Residential Treatment

Residential treatment is available, based on medical necessity with this added benefit. Medi-Cal members seeking residential treatment are referred to their respective county Specialty Mental Health division .

A residential treatment center is defined as a 24-hour, structured and supervised group living environment for children, adolescents or adults where psychiatric, medical and psychosocial evaluation can take place, and distinct and individualized psychotherapeutic interventions can be offered to improve their level of functioning in the community. This plan requires that all contracting residential treatment centers hold appropriate licensure by their state in order to provide residential treatment services.

This plan does not cover admission to the following residential treatment facility types as they are not considered to be medical treatment:

  • Foster homes or halfway houses
  • Wilderness Center training
  • Therapeutic boarding schools
  • Custodial care, situation or environmental change