Plain-language ALW guide
What a care coordination agency does, and why you'll need one.
You cannot apply for the Assisted Living Waiver without a Care Coordination Agency. What a CCA does, what it cannot decide, how to choose one, and why Beta.
You can't apply for the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) on your own. The state requires you to work through a Care Coordination Agency (CCA), the state-listed organization that does the ALW paperwork and care planning with you. Think of it as your guide and case manager. It checks eligibility, does the nurse assessment, writes your care plan, helps you find a home, and checks in every month after you move. You choose which agency. Beta is one.
What your CCA does, in three moments
Before your opening is released. Your CCA takes your waitlist request, screens it for basic eligibility and priority group, sends it to the state, confirms it to you in writing, and keeps your records current so you're ready. How the waitlist works.
When your opening (the state calls it a slot) is released. Your CCA confirms your full-scope Medi-Cal with no monthly share of cost, sends a nurse to do the ALW assessment and level of care, writes your care plan (the ISP) with you, helps you choose a home that takes ALW, collects the forms, and submits the enrollment package to the state. What happens after a slot opens.
After you move in. Your care coordinator visits or contacts you every month, watches that the services in your plan are actually happening, reassesses when your needs change, works with the home and your doctors, and helps you raise a complaint or change agencies if you ever want to. Life after enrollment.
Important: A CCA does not control when the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) releases a slot, cannot guarantee approval, and cannot require a home to admit anyone. You choose your CCA and you can change your mind later, that freedom of choice is built into the program. Beta's ALW team can tell you honestly which stage you're in and what we're waiting on; we can't promise a slot, a date or a placement.
Who decides what
Your CCA leads the care plan and the monthly check-ins; the home decides admission and provides the day-to-day care; your doctors treat medical conditions; DHCS releases slots. How ALW works shows the full who-does-what table.
How to choose a CCA
Any CCA on the state's list for your county can be yours. Ask the agency these five questions first.
- Which counties do you serve, and how do I reach your intake team?
- How do you screen a waitlist request, and how will I know where I stand?
- How do the assessment and enrollment work, and who will I be talking to?
- How do you help me compare homes while leaving the choice to me?
- How do the monthly check-ins work, and what do I do if I have a complaint?
Don't choose a CCA because it promises to skip the waitlist or guarantee a home. No agency can, and the promise itself is a warning sign.
Can I switch?
Yes, at any time. DHCS provides a Change of Care Coordination Agency form, and the switch itself isn't meant to alter or interrupt your benefits. How to change your CCA.
Why families choose Beta
- We explain things straight, which stage you're in, what we're waiting on, and what we can't control.
- We help you compare homes without steering you: no home gets a better word from us because it partners with Beta.
- We keep showing up after move-in, every month.
Beta coordinates ALW care in all fifteen ALW counties. See ALW by county.
Your next step
Talk with Beta's ALW team about your situation, wherever you are in the process. Referring a patient or client? Use the secure referral form instead.
Official sourcesChecked against the official sources
Use the official sources below to confirm time-sensitive program details.
This page provides general California ALW information. It is not an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it is not a guarantee of facility placement. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating facility.