WHO WE ARE

For over 65 years, the Association of Community Human Service Agencies (ACHSA) has served as the collective voice for nonprofit community agencies in Los Angeles County that provide a wide range of human service programs and resources. The work of ACHSA is in service to individuals, families, and communities in L.A. County. We strive to center organizational practices in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

ACHSA’s logo is inspired by the shape of Los Angeles County, which is the focal target for our advocacy and work. The logo represents entities coming together to form a whole, representing connection and mutual support, as well as building and layering of members, programs, and advocacy in collaboration and in pursuit of a common goal. 

HOW WE GOT HERE

The Association of Community Human Service Agencies (ACHSA) was formed in February 2001 upon the merger of two Los Angeles County associations representing agencies serving individuals in the County mental health and child welfare/juvenile justice systems – the Association of Community Mental Health Agencies (ACMHA) and the Association of Children’s Services Agencies (ACSA). 

ACMHA was formed in the early 1980s to represent the interests of private nonprofit community mental health agencies and the children, adults, and older adults with mental illness that they served. The mission of ACMHA was to promote the role of the private nonprofit sector in mental health service delivery and to provide mutual support in pursuit of a more effective community mental health system serving people with mental illness. ACSA, formed in 1955, represented private nonprofit child welfare agencies serving children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. The mission of ACSA was to advocate for high quality services which supported and provided for the safety and health of children and their families.

The merger was the result of a consensus among the two Associations that integrated service delivery systems were better positioned to respond to the increasingly complex needs of the individuals, families, and communities. Member agencies of the two associations had been moving away from categorical, specialized operations to client-driven continuums of care. Therefore, it only made sense that the associations serving their member agencies themselves should similarly consolidate the manner in which they were organized to best meet the needs of increasingly diverse member agencies and the vulnerable populations that they serve.

ACHSA’s accomplishments include:

FY 21-22

  • ACHSA Racial Equity Toolkit – ACHSA develops and implements an equity framework to guide the Association’s decision-making and advocacy.

  • ACHSA Prevention Committee – ACHSA launches the newly established ACHSA Prevention Committee and formally expanded ACHSA’s scope of work to include primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention services.

  • ACHSA TAY Subcommittee – ACHSA launches the newly established ACHSA TAY Subcommittee with an initial focus on supporting Transitional Housing Programs for current and former system-involved youth and the expansion of THP capacity throughout L.A. County. 

  • Increase in DMH Countywide Maximum Allowance Rates – ACHSA successfully advocates for a historic CMA rate increase of 10.4% supported by ACHSA member agency data on the extraordinary workforce crisis and its impact on access to care. 

FY 20-21

  • ACHSA Racial Justice Peer Support Group – ACHSA launches the newly established ACHSA Racial Justice Peer Support Group (later more broadly renamed the ACHSA Racial Justice & Equity Peer Support Group) to provide members with a space to discuss racial justice and DEI efforts internally and externally, as well as provide mutual support to one another to advance equity.

FY 18-19

  • Increase in DMH Countywide Maximum Allowance Rates – ACHSA’s advocacy over two years culminates in a significant increase in the Countywide Maximum Allowance (CMA) for specialty mental health services rates for services delivered by DMH contractors, based on the increasing cost of operating and need for salary competitiveness.

  • Countywide Foster Youth Resource Fair – ACHSA sponsors a successful Resource Fair for approximately 300 youth currently and formerly involved in the County child welfare and juvenile justice systems.  Youth in attendance learn about critical resources and enrichment programs in their communities through nearly fifty vendors, and participate in workshops on housing, college, employment, benefits, and independent living.  

FY 17-18

  • Stepped Care Model to Expand Access to MHSA PEI – ACHSA’s long term advocacy efforts with DMH to expand and right-size MHSA Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) across age groups culminates in the implementation of a novel approach to PEI service delivery through the use of the Stepped Care Model, which allows providers to deliver services to clients without first establishing medical necessity and billing exclusively to MHSA PEI. The joint efforts of ACHSA and DMH to expand PEI spending flexibility increases direct client services and allows for utilization of a large portion of unspent PEI funds that would have otherwise reverted back to the State.

  • Specialized Care Increments for FFA Resource Families – During the development of the DCFS Specialized Care Rate program, ACHSA successfully advocates for Specialized Care Increments to be made available to all FFA resource families, as it will be to County resource families, in order to cover the cost of meeting the daily care needs of children with behavioral, emotional, and/or physical challenges.

  • Housing for Homeless Persons with Mental Illness – ACHSA successfully advocates through the DMH Service Leadership Team to shift $6.25 million of $50 million of MHSA funding for new permanent supportive housing units to low cost, innovative housing models.

  • Access to MHSA Client Supportive Services Flex Funds Across MHSA Programs – After years of discussions with DMH and an eventual legislative fix, ACHSA successfully advocates to expand access to MHSA Client Supportive Services Flex Funds across all MHSA funded programs allowing consumers to benefit from these critical funds throughout the stages of their recovery. 

