Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

In a recent study, most Medi-Cal members said it is easy to find a primary care physician nearby. You can search for a Medi-Cal health plan on the DHCS website at Health Care Options. Health Care Options can also assist you in selecting a plan. To learn more about each health plan in your county, please contact Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263 (TTY 1-800-430-7077).

Medi-Cal provides a range of services designed to support mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including counseling, therapy, medication, and treatment programs aimed at improving mental well-being and addressing substance use challenges. To understand the Medi-Cal behavioral health services available to you, please visit the DHCS website. To learn more about the services available in your county, please contact your county office. 

All county mental health departments have 24/7 hotlines for residents seeking assistance in a crisis and to access local mental health programs. You can find your county's information at County Mental Health Crisis Numbers.

Any resident can call 24/7 or walk into a county mental health office during business hours and speak with a crisis worker.

Please see the Directories for Substance Use Disorder Services webpage. 

Please call, text, or chat the 988 lifeline if you or someone you know needs immediate crisis services. Additionally, Medi-Cal covers mobile crisis services, which provide de-escalation and referrals, as appropriate, to Medi-Cal members experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

Please see the Smile, California website, https://smilecalifornia.org/common-questions/. 

Medi‑Cal offers a variety of benefits to members including covered dental services. To receive dental coverage through Medi‑Cal, you must be Medi‑Cal eligible. Your eligibility determines the types of benefits you have access to through Medi‑Cal. You do not need to apply separately for dental coverage because it is a part of Medi‑Cal.

DHCS leads the effort to reduce alcoholism and drug addiction in California by developing, administering, and supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. We endeavor to help Californians understand that alcoholism and drug addiction are chronic conditions that can be successfully prevented and treated.

To learn more about substance use disorder treatment options near you, look up your county access line, or search for providers based on zip code at ChooseMAT.org.

You are not alone. Nationwide, 51.5 million adults struggle with a mental illness, and 19.7 million people struggle with a substance use disorder.

If you think you are having an emergency for an unexpected medical condition, including a psychiatric emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for help. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 911 or 988.

DHCS also partners with national nonprofit Shatterproof and Blue Shield of California to help combat the substance use crisis, keep Californians safe, and provide recovery resources to those in need. These resources include Shatterproof Treatment Atlas, an addiction treatment locator, assessment, and standards platform that will connect individuals to appropriate evidence-based addiction treatment.

Additionally, StartYourRecovery.org provides helpful information for people who are dealing with substance use issues — and their family members, friends, and co-workers, too. Their goal is to offer people who are dealing with substance use issues a single source of reputable, objective information about signs, symptoms, conditions, treatment options, and resources — presented in a user-friendly format and in easy-to-understand language.

Benefits include traditional services like vision, dental care, mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, prescription medications, and family planning. Community Supports, such as housing support and medically tailored meals, are services provided by Medi-Cal health plans to address Medi-Cal members’ health-related social needs, help them live healthier lives, and avoid higher, costlier levels of care. Members with the greatest needs can also receive Enhanced Care Management, which provides comprehensive, community-based care coordination. To learn more, visit the DHCS website.

       Statewide Multi-Payer Fee Schedule for School-Linked Behavioral Health Services: Children and youth may have their school’s mental health services covered by their insurance providers. 

Elevate Youth California is a prevention program funded by Proposition 64. It serves low-income youth ages 12 to 26 in Tribal, LGBTQIA+, and communities of color across the state. The program provides necessary peer-to-peer support, mentoring, substance use prevention education, and youth civic engagement activities in communities disproportionally affected by the war on drugs. 

California Youth Opioid Response aims to increase access to care through the expansion of Medication Assisted Treatment services and opioid and stimulant use prevention for youth and families.

Song for Charlie: Fentanyl Awareness and Drug Education Program: This online learning hub equips California families with factual, current, actionable information and tools that may help parents keep California’s youth safe from harm and facilitate open conversations about mental health, substances, and the heightened risks associated with self-medication caused by the emergence of synthetic drugs like fentanyl in the street drug supply.