Scotts Valley, Calif., June 5, 2025 — Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) will officially launch its Integrated Behavioral Health Program on July 1, 2025, marking a major milestone in the effort to provide fully integrated, person-centered care for members.
The new program transitions the coordination of non-specialty mental health services directly to the Alliance, enhancing care by integrating physical and behavioral health care for Medi-Cal members. This change reflects a broader statewide shift under California’s CalAIM initiative to improve health outcomes through more holistic, equitable care.
“Bringing behavioral health coordination in-house will allow us to better support members with their mental health needs,” said Michael Schrader, CEO of the Alliance. “It’s an important step toward simplifying the care experience and ensuring that our members can more easily connect to the services they need.”
The new behavioral health program will provide services for members with mild to moderate conditions such as anxiety and depression. Covered services include individual and group therapy, outpatient psychiatric services, medication management and psychological testing. The Alliance will also coordinate closely with county partners, who remain responsible for managing specialty mental health and substance use disorder services.
The Alliance has worked diligently to prepare for this transition—building provider relationships, finalizing care workflows, training staff and securing required regulatory approvals—to ensure continuity of care and a smooth member experience.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to delivering care that puts members’ needs first,” said Schrader. “We are proud to lead this transformation and are grateful to all our staff, providers and community partners who have made this possible.”
For more information, please visit the Behavioral Health Care page.
About Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance)
The Alliance is a regional Medi-Cal managed care health plan established in 1996, dedicated to improving access to health care for nearly 450,000 members in Merced, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Mariposa and San Benito counties. Operating under the state’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, the Alliance connects members with providers to deliver timely services and care, emphasizing prevention, early detection and effective treatment. With vision of “healthy people, healthy communities,” the Alliance remains committed to enhancing access to quality health care for its members. For more information, visit www.thealliance.heath.
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