Mental Health Care Is a Medi-Cal Benefit
SFHP covers the following services for mild to moderate mental health conditions provided by your PCP or by licensed mental health professionals:
- Individual and group mental health evaluation and treatment (psychotherapy). These services can include counseling from a therapist and are sometimes available at your primary care clinic.
- Psychological testing when clinically indicated to evaluate a mental health condition
- Outpatient services for monitoring drug therapy
- Outpatient services that include lab work, most drugs, and supplies
- Psychiatric consultation
SFHP partners with a company called Carelon Behavioral Health (“Carelon”) to provide members with mental health services for mild to moderate conditions that are not provided by your PCP. To access services from a licensed mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist) call Carelon Behavioral Health at 1(855) 371-8117 (toll-free) or 1(800) 735-2929 (TDD/TTY), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Behavioral Health Treatment
Carelon provides behavioral health treatment (BHT) for all Members under 21. BHT services teach skills through behavioral observation and reinforcement to help develop or restore, as much as possible, Members’ daily functioning. A physician or a licensed psychologist must recommend that BHT services are medically necessary. To ask about BHT services, call Carelon Behavioral Health at 1(855) 371-8117 (toll-free) or 1(800) 735-2929 (TDD/TTY), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Specialty Mental Health Services
Specialty Mental Health Services include outpatient and inpatient services to treat serious mental health conditions and substance abuse. SFHP and Carelon do not cover Specialty Mental Health Services, but San Francisco Behavioral Health Services (SFBHS) provides these services.
Call SFBHS at 1(415) 255-3737 or 1(888) 246-3333 (toll-free) or 1(888) 484-7200 (TDD/TTY), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are not sure how serious your mental health condition is, call Carelon Behavioral Health at 1(855) 371-8117 (toll-free) or 1(800) 735-2929 (TDD/TTY), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