FY 16-17

  • FFA  Resource Parent Approval Standards – As part of ongoing efforts to develop child welfare best practice guidelines, ACHSA finalizes FFA resource parent approval standards, with the goal of ensuring safety for foster children and enhancing the quality of care, which are distributed by DCFS to all L.A. County FFAs.   

  • Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System Implementation Planning – In order to prepare ACHSA agencies for the implementation of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS), ACHSA collaborates with the L.A. County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) program to gauge agency interest in DMC certification and better understand the training and support needs of agencies working to obtain certification.

  • Group Home Aftercare Services Pilot – ACHSA works with Probation to prepare a final report which reflects the positive outcomes of the Group Home Aftercare Services Pilot including reduced sustained petitions, reduced residential replacements, enrollment in school or GED program, receipt of mental health services, and linkage to other community based services. 

FY 14-15

  • Preservation of the State Mental Health Carve Out – As part of advocacy at the state and federal level, ACHSA produces and widely publishes a position paper entitled The Importance of Preserving California’s County Operated Mental Health Carve Out of Specialty Mental Health Services for Higher Needs Clients. The mental health carve out is ultimately sustained through federal CMS approval of a five-year extension of the State’s 1915(b) Waiver.

  • Increase in DMH Countywide Maximum Allowance Rates – ACHSA successfully advocates for a 2.5% increase in the Countywide Maximum Allowance (CMA) rates for all modes of specialty mental health services provided by DMH contractors, highlighting the impact on programs of the lack of an increase to the CMA over the recent several year period. 

FY 13-14

  • DCFS Community Stakeholder Process – ACHSA works with DCFS to implement a stakeholder process to allow DCFS to participate in true dialogue with prospective contractors and the community regarding contract changes and new contracts.

  • Access to FFAs for Youth in Juvenile Justice System – Following ACHSA advocacy efforts with Probation over many years, Probation implements contracts so that FFA foster parents could care for youth who are not able to reunify with their families.

FY 12-13

  • DCFS Emergency Response Command Post Overstays – ACHSA assists DCFS to address the ongoing system issue of youth overstays at the DCFS Emergency Response Command Post through active participation in the Department’s ERCP Task Force. ACHSA’s advocacy results in improvements in real-time capacity data in the Foster Care Search Engine, 1:1 behavioral aides for high needs youth, and high-risk youth case conferences to identify system gaps, as well as the examination of Assessment Centers for youth in the child welfare system.

  • DMH Mental Health Services Act Funding Flexibility – ACHSA continues to work with DMH to allow providers greater flexibility in the use of MHSA funds, believing that rigid funding guidelines prevent funds from being used in the most cost-effective, beneficial manner possible. A major effort in this regard is the beginning of the joint DMH/ACHSA Full Service Partnership Integration Pilot, which is designed to integrate the Field Capable Clinical Services and Full Service Partnership programs. 

  • Group Home Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Runaway Behavior – ACHSA publishes best practice guidelines to address the significant problem of youth who run away from group homes which detail best practice strategies upon intake, strategies upon placement, strategies to prevent imminent runaways, long-term prevention strategies, and strategies upon youth’s return to the group home. The guidelines are distributed to all group homes in the County. 

  • DCFS Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Task Force – ACHSA advocates for the establishment of a Task Force to address the commercial sexual exploitation of foster youth, and later becomes an active participant in the Task Force.

FY 11-12

  • Increase in State Maximum Allowance Rates – ACHSA successfully advocates to obtain County approval for a 7.5 percent increase in the State Maximum Allowance (now referred to as the Countywide Maximum Allowance) rates using compelling data regarding disparities and impact to demonstrate need.

  • Guidelines for Prevention of and Response to Abuse and Neglect – With the goal of proactively caring for children in the foster care system, ACHSA publishes groundbreaking guidelines for the prevention of and response to allegations and incidents of abuse and neglect which are distributed to all group home and FFA providers in the County. 

  • Mental Health Services Act Funding Flexibility – ACHSA continues to advocate with DMH to allow providers greater flexibility in the use of MHSA funds so that funds could be used in the most cost-effective beneficial manner possible reinitiating discussions to pilot an integrated Full Service Partnership/Field Capable Clinical Services program. 

  • Aftercare Services for Youth in Juvenile Justice System – ACHSA advocacy leads Probation to take the unprecedented action of funding a new aftercare services pilot to serve youth transitioning from residential care into the community, using $400,000 of Probation’s Title IV-E Waiver carryover funds, leveraged with EPSDT matching funds to result in over $2 million in aftercare services.

FY 10-11

  • Guidelines for Auditor-Controller Reviews of FFAs – ACHSA works with the Auditor-Controller (A-C), County CEO, and DCFS to increase awareness of systemic challenges facing FFAs and develop agreed upon reasonable guidelines for FFAs to follow in several areas including but not limited to criminal/child abuse clearances for individuals visiting or residing in certified foster homes, Psychotropic Medication Authorizations, initial medical/dental examinations, and Needs and Services Plans.

  • DMH Medi/Medi Claiming – In collaboration with DMH, ACHSA takes the lead statewide to address a variety of issues related to provider billing for Medicare/Medi-Cal crossover claims resulting in the addition of critical billing codes and the preservation of millions of dollars of claims for reimbursement.

