United Parents urges sustained, flexible funding for rural caregivers and peer supports
March 26, 2026 | Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, Other State Agencies, Executive, California
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United Parents — the commission’s contracted advocacy partner for parents and caregivers — presented its Parents and Caregivers for Wellness (PC4W) program to the commission on March 26, stressing peer‑driven services, rural outreach, and the need for long‑term funding.
"We define parents and caregivers as adoptive, biological, foster, kinship, court‑appointed and other legal caregivers," said Melissa Hannah, United Parents’ executive director, explaining the collaborative’s reach and five regional events per year. The organization runs peer‑led drop‑in centers, respite services, educational advocacy for IEPs and 504 plans, and regional advocacy days that connect families to legislators.
Parent advocate Jolene Fresky described the daily challenges of caring for a medically complex relative in a frontier community with sparse services: "We need help out there and grants to help our children in every area, but the rural areas are hurting," she said. Presenters and commissioners discussed strategies to help small community‑based organizations (CBOs) bill Medi‑Cal (ECM and peer services), build closed‑loop referrals with managed care plans, and sustain services after the commission’s contract ends in 2027.
United Parents asked the commission to consider several recommendations: appoint a parent/caregiver liaison commissioner, expand peer‑driven respite and respite funding, tailor approaches for frontier/rural families, strengthen CBO partners, and pursue flexible funding that will endure BHSA implementation.
Why it matters: Commissioners noted that rural and frontier communities have unique barriers (distance to services, privacy concerns, limited providers) that often make parents primary caregivers in isolation. Several commissioners and county officials signaled willingness to support technical assistance that helps CBOs achieve Medi‑Cal certification and sustainable billing.
What’s next: The commission and staff will share materials and follow up on technical assistance leads; United Parents plans an advocacy day in Sacramento on April 14 focused on rural families and AB 1851.
Attribution: Statements and quotes are from the United Parents presentation and testimony at the March 26 meeting.
"We define parents and caregivers as adoptive, biological, foster, kinship, court‑appointed and other legal caregivers," said Melissa Hannah, United Parents’ executive director, explaining the collaborative’s reach and five regional events per year. The organization runs peer‑led drop‑in centers, respite services, educational advocacy for IEPs and 504 plans, and regional advocacy days that connect families to legislators.
Parent advocate Jolene Fresky described the daily challenges of caring for a medically complex relative in a frontier community with sparse services: "We need help out there and grants to help our children in every area, but the rural areas are hurting," she said. Presenters and commissioners discussed strategies to help small community‑based organizations (CBOs) bill Medi‑Cal (ECM and peer services), build closed‑loop referrals with managed care plans, and sustain services after the commission’s contract ends in 2027.
United Parents asked the commission to consider several recommendations: appoint a parent/caregiver liaison commissioner, expand peer‑driven respite and respite funding, tailor approaches for frontier/rural families, strengthen CBO partners, and pursue flexible funding that will endure BHSA implementation.
Why it matters: Commissioners noted that rural and frontier communities have unique barriers (distance to services, privacy concerns, limited providers) that often make parents primary caregivers in isolation. Several commissioners and county officials signaled willingness to support technical assistance that helps CBOs achieve Medi‑Cal certification and sustainable billing.
What’s next: The commission and staff will share materials and follow up on technical assistance leads; United Parents plans an advocacy day in Sacramento on April 14 focused on rural families and AB 1851.
Attribution: Statements and quotes are from the United Parents presentation and testimony at the March 26 meeting.
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