Enroll justice-involved individuals in benefits for which they are eligible for

Lead agency: Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA)  

Population of focus: Justice-involved individuals

SIM intercept: All intercepts

Summary of planned action: 

Expand opportunities for justice-involved individuals to learn about, be enrolled in, and receive the self-sufficiency and health benefits they are entitled to, such as Medi-Cal and its expanded benefits under CalAIM, CalFresh, and CalWORKS.  

Actions taken:  

  • County departments have been working collaboratively to expand opportunities for justice-involved individuals to learn about, enroll in, and receive the self-sufficiency and health benefits for which they are eligible. Medical Care Services (MCS), Self-Sufficiency Services (SSS), Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, Office of the Public Defender, and the District Attorney’s Office have taken actions to contribute to this ongoing workplan item.  

  • MCS launched a justice-involved workgroup meeting series as part of Healthy San Diego in March 2023. The justice-involved workgroup brings together local Managed Care Plans (MCPs), community providers, advocates, consumers, and County justice and health agencies to improve care and outcomes for the justice-involved population. The justice-involved workgroup meets monthly to discuss resources, updates, and barriers to Medi-Cal benefits and services Medi-Cal. It is co-chaired by MCS and Molina Healthcare, one of the four MCPs serving San Diego County. 

  • Flyers continue to be distributed by the Sheriff’s Office Reentry Unit to share general information regarding Self-Sufficiency programs. The fliers highlight the different methods available for applying (on-line, by phone, or in-person), and the addresses to all County Family Resource Centers. These flyers are posted within the housing units and common areas in the Sheriff’s Office detention facilities.  

  • To expedite the Medi-Cal application process in jails, electronic submission has been implemented to expedite the evaluation and approval process. From October 2024 through September 2025, 1,113 Medi-Cal applications were received from the Sheriff’s Office, 1,477 applications from the Probation Department, and 2,326 applications from State Prisons. Self Sufficiency Services  maintains access to a daily “Who’s In Jail” report to remove the hold on justice-involved individual’s Medi-Cal status when they are released, to ensure timely access to Medi-Cal benefits upon release.   

  • The Sheriff’s Office has hosted the managed care plans (MCPs) and County Self Sufficiency staff at the reentry and detention facilities to provide insight into benefit enrollment in a custodial setting and offered training to both MCPs and Enhanced Care Management (ECM) providers on the clearance process for professional visits and the Coordinated Release Program allowing community organization staff to pick clients up from custody. ECM is a new Medi-Cal benefit for justice involved and other vulnerable populations that provides clients case management to help coordinate health, treatment, housing and other needs.  

  • The Sheriff’s Office has procured a contract to assist clients with Medi-Cal enrollment applications and now includes supportive elements such as information necessary for inter-county transfer (ICT), educational workshops, and managed care plan packet support.  To support Medi-Cal enrollment, individuals entering custody are screened at intake on their Medi-Cal enrollment status, common areas and housing modules at the seven facilities are now outfitted with Medi-Cal enrollment posters, and individuals utilizing video visit kiosks in their housing units are shown a video on beneficial support services available through Medi-Cal.  

  • The Probation Department recognizes the role stable health coverage has in supporting successful rehabilitation and continues to promote equity in access to health care and essential support. The Probation Department’s Pretrial, Reentry, and Community Supervision units all maintain an ongoing collaboration with Self Sufficiency Services (SSS) to provide Medi-Cal status information, enrollment support, and help with troubleshooting concerns for eligible benefits for clients during the transition from incarceration to the community and throughout their term of supervision. In alignment with the Medi-Cal Transformation Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative, the Probation Department has partnered with SSS to facilitate Medi-Cal application assistance for youth within the County-operated juvenile detention facilities. Youth are screened and supported in establishing or reinstating Medi-Cal coverage prior to release from custody. 

Next steps: 

  • By September 30, 2026, as part of the State’s Medi-Cal Transformation Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative, eligible individuals on Medi-Cal will be referred to Enhanced Care Management services prior to their release from custody to assist with reentry care planning, including connections to health and social services, and post-release wraparound support in the community. Local and State detention/correctional facilities are working towards implementing this mandate, which represents a monumental shift in how care is coordinated before and during incarceration and post-release to improve successful reentry.  

  • The Sheriff’s Office will be adding a Medi-Cal benefits and enrollment informational video to the incarcerated persons’ orientation video, shown daily in all facilities.  The Sheriff’s Office has also submitted a readiness assessment to Department of Health Care Services and are awaiting approval to be able to schedule and plan for Medi-Cal Transformation Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative implementation.   

  • The Probation Department will continue collaborating with Self Sufficiency Services to ensure eligible youth are enrolled in Medi-Cal prior to release and will expand community-based linkages for the youth and adult clients through connections to Enhanced Care Management. The Probation Department remains committed to ensuring that all justice-involved individuals, both in custody and in the community, have equitable access to health coverage and supportive services that promote stability, wellness, and successful reintegration.  

  • As required by the State of California, the Sheriff’s Office and the Probation Department will continue to track and report the following data quarterly, for county youth correctional facilities.  

    • number of individuals screened for Medi-Cal  
    • number of individuals interested in Medi-Cal  
    • number of individuals who declined to apply  
    • number of individuals interested in Medi-Cal and confirmed to be enrolled 
    • number of Medi-Cal applications submitted