18250.

 (a)  It is the intent of the Legislature that all counties be authorized to provide children with service alternatives to group home care through the development of expanded family-based services programs. These programs shall include individualized or “wrap-around” services, where services are wrapped around a child living with his or her birth parent, relative, adoptive parent, licensed or certified foster parent, or guardian. The wrap-around services developed under this section shall build on the strengths of each eligible child and family and be tailored to address their unique and changing needs.

(b)  It is further the intent of the Legislature that the pilot project include the following elements:

(1)  Making available to the county the state share of nonfederal reimbursement for group home placement, minus the state share, if any, of any concurrent out-of-home placement costs, for children eligible under this chapter, for the purpose of allowing the county to develop family-based service alternatives.

(2)  Enabling the county to access all possible sources of federal funds for the purpose of developing family-based service alternatives.

(3)  Encouraging collaboration among persons and entities including, but not limited to, parents, county welfare departments, county mental health departments, county probation departments, county health departments, special education local planning agencies, school districts, and private service providers for the purpose of planning and providing individualized services for children and their birth or substitute families.

(4)  Ensuring local community participation in the development and implementation of wrap-around services by county placing agencies and service providers.

(5)  Preserving and using the service resources and expertise of nonprofit providers to develop family-based and community-based service alternatives.

18251.

 As used in this chapter:

(a)  “County” means each county participating in an individualized or “wrap-around” pilot project.

(b)  “County placing agency” means a county welfare or probation department, or a county mental health department with respect to those children placed pursuant to Section 7572.5 of the Government Code.

(c)  “Eligible child” means a child who is any of the following:

(1)  A child who has been adjudicated as either a dependent or ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, 601, or 602 and who would be placed in a group home licensed by the department at a rate classification level of 12 or higher.

(2)  A child who would be voluntarily placed in out-of-home care pursuant to Section 7572.5 of the Government Code.

(3)  A child who is currently, or who would be, placed in a group home licensed by the department at a rate classification level of 12 or higher.

(d)  “Wrap-around services” means community-based intervention services that emphasize the strengths of the child and family and includes the delivery of coordinated, highly individualized unconditional services to address needs and achieve positive outcomes in their lives.

(e)  “Service allocation slot” means a specified amount of funds available to the county to pay for an individualized intensive wrap-around services package for an eligible child. A service allocation slot may be used for more than one child on a successive basis.

18252.

 Each county shall, at the county’s option, develop a county plan for intensive wrap-around services and monitor the provision of those services in accordance with the plan. This plan shall be submitted to the department for informational purposes. Where a county operates both systems of care under the Children’s Mental Health Services Act, Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) of Division 5, and wrap-around services, these plans shall be coordinated. Each county’s plan shall include all the following elements:

(a)  A process and protocol for reviewing the eligibility of children and families for service and for monitoring accessibility and availability of service to the targeted population. Children shall be determined as eligible for wrap-around services pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 18251, except that:

(1)  Once a child is determined to be eligible for wrap-around services under this chapter, he or she shall remain eligible for the time period specified in his or her individualized services plan.

(2)  A child and family participating in a family maintenance services program as described in Section 16506 and the wrap-around services program, shall not be subject to the time limitations specified in Section 16506.

(b)  A process to accept, modify, or deny proposed individualized service plans for eligible children and families.

(c)  A process for parent support, mentoring, and advocacy that ensures parent understanding of, and participation in, wrap-around services programs.

(d)  A planning and review process to support and facilitate the following principles in delivering intensive wrap-around services to eligible children and families:

(1)  Focusing on an individual child and family through the creation of service plans designed specifically to address the unique needs and strengths of each child and his or her family.

(2)  Providing services geared toward enabling children to remain in the least restrictive, most family-like setting possible.

(3)  Developing a close collaborative relationship with each child’s family in the planning and provision of wrap-around services.

(4)  Conducting a thorough, strengths-based assessment of each child and family that will form the basis for the development of the individualized intervention plan.

(5)  Designing and delivering services that incorporate the religious customs, and regional, racial, and ethnic values and beliefs of the children and families served.

(6)  Measuring consumer satisfaction to assess outcomes.

(e)  Written interagency agreements or memorandums of understanding between the county departments of mental health, social services, and probation that specify jointly provided or integrated services, staff tasks and responsibilities, facility and supply commitments, budget considerations, and linkage and referral services.

18253.

 Each county shall ensure that an evaluation of the pilot project is conducted to determine the cost and treatment effectiveness of outcomes such as family functioning and social performance, preventing placement in more restrictive environments, improving emotional and behavioral adjustments, school attendance, and academic performance for eligible children. Systems of care outcomes shall be included to the extent they are applicable to the target population.

18253.5.

 Each county shall ensure that staff participating in the pilot projects have completed training provided or approved by the department, on providing individualized wrap-around services.

18254.

 (a)  Reimbursement rates for intensive wrap-around services, under this pilot project, shall be based on the average cost of rate classification levels 12 to 14, inclusive, in each county, minus the cost, if any, of concurrent out-of-home placement of those children.

(b)  The annual maximum limit on funding available for the pilot project authorized by this chapter shall be based on the average cost, determined pursuant to subdivision (a), for the number of service allocation slots assigned to each county.

(c)  The department shall reimburse each county, for the purpose of providing intensive wrap-around services, up to 100 percent of the state share of nonfederal funds, to be matched by each county’s share of cost as established by law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, up to 100 percent of the federal funds allocated for group home placements of eligible children, at the rate authorized pursuant to subdivision (a).

(d)  State and, to the extent permitted by federal law, federal foster care funds shall remain with the administrative authority of the county welfare department, which may enter into an interagency agreement to transfer those funds, and shall be used to provide intensive wrap-around services.

(e)  General Fund costs for the provision of benefits to eligible children pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 18251 at rates authorized by subdivision (a) through the pilot project authorized by this chapter shall not exceed the costs which would otherwise have been incurred had the eligible children been placed in a group home.

18255.

 This pilot project may be extended to any county that applies to, and is granted approval, by the department. The number of service allocation slots assigned to each county shall be determined by each county and approved by the department.

18256.

 Each county shall evaluate its pilot project, prepare interim and final evaluations, and submit them to the appropriate committees of the Legislature and to the department. The interim report shall be submitted not later than six months following the start of the third year of the pilot project. The final report shall be submitted not later than six months following the end of the five-year pilot project. These reports shall assess the effectiveness of the pilot project authorized by this chapter. The reports shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:

(a)  The effectiveness of the project in reducing the level of out-of-home services required, and in reducing the average length of stay in out-of-home care.

(b)  A comparison of the cost of placement and services for children in the pilot project with the average cost of out-of-home placement for the same number of children.

(c)  The effectiveness of the pilot project in assisting children and families in attaining their service goals.

18256.5.

 At the end of a county’s pilot project, in order to prevent disruption to the child, each child remaining in the pilot project shall continue to receive all planned services specified in the child’s individualized services plan until his or her case is closed.

18257.

 This chapter shall become inoperative on October 1, 2003, and, as of April 1, 2004, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before April 1, 2004, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.