New Provider Manual, effective July 1, 2026, now available
Please review the updated Provider Manual, effective July 1, 2026, posted on the Alliance website.
Maternal mental health: Screening, referral and best practices
May is Maternal Mental Health Month! As many as one in five mothers will develop a mental health condition somewhere along their perinatal journey. Of those that have or develop mental health conditions, 27% enter pregnancy with anxiety or depression, 33% develop symptoms during pregnancy and 40% develop symptoms following childbirth, yet 75% receive no care (Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance).
We encourage providers to conduct regular screening and use best practices when discussing perinatal behavioral health.
Screening and referral
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends screening:
- At the first obstetric visit to identify onset before pregnancy.
- At 24-28 weeks of gestation to identify onset during pregnancy.
- At the comprehensive postpartum visit to identify onset that occurs in late pregnancy or early postpartum.
Use ACOG validated screeners for the perinatal population and act promptly on positive screens by referring immediately. Use the Alliance’s Behavioral Health Provider Referral Form (preferred) or leave a voicemail for Alliance Care Management at 800-700-3874, ext. 5512. Document screenings and follow-ups.
Best practices for discussing behavioral health
Talk about behavioral health conditions in a way that focuses on the member’s strengths in a non-judgmental way — they are common, treatable medical conditions, like diabetes.
Connect members to support
- Alliance Member Services: 800-700-3874.
- Alliance Provider Directory.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
- Postpartum Support International
Primary care providers may be eligible for financial incentives, including for depression screenings. For more information, review our Care-Based Incentive Technical Specifications.
Specialty Care Incentive (SCI) Program
The Alliance would like to remind all contracted specialty care providers of the ongoing Specialty Care Incentive (SCI) Program.
This program is designed to support and reward providers for enhancing care coordination and improving access to specialty care services for Alliance Medi-Cal members.
Who is eligible?
SCI Eligible Providers include Alliance participating providers who have an active Referral Physician Services Agreement with the Alliance. This also includes physicians and non-physician practitioners within contracted groups.
Note: Emergency department physicians, hospitalists, pathologists and radiologists are not eligible for this program.
Incentive measures
Providers may receive compensation for meeting and billing for the following SCI measures (captured through claims submissions):
- Reduce OB C-Section Rate.
- Increase OB Referrals to Doulas.
- Increase California Children’s Services (CCS) Referral Rate.
- Increase Palliative Care Referrals.
- Coordination with Primary Care Provider (PCP).
- Increase New Members Seen.
- Emergency Department Follow-Up Visit.
Questions?
For more information, visit our SCI webpage. If you have additional questions, contact your Provider Relations Representative at 831-430-5504.
