California Continues to Invest in Whole-Person Care Infrastructure

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recently announced $145.5 million in awards to 153 organizations across all 58 counties to to support local, specialized services for Medi-Cal members. 

Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports are core components of California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), the state’s transformation of Medi-Cal to create a more coordinated, person-centered, and equitable health system. They offer tailored, community-based services, including in-person care coordination, housing support, and other resources for Medi-Cal members with complex needs. The awards are part of the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure, Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) initiative, which helps local providers grow their ability to deliver whole-person, community-based care. Recipients of PATH CITED awards are committed to serving historically under-resourced and underserved populations.

PATH CITED is helping ECM and Community Supports providers transition, expand, and develop their capacity to provide local, coordinated care for member communities. Awardees will use funds to:
• Hire new staff to provide outreach and community-based ECM services.
• Support outpatient clinical services, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
• Purchase IT equipment to help patients access Medi-Cal benefits and services.
• Support health information exchange between entities providing ECM and Community Supports.
• Enhance systems for monitoring and data reporting.

To support the expansion of ECM and Community Supports, DHCS has awarded more than $1.66 billion to more than 2,200 organizations through its PATH initiatives, including CITED, Collaborative Planning and Implementation, and the Technical Assistance Marketplace.

These efforts have reached more than 373,000 ECM enrollees, delivered more than one million Community Support services, and expanded access for children and youth, with a 120 percent year-over-year increase in early 2025 alone, according to DHCS. 

“ECM and Community Supports are transforming how we care for Medi-Cal members with diverse and often intensive needs," said Susan Philip, deputy director of DHCS' Health Care Delivery Systems, in a statement. “Just like in prior PATH CITED rounds, we are investing in the infrastructure and workforce that make whole-person care possible, ensuring that providers have the tools they need to deliver timely, compassionate, and coordinated care.”