FY 09-10

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA advocacy efforts result in significantly reduced curtailments for community mental health providers, as well as increased flexibility in determining program reductions to protect programs with matching dollars, maximize revenues, and sustain access to care. At the state level, ACHSA participates in successful legislative advocacy efforts to oppose proposed significant mental health budget reductions in the Governor's Budget by leveraging compelling client stories and financial impact data.

  • Expansion of Access to Wraparound – To expand access to Wraparound, ACHSA recommends a Wraparound provider self-referral pilot, which effectively increases Wraparound program utilization and is later operationalized as a permanent protocol allowing agencies to self-identify children and families for the program.

FY 07-08

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA works with DMH to successfully address an unprecedented mid-year budget crisis of epic proportions facing the mental health system through advocacy for $15 million in bridge funding from the prior fiscal year budget, maximum flexibility for agencies to address the adjustments, and development of a budget mitigation plan that provides a seamless transition to MHSA funding for services at risk of massive curtailment.

  • Improved Case Planning for Youth in Juvenile Justice System – ACHSA successfully advocates in support of Board of Supervisors approval of funding for 34 additional positions for the Probation Suitable Placement Bureau to support improved case planning for youth in care. 

  • Expansion of Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Team Program Countywide – ACHSA plays an instrumental role in the Board of Supervisors approval of a $37 million allocation for the expansion of MAT countywide as part of the Katie A. Corrective Action Plan, leading to the comprehensive assessment of thousands of foster children into the future.

  • Medi-Cal Authorization Process for Youth in Juvenile Justice System – ACHSA collaborates with Probation and DCFS to clear a huge outstanding backlog of Medi-Cal authorizations for youth in residential care and to develop a new protocol to ensure the timely completion of necessary Medi-Cal paperwork in the future. 

FY 06-07

  • Uniform Needs and Services Plan for System Involved Children – ACHSA collaborates with DCFS, Probation, the Auditor-Controller, and Community Care Licensing to develop and pilot a standardized Needs and Services Plan for children/youth served by FFAs and group homes, along with joint provider trainings to support the rollout.

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA successfully advocates against $5 million of community mental health agency curtailments to preserve access to care for clients in the system. 

  • Timely School Enrollment of Foster Children – ACHSA, together with the Children's Law Center and the Education Coordinating Council, drafts a letter which is signed by local school district superintendents for use by placement agencies, foster parents, and relative caregivers to ensure timely school enrollment of foster children. The letters are designed to help school personnel understand their legal obligation to immediately enroll foster children.

FY 05-06

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA successfully advocates against $25 million of community mental health agency curtailments to preserve access to care for clients in the system.

  • Access to Mental Health Services in Probation Camps – ACHSA advocacy efforts result in a County investment of over half a million dollars in mental health services for youth in Probation camps.

  • Establishment of Mental Health Respite Care Program – ACHSA advocacy results in the allocation of half a million dollars to establish the first ongoing respite care program for families of children with severe emotional disturbance children in Los Angeles County, using MHSA funding.

  • DCFS Audit Process – ACHSA successfully advocates in support of a groundbreaking Board of Supervisors motion directing DCFS to develop a plan to monitor all out-of-home foster care placements with a consistent and high-quality level of oversight, using a monitoring tool that avoids duplicative activities.

FY 04-05

  • Expansion of MAT Program – ACHSA successfully advocates with DCFS to expand the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT) Project as part of the Katie A. lawsuit settlement through wider use of the comprehensive assessments for children outside of the original pilot offices.

  • Education Coordinating Council – ACHSA is invited to become an inaugural member of the Education Coordinating Council, which is established to address educational issues for children in foster care.

FY 03-04

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA successfully advocates to reduce $40 million of proposed budget reductions for the uninsured thereby avoiding any reductions in outpatient programs.   

  • Launch of Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Program Pilot – ACHSA leads DCFS and DMH through three years of planning efforts toward the development of a comprehensive assessment system for children in the foster care system, which culminates in the launch of the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT) Project pilot.

  • L.A. County Steering Committee for Campaign for Mental Health (Prop 63) – As a key stakeholder, ACHSA actively participates in the L.A. County Steering Committee for the Campaign for Mental Health and plays a major role in organizing the signature gathering efforts that place Proposition 63 on the November 2004 ballot.

FY 02-03 

  • Community Resources for Children Leaving MacLaren Children’s Center – ACHSA collaborates with DCFS to prepare for the closure of MacLaren Children's Center and the development of alternative community resources for children such as intensive foster care and crisis residential beds.

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA successfully advocates to restore $2.5 million in proposed service curtailments for uninsured children served by community mental health agencies.

  • Child Welfare Sharing of Information – ACHSA successfully advocates for DCFS to issue a policy ensuring the sharing of critical case information with out-of-home care providers, allowing caregivers to better serve children in their care.

FY 01-02 

  • Community Mental Health Access to Care – ACHSA successfully advocates to significantly reduce proposed curtailments for community mental health agencies by $14 million, at a time when the mental health system experienced devastating closures of a significant number of community programs.