In September 2025, nearly 880,000 Californians were authorized to receive care through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, funded with a combination of federal Medicaid dollars and state/county funds. A significant portion of these individuals could likely benefit from enrollment into Enhanced Care Management (ECM), a component of the state's CalAIM waiver, which provides care coordination and access to additional services depending on the individual's managed care plan. While the numbers have increased over time since CalAIM began, relatively few IHSS recipients are routinely accessing ECM benefits.
To help address this gap, Archstone Foundation has partnered with California Health Policy Strategies (CalHPS) to develop a toolkit for use by county IHSS social workers and Public Authority staff. The goal is to provide information and resources to help these professionals educate IHSS recipients and their caregivers and family members about the potential benefits of ECM, resulting in an increased number of referrals for assessment of ECM eligibility and, ultimately, greater receipt of ECM and other related benefits by this population. Successful ECM connections for IHSS recipients can also help county and Public Authority staff manage their workload.
In a November 2025 webinar, Cathy Senderling-McDonald, CalHPS consultant, provided a brief presentation of the toolkit materials. She was joined by panelists from Public Authorities and the County Welfare Directors Association of California for a conversation about the potential benefits of increasing referrals for ECM for this population, and how the toolkit can help.
Watch the webinar recording here.
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IHSS ECM Toolkit for County IHSS Social Workers & Public Authority Staff (Complete tookit)
Printable sections for IHSS professionals:
- ECM Desk Aid
- Health Plan Referral Quick Guides
- After the Referral: Supporting IHSS Recipients Enrolling in ECM
- FAQs
- Sample Script
Printable sections for IHSS recipients, families & caregivers:
