For professionals
After you refer: what Beta does, what you'll hear, and when to check in.
The six steps after a professional referral to California ALW, the status words Beta's team uses, and when a follow-up from the referrer helps.
Once your secure referral for California's Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) lands, Beta's ALW team checks the basics and runs the state's waitlist screening. We also reach the patient or their representative directly, ALW is the patient's application, not yours. Here are the six steps and the status words we use when you ask.
Important: A referral does not by itself create eligibility, a waiver slot, facility admission or an enrollment date. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) keeps the master waitlist and controls slot release. Beta is a Care Coordination Agency (CCA), the state-listed organization that does the ALW paperwork and care planning with the applicant, and does not decide eligibility or timing. For an immediate safety issue use the protective-service channel as well; in an emergency, call 911.
The six steps
- Beta receives the secure referral. The secure form keeps records out of ordinary email.
- Beta reviews what was sent and asks for anything missing. Intake checks identity, authorization, setting, Medi-Cal status, institutional dates, care fit and county; missing pieces don't stall the referral.
- Beta contacts the applicant or their authorized representative. ALW is person-centered, so the CCA must talk with the applicant, not only the referrer.
- Beta screens the waitlist request under current DHCS policy. ALW Policy Letter 24-002 calls for screening within seven calendar days of receipt and written confirmation within three calendar days after screening, screening deadlines, not approval or slot-release deadlines.
- Waiting and readiness. Until a slot is released, keep contact details and Medi-Cal current, report any change of setting, and continue the safe interim plan. Nobody should promise a facility or a date in this stage.
- Slot release, assessment, care plan, facility and enrollment. If DHCS releases a slot, Beta coordinates the assessment, the care plan (the Individualized Service Plan, or ISP), the facility search and enrollment documents; current policy generally allows a 60-day submission period after slot notification. Each facility decides its own opening and admission.
Status words you'll hear
Within authorization and privacy limits, Beta's ALW team describes a referral with one of these statuses, not clinical detail.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Received | The secure referral arrived and is queued for review |
| Applicant contact pending | We are trying to reach the applicant or representative |
| Additional information requested | We have asked you or the applicant for something specific |
| Waitlist screening complete | The request has been screened under current DHCS policy |
| No slot released | The person is on the state's list; DHCS has not released a slot |
| Enrollment work active | A slot was released; assessment, ISP and documents are in progress |
| Facility search/fit review | We are identifying participating facilities and checking fit |
| Application package submitted | The enrollment package has gone to DHCS |
| Enrolled/transition coordinated | Enrollment is complete and the move is being coordinated |
| Closed/alternative pathway discussed | ALW is not proceeding; other options were discussed with the applicant |
When to follow up
Follow up when something has changed: you've heard nothing back, contact details or the representative change, the person enters or leaves an institution, Medi-Cal status or condition changes, or a slot notice or facility option appears. Use the secure channel, not ordinary email, for protected health information.
What to tell the family meanwhile
"The referral has been made to a Care Coordination Agency. It is not a guarantee of eligibility, a waiver slot, facility acceptance or a move-in date. Beta's team will contact you directly, and the plan for right now stays in place."
Your next step
Already referred and need to reach us? Call. Have another patient? Use the secure form.
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.