Workforce Development

DMC-ODS and CalAIM have reshaped the specialty SUD service system for Medi-Cal clients and provider agencies, raising expectations for the SUD workforce in areas such as clinical quality, documentation, and outcomes. In response, SAPC has made SUD workforce development a central priority in strengthening the SUD field throughout Los Angeles County.

To support this effort, SAPC’s Workforce Development VBI funds are designed to support provider agencies in hiring, retaining, and developing staff capacity for success in emerging value-based models. These funds ensure the workforce is equipped to serve an increasingly complex client population and prepared for a treatment environment where measurable outcomes will drive future reimbursement.

• SUD Counselor-to-Client Ratio (2-A)

  Description	The agency-wide ratio of service rendering SUD counselors to active clients on a monthly/quarterly basis meets the minimum required thresholds for the levels of care outlined below (i.e., one SUD counselor for every specified number of clients): OP/IOP: 1:20 Residential: 1:12 Mixed LOCs (OP/IOP & Residential): 1:16 This incentive promotes adequate staffing capacity to support quality care and effective service delivery.
  Eligibility	Open to all contracted treatment provider agencies.
  Calculation	Numerator: Number of service-rendering (active) SUD Counselors in Sage. Denominator: Total number of active clients on a monthly/quarterly basis
  Invoicing/Submission Guidelines	Consult the monthly Data Quality Report (DQR) provided by SAPC’s Health Outcomes and Data Analytics (HODA) Division on the 15th of each month, which reports performance of the metric for the prior month/quarter’s records. Required Documents: Invoice Form Applicable DQR incentive page(s) Deadlines: Submission 1: Q1 (July 2026 to September 2026) - Due 10/20/26 Submission 2: Q2 (October 2026 to December 2026) - Due 1/20/27 Submission 3: Q3 (January 2027 to March 2027) - Due 4/20/27
  Payment	Submission 1: Q1 $20,000 Submission 2: Q2 $20,000 Submission 3: Q3 $20,000
• Percent of Clients with Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Seen by LPHA (2-B)

  Description	At least 25% of clients with co-occurring mental health conditions received a service provided directly by a qualified LPHA. This incentive enhances integrated co-occurring treatment through providing an additional incentive when agencies provide integrated mental health services directly to clients who screen positive for mental health conditions identified by the ASAM Dimension 3, the admission CalOMS form, or in the diagnosis form.
  Eligibility	Open to all contracted treatment provider agencies.
  Calculation	Numerator: The number of clients who received a service provided directly by a LPHA (any service code billed by a qualified LPHA*). For residential levels of care, LPHAs shall use the LPHACOD code ($0) to populate the numerator for this item. Denominator: The total number of clients with mental health conditions** determined by the client responses on Dimension 3 of the ASAM Assessment and/or affirmative response to items 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, or 8.4 on the admission CalOMS form and/or mental health diagnosis documents in the Diagnosis Form. *Qualified LPHA includes the following practitioner types: Psychiatrist (MD or DO), Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN), Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed-eligible LPHA working under the supervision of licensed clinicians ** The SAPC Definition for clients with mental health conditions is included in the attachments associated with SAPC Information Notice 26-03: The ASAM Criteria 4th Edition Residential Capacity Building Program posted on the SAPC Bulletins web page.
  Invoicing/Submission Guidelines	Consult the monthly Data Quality Report (DQR) provided by SAPC’s Health Outcomes and Data Analytics (HODA) Division on the 15th of each month, which reports performance of the metric for the prior month/quarter’s records. Required Documents: Invoice Form Applicable DQR incentive page(s) Deadlines: Submission 1: Q1 (July 2026 to September 2026) - Due 10/20/26 Submission 2: Q2 (October 2026 to December 2026) - Due 1/20/27 Submission 3: Q3 (January 2027 to March 2027) - Due 4/20/27
  Payment	Submission 1: Q1 $20,000 Submission 2: Q2 $20,000 Submission 3: Q3 $20,000
• MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing (2-C)

  Description	This incentive encourages provider agencies to expand Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) by supporting the costs of prescribers. It has two parts. Part 1: Approved Implementation Plan or Addendum: Up to 75% of funds disbursed. This incentive offers a cost-sharing opportunity alongside the treatment provider agency’s financial investments to recruit, retain, and utilize medical clinicians as members of the provider agency’s treatment team to provide addiction medication services - also known as MAT - directly to patients served by SAPC-contracted provider agencies and paid via claims to SAPC. Part 2: Verified Program Participation: Up to 25% of funds disbursed. SAPC will internally verify provider agency participation and submission of required deliverables (see below). SAPC will notify agencies by 6/30/27 if they successfully completed these required deliverables and related issuing of funds.
  Eligibility	Part 1: Implementation Plan/Addendum: No Prerequisites. Open to all contracted treatment provider agencies. Part 2: Verified Program Participation: To participate in this component, provider agencies are required to have an approved Implementation Plan or Addendum.
  Other Criteria	Successful completion of all required reporting, including Quarterly Progress Reports workflow development, organizational readiness self-assessments, and attendance of all the necessary activities, technical assistance trainings, and meetings.
  Invoicing/Submission Guidelines	Guidance documents: Instructions for MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing Part 1: Implementation Plan/Addendum Submission and Approval. (75% of funds issued). Implementation Plan Provider Agencies without an Implementation Plan approved by 7/1/26 Invoice Form MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing Implementation Plan (Non-OTP) MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing Implementation Plan (OTP Only) OR Addenda Provider Agencies with an Implementation Plan approved by 7/31/26 who seek to expand the number of medical clinician hours beyond the original approved plan Invoice Form MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing Addendum (Non-OTP) MAT Prescribing Clinician Start-Up Cost Sharing Addendum (OTP Only) Part 2: No Action Needed from Provider Agencies. Verified Program Participation for 25% of funds issued 6 months following Implementation Plan/Addenda approval.
  Payment	Start-up funding is available to all DMC-ODS provider agencies at a ratio of $200,000 per 40 hours per week of MAT prescribing clinician time, distributed in 2 payments: Part 1: Due 9/30/26 Part 2: No Action Needed from Provider Agencies. SAPC will internally verify provider agency participation on 3/31/27 and will notify provider agencies by the end of the fiscal year of the status.