November 5, 2026
Following are this week’s updates. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].
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Off-Cycle Maintenance Nov. 8: VPN Connections Only, No SmartCare Downtime
Streamline will apply a set of security updates overnight from midnight to 2 a.m. Nov. 8, ahead of the next scheduled maintenance window. SmartCare will stay available during that time, and no downtime is expected. Users will be able to log in and work as usual.
The maintenance will affect only backend access and connections that run over VPN. For about two hours, the following may be unavailable:
- Rx e-prescribing integration (CalMHSA Rx will not be affected)
- Lab interfaces
- Other integrations or connections that rely on VPN
The updates will help keep SmartCare data secure and available. Counties are asked to plan accordingly and notify staff as needed. Questions or concerns can be directed to the help desk.
CalMHSA and Help Desk Closed Nov. 11
CalMHIN, CalMHISA,and the EHR Help Desk will be closed for the Veteran’s Day Holiday on Nov. 11.
Per 30 Charge Type Rounding Corrected
An issue was identified with the Per 30 charge type, which calculates units and procedure rates for procedures measured in 30-minute units of service. Services were rounding up when the midpoint was 14 minutes or more, instead of 16 minutes or more.
The issue was corrected in CalMHSA production and applied to all county environments, Nov. 4.
CalMHSA will review data across counties to identify services that may have generated an incorrect number of units. Affected counties will be contacted directly.
ISL Encounter Reporting Update: Ready for QA Testing
Updates to the ISL Encounter Reporting screen deployed to QA systems on Nov. 3. The updates address the processing issue and add some other functionality, allowing counties to test the data extraction process.
Testing will require ISL encounters (services) in the county’s QA system. Counties that have not refreshed their QA environment or entered any ISL encounters are asked to do so first. Entering ISL services does not rely on this screen, since ISL encounters are entered like all other services: through direct service entry (service note or service detail screen), batch service entry, or batch service upload.
CalMHSA has updated the knowledge base article on using the ISL Encounter Reporting screen. The ISL protocol now includes a Sys Admin User Guide in PDF that explains the process and mappings in more detail. The screen will also be reviewed during the next ISL in SmartCare Office Hours, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to noon.
Reminder: Request ISL Code Assignment to Programs for Jan. 1 Go-Live
To be ready for the Jan.1, 2027, ISL go-live, counties interested in CalMHIN’s ISL Code Assignment to Programs service should initiate the process as soon as possible. The ISL Code Assignment to Programs: Deployment Timeline outlines the anticipated steps, responsible parties, and estimated timeframes for completing the work.
To start the process, counties are asked to:
- Go to the CalMHSA Customer Ticket Portal.
- Select “Submit Support Ticket.”
- Choose “ISL Configuration” from the Ticket Category dropdown menu.
- Attach the completed Program Inventory to the ticket. The process cannot begin without it.
Timeline Considerations
- Counties will need to review and finalize the Program Inventory and sign off on the QA instance before production deployment can proceed.
- Each step depends on the timely completion of the step before it, so a delay at any stage could delay the overall process and affect readiness for the Jan. 1 go-live.
- Holidays and planned staff time off should be factored into county timelines.
Questions or requests for assistance can be directed to the ISL Support Team through the ticketing system.
Demographic Cleanup Updates
CalMHIN ran a secondary cleanup script to address the outstanding issues from the original script, which left deleted global codes showing on client reports and documents. This script was run in production systems Oct. 30, and deleted global codes should no longer appear on reports or documents. Counties that continue to see them can submit a ticket through the help desk.
CARE Act v2.1 Data Extraction Updates
Version 2.1 file extraction updates were applied to production environments on Nov. 2. Together with form updates delivered in September, they complete the v2.1 upgrade by adding v2.1 data fields to the CARE Act Reporting List Page.
As a reminder, the List Page will now enforce v2.1 logic for reporting periods starting July 1, 2026. It will include both v2.0 and v2.1 details, but only the v2.1 fields needed for state submission will be exported.
Compass Corner: 11 Dashboard Enhancements Now Live
CalMHSA implemented 11 dashboard enhancements that came directly from county ideas. Several went live in the past two months, with improvements to the Timely Access & Documentation, Housing, and Services & Demographics dashboards. The Change Log tab on any dashboard lists what is new.
Six Compass dashboards are live:
- Services & Demographics
- Fiscal Insights
- Access to Care
- Housing
- Timely Access & Documentation
- ASCMI
CalMHSA is available to meet with counties to walk through the dashboards with their users or to check in. Sessions can be scheduled by contacting Leah Hanzlicek at [email protected].
Compass Power Users (CPUs): Those who expressed interest in joining the new group of Compass subject matter experts will receive an email invitation to kickoff sessions this month.
Counties not yet using Compass can email [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming Initiatives
See the EHR Product Team’s upcoming initiatives in this list, updated as products and priorities evolve.
CalMHSA EHR Initiative Report 11-5-26.
Events Calendar
To register for events, visit the events page.