Partnership is a community-based, safety-net health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. Photo courtesy of Partnership Healthplan of California 

FAIRFIELD, CA (MPG) - Partnership HealthPlan of California’s innovative regional approach to providing healthcare access to 15,000 youth involved in the child welfare system was featured in a recent Public Works Alliance study. The study found that this cross-agency partnership model strengthens health access, coordination and outcomes for thousands of foster youth across Northern California. 

Children and youth in foster care face some of the most complex healthcare barriers in the state, often navigating fragmented systems; frequent moves between households, cities and even counties; and inconsistent access to timely care. When a child moves to a new foster home or is placed with a family member, there are so many challenges that arise, from adjusting to a new school to making new friends to getting used to a new neighborhood. Partnership wants to make finding a new counselor or doctor as easy as possible, so any and all restrictions on where a child can go for care were removed. That commitment led to a new, integrated approach that brings together health care, child welfare, behavioral health and community partners around a shared vision.

“As a Medi-Cal health plan, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to ensure these young people receive consistent, compassionate and coordinated care,” said Partnership CEO Sonja Bjork. “These young people deserve to feel supported. By breaking down barriers, we can meet them where they are and help them be healthy.”     

Partnership has removed network restrictions and barriers, so foster youth can get care from any Medi-Cal provider within their service area. They also identify members in foster care to ensure they are tracked and supported even when they move. Partnership created a Child Welfare Liaison team, comprised of staff with experience in working with foster youth, assigned to work with local agencies to coordinate care for some of California’s most vulnerable children.

Through their efforts, Partnership has seen improved access to timely care, with fewer restrictions when moving between placements or counties. As a result, foster youth in their network face less delays in getting proper care and achieve higher engagement in behavioral health due to increased follow-up visits and reduced wait times. Partnership also created strong interagency alignment that has led to improved lines of communication, shared protocols and reduced duplication.