Delta Center California was a three-year initiative funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that brought together behavioral health and primary care leaders to accelerate care improvement and integration through policy and practice change. This piece captures some of the key context and shares learnings from the implementation of this state-wide behavioral health and primary care collaborative over the past three years.
Community Health Center Network (CHCN) partnered with two of its standing health centers, LifeLong Medical Care and Axis Community Health, to participate in the Delta Center California Learning Laboratory. Over the last two years, this team of behavioral health leadership, providers, and program management staff have worked to assess and better understand racial, ethnic and language disparities in behavioral health screening, referral, and engagement at Axis and LifeLong; create more effective services across racial and ethnic groups; and enhance their behavioral health registry that includes a data dashboard.
The second Virtual Learning Event took place on November 3rd, 2021. The event focused on building and sustaining a diverse and representative integrated workforce, through a panel and Q&A discussion with three experts:
Alfonso Apu, Director of Behavioral Health at Community Medical Centers in San Joaquin County
Nira Singh, Director of Behavioral Health at Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) in Santa Clara County
Eleanor Castillo-Sumi, VP of Research & Program Development at Uplift Family Services in Santa Clara County
Delta Center California hosted a Virtual Learning Event on Thursday, September 2nd, 2021. Participants heard a presentation from Sara Gavin, the Chief Behavioral Health Officer at CommuniCare Health Centers, on the topic of foundations of behavioral health and primary care integration.
For Community Health Systems, Inc., a midsize health center in Southern California, joining Health Center Partners of Southern California was a game changer.
As the first and only health center-led Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in California, and one of a growing number of provider-led safety-net ACOs nationwide, Redwood Community Care Organization (RCCO) is an example of an early foray into accountable care in the safety net.