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AB-1275 Mental health services: county pilot program.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 05/17/2019 04:00 AM
AB1275:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 16, 2019
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 25, 2019
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 25, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1275

Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago

February 21, 2019

An act to add Section 5688.7 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health, and making an appropriation therefor. health.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1275, as amended, Santiago. Mental health services. services: county pilot program.
Existing law establishes a community support system to, among other things, conduct active outreach to persons who are mentally disabled and homeless to secure and maintain income, housing, food, and clothing. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature, when funds are made available, that counties ensure the delivery of long-range services and community support assistance to these persons.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to establish a 3-year pilot project to include the County of Los Angeles and up to 9 additional counties in which each participating county would be required to establish an outreach team team, comprised of county employees, to provide outreach services to homeless and at-risk individuals with a history of mental illness or substance use disorders who are unable to provide for urgently needed medical care. individuals with a history of mental illness or substance use disorders who are unable to provide for urgently needed medical care and who are homeless or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The bill would require the an outreach team to facilitate early intervention and treatment for these individuals in the least restrictive environment and to provide intensive outreach, case management, and linkage to services, including housing and treatment services. The bill would also require that persons staffing these teams be county employees. The bill would also require the department to submit, on or before July 1, 2021, and in each subsequent year for the duration of the pilot project, a report to the Legislature on the status of the pilot project and a final report to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2024. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature during the course of the pilot project, as specified. The bill would only become operative upon appropriation by the Legislature for the specific implementation and administration of the pilot program.

The bill would also appropriate $68,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Health Care Services for distribution to the counties for allocation to the county public administrator, public guardian, and public conservator in each participating county to enable those officers to better assist persons who are subject to the jurisdiction of those officers and who are gravely disabled and either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Vote: TWO_THIRDSMAJORITY   Appropriation: YESNO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 5688.7 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

5688.7.
 (a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall establish a three-year pilot project to include the County of Los Angeles and up to nine additional counties. The purpose of the pilot project shall be for each participating county to establish an outreach team to provide outreach services to individuals with a history of mental illness or substance use disorders who are unable to provide for urgently needed medical care and who are homeless or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The An outreach team shall facilitate early intervention and treatment for these individuals in the least restrictive environment and shall provide intensive outreach, case management, and linkage to services, including housing and treatment services. The All persons staffing these teams outreach teams shall be county employees.
(b) The department shall select from applicants a representative sampling of counties to include, but not be limited to, rural, urban, northern, central, and southern counties. The department shall consult and collaborate with, at a minimum, the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California to establish the criteria for selection in the pilot project, the outcome measurements of the pilot project, and the reporting criteria.
(c) The department shall, on or before July 1, 2021, within 18 months of the operative date of this section and in each subsequent year for the duration of the pilot project, report to the Legislature on the status of the pilot project and submit a final report to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2024. at the conclusion of the three-year pilot project. A report submitted pursuant to this section shall be submitted in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(d) This section shall only become operative upon appropriation by the Legislature for the specific implementation and administration of this section.

SEC. 2.

The sum of sixty-eight million dollars ($68,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of Health Care Services for distribution to the counties for allocation to the county public administrator, public guardian, and public conservator in each participating county to enable those officers to better assist persons who are subject to the jurisdiction of those officers and who are gravely disabled and either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The department shall, in consultation and collaboration with the California Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators, the California State Association of Counties, the Service Employees International Union, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, determine the formula to be used in making the allocations. Priority consideration shall be given to those counties with the highest caseload per capita.