Over $5M in funding provides recuperative care and housing for homeless Medi-Cal members in Merced County.
Scotts Valley, Calif., September 9 ,2021– Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance), the Medi-Cal managed health care plan for residents of Monterey, Merced and Santa Cruz counties, is proud to announce its collaboration with Mission Merced Incorporated (formerly Merced County Rescue Mission), one of Merced County’s largest providers of housing and resources for people experiencing homelessness. The Alliance awarded Mission Merced two separate grants through its Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program, which offers funding to community organizations wishing to increase access and expand services for Alliance Medi-Cal members.
The Alliance is supporting Mission Merced through over $2.8M in grant funding from its Recuperative Care Pilot program. The pilot program funds recuperative care and temporary housing for Medi-Cal members who are currently homeless and recovering from an illness or injury. Mission Merced will have 32 recuperative care beds available for stays between 30-60 days. This short-term housing solution is an alternative to hospital care for individuals experiencing homelessness who no longer need hospital care but have medical needs that would worsen if living on the street or in a shelter. Recuperative care reduces the likelihood of hospital readmission and allows people the opportunity to heal in a safe space while accessing medical treatment and other supportive services like case management and housing navigation.
Recognizing that housing is one of the most important social determinants of health, the additional funding for bridge housing provides temporary housing for Alliance Medi-Cal members who are exiting recuperative care temporary housing while awaiting a more permanent housing placement.
Through a $2.5M Capital Implementation grant, the Alliance is also supporting the construction Mission Merced’s recuperative care facility, Hope Medical Respite Care, located on their new 5-acre campus called Village of Hope. With this grant funding, the new facility will increase its footprint by over 10,000 square feet and increase bed capacity by 220%. Hope Medical Respite Care is expected to complete construction in November 2021 and open for operations in January 2022.
“The link between housing and health is undeniable,” said Alliance CEO Stephanie Sonnenshine. “The Recuperative Care Pilot provides our unhoused members in Merced County temporary housing while they heal and work towards finding a permanent home. Access to safe and stable housing is a key to improving and maintaining health. We are proud to partner with Mission Merced on this important local initiative, as it moves us one step closer to achieving our vision of ‘healthy people, healthy communities’.”
“Mission Merced is excited to join with Central California Alliance for Health in offering recuperative care to people experiencing homelessness who are discharged from the hospital,” said Executive Director Bruce Metcalf. “This effort will bring about healing and hope for many individuals for whom we can help find housing. This program is literally life changing for people who otherwise feel hopeless.”
Mission Merced Incorporated provides hope and serves homeless and needy people of Merced County. Since 1991, they have led an effort to permanently improve the lives of those in Merced County who are homeless, those who have been incarcerated or have been imprisoned by their own addictions. They have implemented innovative programs designed to offer the greatest long-term benefit for men, women, and families. For more information, visit www.mercedcountyrescuemission.org.
Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) is a regional Medi-Cal managed care health plan, established in 1996 to improve access to health care for over 370,000 members in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced counties. Using the state’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, the Alliance delivers innovative community-based health care services by connecting members with providers that deliver timely services and care, focused on prevention, early detection and effective treatment. As an award-winning managed care health plan with a vision of “healthy people, healthy communities,” the Alliance remains focused on efforts to improve access to quality health care for its members. For more information, visit www.thealliance.health.
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