Zócalo Health, a community-based primary care provider dedicated to serving underserved and underrepresented patients with culturally-relevant care, has officially achieved the status of a CalAIM Community Supports Provider.
According to certain reports, the stated designation makes it possible for Zócalo Health to deliver critical housing support services at the disposal of Medi-Cal members across California. You see, by adding housing support to its existing Enhanced Care Management (ECM), Community Health Worker (CHW) benefit program, and primary care services, Zócalo should be able provide holistic brand of care, something which is crucial to achieving stability and better health outcomes.
To understand the significance of such a development; we must take into account the data from several different studies, data which shows that individuals experiencing housing instability are significantly more likely to suffer from chronic conditions, mental health challenges, and higher rates of emergency department visits.
Fortunately enough, thanks to CalAIM’s Community Supports, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will allow Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCPs) to offer housing-related support as a covered service.
Talk about Zócalo Health’s prospects as Community Supports Provider on a slightly deeper level, they include helping members secure and maintain stable housing so to reduce preventable hospitalizations and improve overall quality of life.
This the program does by, for starters, providing housing transition and navigation services. Here, the initiative effectively empowers members to find and secure housing with personalized assistance, including housing search support, application assistance, and move-in coordination.
Next up, there is the promise to provide housing deposits assistance. The said assistance relates to delivering financial support for security deposits, first and last month’s rent, utility deposits, and essential home goods to help overcome financial barriers to housing.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in the program’s housing tenancy and sustaining services. These services focus on supporting members in the context of maintaining stable housing through lease comprehension education, life skills coaching, landlord-tenant mediation, and social integration support.
Rounding up highlights would be the initiative’s day rehabilitation programs. These programs, on their part, will offer community-based efforts that help members develop life skills, improve social connections, and enhance overall well-being through peer support, wellness workshops, and community engagement activities.
“At Zócalo Health, we recognize that housing is healthcare,” said Erik Cardenas, CEO of Zócalo Health. “In our experience, members who need both medical care and housing assistance are all too often forced to navigate fragmented systems that don’t communicate with each other. By integrating housing support directly into our care model, we provide a seamless experience that ensures our members get the services they need, when they need them, without unnecessary barriers. This is the future of whole-person care.”
Among other things, we ought to mention that Zócalo Health brings forth turnkey solutions that let managed care plans efficiently implement CalAIM initiatives and conceive compliance with state goals, while simultaneously maximizing health equity and cost savings. Not just that, the company’s approach to patient wellbeing also treads up a long distance to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and promote long-term stability.
Markedly enough, Zócalo not only assists with housing and traditional medical care, but it can also help members develop life skills, connect with social resources, and achieve greater independence. The idea driving that operation stems from reaching upon healthier individuals and communities.
Founded in 2021, Zócalo Health’s rise up the ranks is orchestrated by its comprehensive care model, which makes it possible for the company to better understand each member’s goals, values, and unique cultural background. The stated model currently focuses on prevention, primary care, behavioral health, and traditional practices, all working together in sync to support members’ well-being in every possible manner.
