How do states, health care providers and systems, health plans, and community-based organizations put community engagement into practice? How can community engagement strategies best serve specific populations like children and families, or those dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid?
Following are resources to help implement community engagement in a variety of settings, and for a range of populations. Materials include program design recommendations, best practices, case studies, and other resources to put community engagement into practice.
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How State Leadership Can Champion Lived Experience to Transform Behavioral Health
Features a Q&A with two former Oregon Health Authority (OHA) officials on their efforts to improve community engagement related to behavioral health at OHA.
What We Measure Matters: Centering Lived Experience in Developing Behavioral Health Quality Measures
Summarizes the current state of behavioral health quality measures and highlights promising measurement approaches that reflect the perspectives of people with lived experience.
Making the Case for Engaging People with Lived Experience and Expertise in State Behavioral Health Reforms
Makes the case for engaging people with lived experience in state policy and program discussions, outlines strategies to secure leadership buy-in for member and community engagement, and shares tips to address common concerns regarding engagement efforts.
Community Advisory Boards: A Close Look at One Strategy for Engaging MassHealth Members in Program and Policy Decisions
Details practical recommendations for designing and implementing effective Community Advisory Boards within MassHealth, which can also inform other states.
Strategies for Meaningfully Engaging MassHealth Members to Inform Program and Policy Decisions
Explores Medicaid member engagement promising practices across the country and distills from stakeholder interviews to inform MassHealth’s Medicaid member engagement strategy.
New Federal Rules on Community Member Engagement: How Medicaid Agencies Can Prepare
Outlines CMS' changes on requirements for how states conevene Medicaid member advisory groups and offers guiding principles state agencies can use to integrate Medicaid members into the policymaking and program design process effectively and equitably.
New Federal Rules for Medicaid Advisory Committees and Beneficiary Advisory Councils
Provides a high-level summary of CMS’ requirements for two new advisory groups: Medicaid Advisory Committees (MACs) and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs).
Strategies for Effective Health Equity Committees and Councils: Experiences from Safety Net Health Plans
Presents findings from a survey of safety net health plans that have implemented health equity committees and councils within their organizations.
Making Addiction Treatment More Equitable for Black People by Engaging People with Lived Experience of Substance Use Disorders
Profiles a Boston Medical Center research program aimed at addressing disparity is substance use disorder treatment among Black patients.
Beyond a Seat at the Table: Design Considerations for Effective Medicaid Community Advisory Committees
Explores key considerations for creating, running, and sustaining consumer advisory committees based on work underway in California, which can inform similar efforts in other states.
Design Recommendations for Medi-Cal Member Advisory Committee
Presents recommendations and provide feedback to help inform the design of DHCS’ Medi-Cal Member Advisory Committee.
How Do Members Experience Medicaid?
Explores the importance of member experience advisory councils, and how implementing these groups can help programs streamline operations, foster inclusivity and equality, and promote perspectives that can improve Medicaid for community members.
