Building, culturally concordant networks of care for Justice involved youth and young adults with Medicaid

• In Event: Policy Panel: The Face of Community Violence Intervention Programs: Building Sustainable Community Violence Intervention Programs using Medicaid

Abstract

Best practices in addressing youth mental health and community violence intervention highlight a critical role for small community-based organizations with culturally concordant staff that are skilled in trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches. To be economically viable, these smaller service providers must be able to access durable streams of qualified income through medicaid. Traditionally, only larger organizations can afford the staffing, administrative infrastructure and expertise required to access these funds.

This presentation tells the story of a series of initiatives born out of CalAIM reform and launched in 2024 by California’s newly created Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) that seek to change the status quo.

Authors

• Macheo Payne, Public Works Alliance

• Kaia Stern, Public Works Alliance

• Alex Briscoe, Public Works Alliance