You’re invited: Merced County Pediatric Health Workshop
Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) and Merced County Department of Public Health are hosting a free workshop for pediatric health care professionals in Merced County. Lunch will be provided.
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026 from noon to 3:30 p.m.
Merced County Department of Public Health (Auditorium)
260 E. 15th Street, Merced, CA 95340
Join us to learn more about:
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
- Hand, foot and mouth disease.
- Domestic violence prevention.
- Immunization updates.
- Seizure First Aid certification.
- Medi-Cal updates.
Registration is limited. Please register by Sept. 25.
Questions? Email [email protected].
Join us for the 2027 Care-Based Incentive Workshop!
Learn about provider incentives at the annual Care-Based Incentive (CBI) Workshop. The CBI program consists of incentives that are paid to qualifying contracted provider sites.
- When: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
- Where: Online via Microsoft Teams.
Agenda
In the workshop, we will present:
- An overview of the 2027 CBI program.
- A description of the 2027 measure changes.
- Exploratory measures for TotalCare (HMO D-SNP).
- Alliance resources that support CBI.
If you are new to the CBI program, we encourage you to view the 2026 Care-Based Incentive Introduction webinar prior to this workshop to learn about the program.
Reserve your spot today
To register, sign up online or contact a Provider Relations Representative at 800-700-3874, ext. 5504.
How providers can support suicide prevention
In a review of 44 studies published by The American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers found that about one in five people who died by suicide had contact with mental health services within a month before their death. On average, 45% of people had contact with primary care providers within one month of suicide. These findings underscore the critical role providers play in suicide prevention through routine clinical practice.
Practice culturally responsive care
- Normalize conversations about suicide using clear, direct, nonjudgmental language and avoid assumptions based on culture, race, religion or identity.
- Use patients’ preferred language and qualified interpreters. The Alliance offers language assistance services that providers can utilize.
- Recognize varied expressions of distress and barriers to safety or care, including discrimination, systemic stressors and stigma.
Screen and assess
- Use validated tools such as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) or Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ).
- Assess protective factors, including family, spirituality, cultural identity and community.
Promote safety and connection
- Create patient-centered, culturally responsive safety plans that include coping strategies, support, crisis resources and lethal means of safety.
- Connect patients with culturally and linguistically appropriate services and address practical barriers such as transportation, cost and technology.
- Reach out proactively after crises, hospital discharge or major stressors.
- Share the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other resources in waiting areas, discharge materials, portals and follow-up communications.
Prevention efforts are most effective when patients feel heard, connected and supported.
Behavioral health referrals
- Fill out the Alliance Behavioral Health Provider Referral Form.
- Call Alliance Care Management at 800-700-3874, ext. 5512.
- Email [email protected].
Resources
Update on Cognitive Health Assessment training
Through the Alliance’s Care-Based Incentive measure, Cognitive Health Assessment Training and Attestation, provider groups can earn $200 per provider who completes the Cognitive Health Assessment: The Basics training.
What is changing?
The process has changed for how the Alliance receives training completion confirmation from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). You must email all certifications completed on or after July 1, 2025, to your Alliance Provider Relations Representative. A separate attestation is no longer required. If you have already submitted the certification after July 1, 2025, you will still need to email it to your Provider Relations Representative if you have not done so already.
To align with the updated submission process, the measure’s name will be changed in 2027 to remove the word “Assessment.”
If you have any questions about this update, please contact Provider Relations at 800-700-3874, ext. 5504.
Review All Plan Letter (APL) updates
Please review the following All Plan Letter (APL) updates:
- DHCS APL 26-010: Skilled Nursing Facilities — Long Term Care Benefit Under Managed Care
- DHCS APL 26-011: Subacute Care Facilities – Long-Term Care Benefit Under Managed Care
- DHCS APL 26-012: Intermediate Care Facilities For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities – Long-Term Care Benefit Under Managed Care
For more information, including a summary of relevant provider takeaways, visit the All Plan Letters page on our website.
