About VOTC, Inc. Community Supports Program

VOTC, Inc. administers Community Supports (CS) for Partnership Healthplan of California (PHC) Medi-Cal eligible beneficiaries and outlines the collaboration between members, PHC, providers, county agencies, community resources, and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). VOTC, Inc. Community Support services are not plan benefits but optional services that PHC may authorize for members to save health care costs while promoting better health outcomes for the member. VOTC, Inc. Community Supports is a part of DHCS’ waiver under CalAIM. The goals of Community Supports are:

  1. To place members in the least restrictive setting possible and keep them in the community.
  2. Focus mainly on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) such as housing/shelter, food instability, transportation, and community resources to improve medical health outcomes and healthcare costs.

Advantages Of VOTC, Inc. Community Supports (CS) Program

Effective February 15, 2023 VOTC, Inc. offers the following DHCS approved CS services:

  1. Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing (Residential Treatment Members Only-Food Cards)
  2. Housing Transition Navigation Services
  3. Housing Deposits
  4. Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services
  5. Upon approval by PHC, VOTC, Inc. may elect to add additional CS services to their network every six (6) months.

Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing (For Members leaving our Residential Treatment Services)

  • Once in a lifetime opportunity to qualify for our Sober Living Residences funded for up to 180-days by Partnership HealthPlan of California.
  • Must be leaving an inpatient hospital setting: (1) An acute or psychaitric or Chemical Dependency and Recovery Hospital; (2) Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment or Recovery Facility; (3) Residential Mental Health Treatment Facility; (4) Correctional Facility; (5) Nursing Facility; or (6) a Recuperative Care Setting.
  • This setting must provide individuals with ongoing supports necessary for recuperation and recovery such as gaining (or regaining) the ability to perform activities of daily living, receiving necessary medical/psychiatric/substance use disorder care, case management, and beginning to access other housing supports such as Housing Transition Navigation. Members must be offered and enrolled in Housing Transition Navigation supports during the period of Short-Term Post-Hospitalization housing to prepare them for transition from this setting. These services should include a housing assessment and the development of individualized housing support plan to identify preferences and barriers related to successful housing tenancy after Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing.
  • Members will receive a weekly food/gift card.

Housing Transition Navigation Services (You will meet with a Housing Navigator to address the following:)

  • Conducting tenant screening(s) and/or assessment(s) to identify the member’s preferences and barriers related to successful tenancy.
  • Development of an individualized housing support plan that contains both short-term and long-term goals, as well as a housing support crisis plan
  • Searching for housing, presenting options, and assisting with requests for reasonable accommodations if necessary
  • Assistance in securing housing via direct support with applications, documentation requirements, advocacy, etc.
  • Assisting with benefits advocacy
  • Identifying and securing available resources to assist with subsidizing rent (such as HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program [Section 8], or state and local assistance programs) and matching available rental subsidy resources to Members.
  • Identifying and securing resources to cover expenses, such as security deposit, moving costs, adaptive aids, environmental modifications, and other one-time expenses.
  • Ensuring that the living environment is safe and ready for move-in.
  • Assisting with requests for reasonable accommodation, if necessary.
  • Assisting in arranging for and supporting the details of the move.
  • Landlord education and engagement including advocacy on behalf of a member, when necessary, identification and coordination of benefits and resources to secure costs such as security deposits, moving costs, adaptive aids, environmental modifications, and/or other one-time expenses, Housing Transition/Navigation services must be identified as reasonable and necessary in the individual’s individualized housing support plan. Identification, coordination and/or securing non-emergency, non-medical transportation (NMT)

Housing Deposits (You will meet with a Housing Navigator to address the following:)

  • May be approved based on the individualized assessment of the needs and documented in the member’s individual housing support plan. The housing deposit may be used to secure one-time services/funding to enable a person to establish a basic household that does not constitute room and board.
  • If approved, members may use the one-time benefit for a subset of the services below: 1) Security deposits required to obtain a lease on an apartment or home 2) Set-up fees/deposits for utilities or service access and utility arrearages 3) First month coverage of utilities (e.g.: telephone, gas, electricity, heating, and water). 4) First months and last month’s rent as required by landlord for occupancy 5) Services necessary for the individual’s health and safety, such as pest eradication and one-time cleaning prior to occupancy
  • Goods such as an air conditioner or heater, and other medically-necessary adaptive aids and services, designed to preserve an individuals’ health and safety in the home such as hospital beds, Hoyer lifts, air filters, specialized cleaning or pest control supplies etc., that are necessary to ensure access and safety for the individual upon move-in to the home.

Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services (You will meet with a Housing Navigator to address the following:)

Tenancy and sustaining services, with a goal of maintaining safe and stable tenancy once housing is secured. Services include, but are limited to:

  • Early identification and intervention for behaviors that may jeopardize housing, such as late rental payment, hoarding, substance use, and other lease violations.
  • Education and training on the role, rights and responsibilities of the tenant and landlord.
  • Coaching on developing and maintaining key relationships with landlords/property managers with a goal of fostering successful tenancy
  • Coordination with landlord and/or case management provider(s)
  • Development of a plan to mitigate risk to housing such as assistance in resolving disputes with landlords/neighbors, repayment plans for damage to unit or back rent, etc.
  • Assistance with the annual housing recertification process.
  • Health and safety visits, including unit habitability inspections.
  • Providing independent living and life skills including assistance with and training on budgeting, financial literacy and connection to community resources.
  • Continuing assistance with lease compliance.
  • Coordinating with the tenant to review, update and modify their housing support and crisis plan on a regular basis to reflect current needs and address existing or reoccurring housing retention barriers.
  • Advocacy and linkage with community resources to prevent eviction when housing is or may potentially become jeopardized.
  • Other prevention and early intervention services identified in the crisis plan that are activated when housing is jeopardized.

Other Services

CONTACT US TODAY