California

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has implemented the CA Bridge Program to
ensure hospitals provide 24/7 access to evidence-based care, treating substance use disorder (SUD) as a
medical condition requiring immediate attention. The program collaborates with hospital emergency
departments (EDs) to offer low-barrier medication for addiction treatment (MAT) and support for
ongoing care. Core elements of the CA Bridge model include immediate MAT access, navigation to
follow-up care, and a harm reduction framework.
- Since its initial implementation in 2018 at 52 hospitals through a grant from the MAT Expansion Project,
  CA Bridge has expanded with additional state funding. In 2020, a $20 million state appropriation
  extended the program to 206 hospitals. In 2022, a new $40 million appropriation launched the CalBridge
  Behavioral Health Navigator Program, which has supported 276 hospital EDs to provide MAT to 65,000
  individuals annually. Funding was distributed on a rolling basis, with hospitals given 12-15 months to
  implement the program.
Funds allocated to expanded MAT services for unhoused / homeless and incarcerated populations by
adding three new field based staff that coordinate care directly in and with jail settings and shelters.