Molly Brassil
Molly Brassil
Senior Vice President
Molly Brassil, MSW, supports Medicaid and behavioral health policy at Aurrera Health, with a focus on delivery system improvement and integration. She provides strategic guidance across projects in California and nationally, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in health policy.
Before joining Aurrera Health, Molly was the director of public policy at the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, where she led advocacy to shape implementation of the Affordable Care Act and improve access to behavioral health services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. She collaborated with state and county leaders to develop the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System, the first Section 1115 Medicaid waiver of its kind. Earlier, she worked at the California Primary Care Association, where she advanced licensing and regulatory reforms to support community health center growth and behavioral health integration.
Molly began her career as a direct service provider, working in community clinics, youth outreach, a range of social services, and diversion programs. She lives in Northern California and enjoys exploring the outdoors.
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Education
Master of Social Work, California State University, Sacramento
Bachelor of Arts in Global/International Studies & Anthropology
The health care system is moving toward acknowledging substance use disorders (SUD) as chronic illnesses, yet only about 10% of people with an SUD in the last year received treatment.
Prepared for the DHCS and CDSS CalAIM Workgroup, this report explores ways to better integrate services, provide a single contact for children, and ensure access to specialty care in the child welfare system.
Launched in 2015, the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) is nation’s first Medicaid Section 1115 waiver to expand access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services.
The State of California is midway through a five-year effort to dramatically expand, improve, and reorganize Medi-Cal’s system for treating people with substance use disorders (SUDs).
By Jennifer Ryan, Vice President; Tanya Schwartz, Director, Medicaid Policy; and Molly Brassil, Director, Behavioral Health Policy
One would need to be completely “off the grid” to not be aware of the opioid crisis that has overtaken the country. Alarming and heart wrenching stories about the surprising range of victims of the substance use epidemic top the news headlines on a daily basis. The death rate due to drug overdoses has exceeded car accidents as the leading cause of death among adults under age 50 – since 2000, the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (opioid pain relievers and heroin) has increased by 200%.
Stephen Palacino
I've worked in marketing and design for 18+ years, and even met my wife (also a graphic designer) while working at an ad agency. She is my balance. We now have two young children and are finally learning the value of sleep.