Assessment & Referral
Access to Care
Ventura County Behavioral Health provides services for Medi-Cal, underinsured, or uninsured individuals, including children, youth, families, adults, and older adults, for prevention, early intervention, and treatment of mental illness and/or substance use conditions. Treating the whole person to achieve wellness and recovery. Providing integrated and culturally sensitive services.
If you are seeking care for yourself, a loved one, or someone you know, our VCBH Team will walk you through the initial steps to support with appropriate linkage to services. They will offer information regarding behavioral health treatment options that are available in our county and provide a brief screening to determine appropriate level of care.
Individuals that meet the criteria for specialty mental health services will be referred to one of our VCBH outpatient clinics.
If it is determined through the initial screening that non specialty mental health services are indicated, referrals are given to your Managed Care Plan (MCP) provider or community programs.
To access mental health services or for immediate help, please call 1-866-998-2243.
To access substance use services (SUS), please call our Access Line at 1-844-385-9200.
For additional information, please learn more about the DMC-ODS Waiver.
Provider Referrals for Specialty Mental Health Services
- Post Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Crisis Stabilization Unit, or Crisis Residential Facility
(to view this document, please download the file to your computer and open it in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat – do not open it in your internet browser) - Referral Form for VCBH Services
(to view this document, please download the file to your computer and open it in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat – do not open it in your internet browser)
For use in referring individuals with significant mental health impairments/risk of significant mental health deterioration. Additional eligibility criteria available here, per the California Department of Health Care Services.
Presumptive Transfers
For information and services related to AB 1299 Presumptive Transfer of Medi-Cal for Specialty Mental Health Services for foster children, or to provide presumptive transfer notifications, please contact the Behavioral Health Care Coordination program at VCBHCareCoordination@ventura.org.
