, parenting, or otherwise. The PPW Counselors work with women with active substance use disorders (SUD) and/or co-occurring disorders, in an effort to identify the most appropriate service based on their reproductive preferences. The program integrates reproductive counseling and education into the participant’s treatment goals. Participants are offered referrals to health clinics that can address their reproductive needs, such as DHS’ MAMA’s Neighborhood for pregnant women.

PPW-CENS Outreach Referral Program

The PPW Client Engagement Navigation Services (CENS) MAMA's Outreach Program utilizes CENS Counselors who work remotely from their respective CENS Area offices to connect and receive reproductive health referrals from their aligned DHS MAMA’s Neighborhood offices. This program serves pregnant women who are receiving services from DHS MAMA’s Neighborhood. The MAMA's Neighborhood staff identifies and assess women who may need SUD services. Upon their consent, women are referred to the CENS Area Office staff for screening, referral to treatment or early intervention services. If SUD services are recommended, CENS will refer participants to the appropriate PPW DPH-SAPC network of contracted Perinatal treatment providers based on the woman’s proximity, type, and level of services needed.

DPH-SAPC’s CENS staff are registered or certified SUD counselors who have a working knowledge of SUD treatment and referral processes, SUD treatment options, and supportive ancillary services. The CENS serve as liaisons between individuals involved, and the SUD system. CENS staff provides face-to-face services to facilitate access to and completion of SUD treatment.

PPW-DHS Health Education Services

As part of DPH-SAPC ongoing program to promote reproductive health coordination to women within the PPW Provider network, Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (HE) classes are offered to SUD Treatment Agencies within our PPW Provider network. DHS Health Education staff conducts virtual or in person HE group classes at selected PPW sites on a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis. The HE classes can accommodate up to 12 individuals. HE staff also offer one-on-one consultations. Class participants who wish to obtain reproductive health services at DHS Clinic and Hospitals are connected.