COMMUNITY SUPPORTS

What are Community Supports?

Community Supports are optional non-clinical services provided by Medi-Cal managed care plans to help avoid utilization of other services or settings such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility. They are designed for members’ social needs. Members can now receive healthy food, housing support, and other services as Medi-Cal benefits.

Community Supports address the factors that can make it difficult for people to live their best and healthiest lives or to make the changes they need to be healthy. A person who is experiencing homelessness, for instance, often doesn’t have a way to store or cook healthy food. They might not know how to find a home or fill out the paperwork to apply for one. Someone who has a disability might not be physically able to cook, clean, grocery-shop, or bathe safely on their own.

DHCS provides detailed definitions and eligibility criteria for each of the following 15 Community Supports:

Supports for Housing Insecurity

Primary Audience: People Experiencing Homelessness

Housing Transition Navigation Services
Members experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness receive help to find, apply for, and secure housing.
Housing Deposits
Members receive assistance with housing security deposits, utilities set-up fees, first and last month’s rent, and first month of utilities. Members can also receive funding for medically-necessary items like air conditioners, heaters, and hospital beds to ensure their new home is safe for move-in.
Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services
Members receive support to maintain safe and stable tenancy once housing is secured, such as coordination with landlords to address issues, assistance with the annual housing recertification process, and linkage to community resources to prevent eviction.
Transitional Rent

Starts July 2025

Short-Term Post Hospitalization Housing
Members who do not have a residence, and who have high medical or mental health and substance use disorder needs, receive short-term housing for up to six months to continue their recovery. To receive this support, members must also have been discharged from an inpatient clinical setting, residential substance use disorder treatment or recovery facility, residential mental health treatment facility, correctional facility, nursing facility, or recuperative care.
Recuperative Care (Medical Respite)
Members with unstable housing who no longer require hospitalization, but still need to heal from an injury or illness, receive short-term residential care. The residential care includes housing, meals, ongoing monitoring of the member’s condition, and other services like coordination of transportation to appointments.
Day Habilitation Programs
Members who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of experiencing homelessness, or formerly experienced homelessness, receive mentoring by a trained caregiver on the self-help, social, and adaptive skills needed to live successfully in the community. These skills include the use of public transportation, cooking, cleaning, managing personal finances, dealing with and responding appropriately to governmental agencies and personnel, and developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. This support can be provided in a member’s home or in an out-of-home, nonfacility setting.

Supports to Help People Stay at Home

Primary Audience: Individuals at risk for institutionalization in a nursing home

Caregiver Respite Services
Short-term relief for caregivers of members. Members may receive caregiver services in their home or in an approved facility on an hourly, daily, or nightly basis as needed.
Nursing Facility Transition/Diversion to Assisted Living Facilities

Members living at home or in a nursing facility are transferred to an assisted living facility to live in their community and avoid institutionalization in a nursing facility, when possible. Assisted living facilities provide services to establish a community facility residence such as support with daily living activities, medication oversight, and 24-hour onsite direct care staff.

Community Transitions Services/Nursing Facility Transition to a Home
Text needed
Environmental Accessibility Adaptations (Home Modifications)
Members receive physical modifications to their home to ensure their health and safety, and allow them to function with greater independence. Home modifications can include ramps and grab-bars, doorway widening for members who use a wheelchair, stair lifts, or making bathrooms wheelchair accessible.

Supports for People at Home

Primary Audience: Individuals who have certain chronic conditions and require support

Medically Supportive Food/Medically Tailored Meals
Members receive deliveries of nutritious, prepared meals and healthy groceries to support their health needs. Members also receive vouchers for healthy food and/or nutrition education.
Asthma Remediation
Members receive physical modifications to their home to avoid acute asthma episodes due to environmental triggers like mold. Modifications can include filtered vacuums, dehumidifiers, air filters, and ventilation improvements.

Supports to Recover from Acute Intoxication

Primary Audience: Individuals found publicly intoxicated to divert from jail or the Emergency Department

Sobering Centers
Members who are found to be publicly intoxicated are provided with a short-term, safe, supportive environment in which to become sober. Sobering centers provide services such as medical triage, a temporary bed, meals, substance use education and counseling, and linkage to other health care services.

Note the majority of referrals for this service are law enforcement and stays must be less than 24 hours

Adapted from Transformation of Medi-Cal: Community Supports

Key Resources

Find Providers

Search and browse the network directory to find community support services and providers.

SEARCH PROVIDERS

Training & Education

CalAIM Provider Training and Webinars

This resource includes specialized training series on behavioral health, data exchange, care management, justice-involved populations, and youth care.
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