Dyadic Services and Family Therapy Benefit
| Date: | June 13, 2023 |
| To: | Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Primary Care Providers, Specialists, Hospitals and Facilities |
| From: | HPSJ |
| Type: | State Regulatory |
| Subject: | Dyadic Services and Family Therapy Benefit |
| Business: | Medi-Cal Managed Care |
In accordance with All Plan Letter (APL) 22-029, the Dyadic services and family therapy benefit are effective January 1, 2023.
Per California Welfare and Institutions Code section 14132.755, the Dyadic Services benefit is a family – and caregiver – focused model of care intended to address developmental and behavioral health conditions of children as soon as they are identified. These services also foster access to preventive care for children, rates of immunization completion, coordination of care, child socialemotional health and safety, developmentally appropriate parenting, and maternal mental health.
Dyadic Services include Dyadic behavioral health (DBH) well-child visits, Dyadic Comprehensive Community Supports Services, Dyadic Psychoeducational Services, and Dyadic Family Training and Counseling for Child Development. DBH well-child visits are provided for the child and caregiver(s) or parent(s) at medical visits. Through the DBH well-child visits dyadic services listed on the APL, a child and caregiver(s) or parent(s) can be screened for behavioral health problems, interpersonal safety, tobacco and substance misuse, and social drivers of health (SDOH), such as food insecurity and housing instability, as well as provided referrals for appropriate follow-up care.
A dyad refers to a child and their parent(s) or caregiver(s). Dyadic care refers to serving both parent(s) or caregiver(s) and child together as a dyad and is a form of treatment that targets family well-being as a mechanism to support healthy child development and mental health. It is provided within pediatric primary care settings whenever possible. It can help identify behavioral health interventions and other behavioral health issues, provide referrals to services, and help guide the parent-child or caregiver-child relationship.
Dyadic care fosters team-based approaches to meeting family needs, including addressing mental health and social support concerns, and it broadens and improves the delivery of pediatric preventive care.
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy covered under Medi-Cal’s NonSpecialty Mental Health Services (NSMHS) benefit since 2020 and is composed of at least two family members. Family therapy sessions address family dynamics as they relate to mental status and behavior(s). It is focused on improving relationships and behaviors in the family and between family members, such as between a child and parent(s) or caregiver(s).
For more information on Dyadic Services, Member Eligibility Criteria, Provider Requirements and Qualifications, please review the APL found at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/Documents/MMCDAPLsandPolicyLett ers/APL2022/APL22-029.pdf
If you have any questions, please call our Provider Services Team at 209-942- 6340, or call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-936-PLAN (7526). You may also visit https://www.hpsj.com/alerts/ for online access to the documents shared.