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Caminar has never wavered in our commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment for mental health and substance use needs in our more than 60 years of service to our communities. And supporting those needs is at the center of everything that we do.
As I shared at the end of 2024, to ensure Caminar is serving our mission to the absolute best of our abilities in the seven counties that we support across Northern California, we must constantly adapt and evolve to ongoing and often unexpected changes at the county, state, and federal levels.
Changes to payment methods and rates that have been implemented as reforms of the Medi-Cal program have negatively impacted multiple counties and service providers across California, including Caminar. The ongoing conversation about the closure of Caminar’s Redwood House crisis residential treatment program must be rooted in facts and a deep understanding of the complex situation.
Notably, in its final negotiations, San Mateo County required an 85% utilization rate. Yet, the fundamental issue is there were not enough Medi-Cal eligible clients who would have fit the specific clinical criteria for admission to Redwood House to maintain the utilization rates required for sustainability.
Caminar’s Board carefully weighed program closure decisions after rigorous negotiations and the exhaustion of other remedies, while prioritizing the impact of program closures on clients, staff, and our community.
Our rebrand expenses did not divert funds from any program budgets. The rebrand is essential to better compete for limited financial resources and improve access to quality behavioral health care for the broader community. We remain steadfast in delivering care to our most vulnerable neighbors, and the need for care has increased for youth, families, and adults.
Caminar is deeply committed to San Mateo County and continues to provide care to Medi-Cal eligible members through its many other contracts. We take seriously our mission to build strength and stability through comprehensive, evidence-based, and whole-person mental health and substance use treatment and wrap-around services.
