Today's Law As Amended


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AB-2017 College Mental Health Services Program.(2015-2016)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Students, faculty, health practitioners, and college administrators are reporting increased rates of mental health needs by students attending public colleges in California.
(b) One in four students has a diagnosable mental illness and 40 percent of students do not seek mental health services when they need it.
(c) Eight out of 10 people who experience psychosis have their first episode between 15 and 30 years of age.
(d) The demand for mental health services by public college students far outpaces the ability of colleges to provide them. California public college campuses and higher education systems do not meet national staffing standards for psychiatric services and other mental health professionals.
(e) The lack of services directly impacts college students’ success and academic performance as well as their ability to develop socially as productive members of society.
(f) The effects of untreated mental health needs are long lasting and can include college students dropping out of school, experiencing homelessness, and dying of suicide.
(g) One in 10 college students has considered suicide and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, claiming more than 1,100 lives every year nationally.
(h) Research shows that for each dollar invested in student prevention and early intervention mental health services, California will see a return of at least $6 and up to $11 as a result of more students graduating.
(i) Under the Prevention and Early Intervention component of the Mental Health Services Act, subdivision (b) of Section 3706 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations states that at least 51 percent of the Prevention and Early Intervention Fund shall be used to serve individuals who are 25 years old or younger.
(j) Since the approval of the Mental Health Services Act in 2004, there has been limited interaction between college campuses and county mental health departments. It is the purpose of this act to foster partnerships between counties and college campuses to better address the mental health needs of their students.

SEC. 2.

 Part 3.3 (commencing with Section 5832) is added to Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

PART 3.3. College Mental Health Services Program

5832.
 This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the College Mental Health Services Program Act.
5832.1.
  Moneys shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to fund the grant program established pursuant to this part.
5832.2.
 (a) The commission shall create a grant program for public community colleges, colleges, and universities, in collaboration with county behavioral health departments, to improve access to mental health services and early identification or intervention programs. The commission shall establish grant program guidelines and shall develop a request for application (RFA). The RFA shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Eligibility standards of applicants in order to qualify to be considered for a grant award.
(2) Required program components to be included in the grant application, which may include, but are not limited to:
(A) The ability of the program to meet the needs of students that cannot be met through existing funds.
(B) The ability of the program to fund the matching component required by subdivision (f).
(C) The ability of the campus, in partnership with the local county, to establish direct linkages for students to community-based mental health services.
(D) The ability of the campus to address direct services including, but not limited to, increasing staff to student ratios and decreasing wait times.
(E) The ability to participate in evidence-based and community-defined best practice programs for mental health services improvements.
(3) Preferred program components to be included in the grant application, which may include, but are not limited to:
(A) The ability of the campus to serve underserved and vulnerable populations.
(B) The ability of the campus, in partnership with the local county, to establish direct linkages for students to community-based mental health services for which reimbursement is available through the students’ health coverage.
(C) The ability of the campus to reduce racial disparities in access to mental health services.
(D) The ability of the campus to fund mental health stigma reduction activities.
(E) The ability of the campus to provide employees and students with education and training on early identification, intervention, and referral of students with mental health needs.
(F) The ability of the campus to screen students receiving other health care services and provide linkages to services from the appropriate mental health provider based on the health insurance status of that student, for those students who are shown to have a need for services.
(G) Evidence of an existing or planned partnership between the campus and the county behavioral health department to address complex mental health needs of students based on their health insurance status and based on the extent to which there are students whose needs cannot be met through their health plan, health insurance, or Medi-Cal.
(H) Evidence of an existing or planned partnership between the campus and local safety net providers to ensure linkages to primary care and community-based mental health care, regardless of the health insurance status of the student.
(4) Articulation of grant program goals and expected outcomes.
(5) Required reporting and evaluation standards to be met by applicants that are selected for a grant award.
(6) Timelines and deadlines for grant applications and anticipated funding award determinations.
(b) Colleges, in collaboration with their local county behavioral health department, shall submit their grant application to the commission according to the guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).
(c) To the extent that an application follows the guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) and specifically states what activities shall be undertaken in accordance with those guidelines, the commission shall have the authority to approve grant programs and shall award funding.
(d) Grants may be awarded to a community college district in the California Community College system, a campus within the California State University system, or a campus within the University of California system, or a grouping of campuses within the segments.
(e) Total available grant funding to colleges by segment shall be proportional to the number of students served by that segment but, in no case shall the commission award more than five million dollars ($5,000,000) per campus, per application.
(f) Grants shall only be awarded to a campus or campuses that can show a dollar-for-dollar match of funds or another match to be determined by the commission, in consultation with the applicant, based on resources and existing mental health needs of students from the campus or campuses. Matching funds can include in-kind funds, student health fee funds after notification to the student association, and other appropriate funds as determined by the commission and pursuant to the guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).
(g) Grants shall be awarded to applicants on a competitive basis based on their ability to meet the application standards and prioritization of these standards as determined by the commission through the development of the RFA guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).
(h) Individual grant award allocations shall be expended over at least one year but not to exceed three years, as determined by the commission through the grant award process.
(i) Administrative costs associated with administering an approved program shall be limited to 5 percent of the total grant amount for any grantee. Administrative costs incurred by the commission to administer this program shall not exceed 5 percent of the total funds annually.
(j) The funding provided pursuant to this part shall not be used to supplant existing campus, state, or county funds utilized to provide mental health services.
(k) The commission shall provide technical assistance to smaller colleges and county behavioral health departments upon request during the application process to ensure equitable distribution of the grant award.
5832.3.
 (a) Community colleges, campuses in the California State University, and campuses in the University of California system that have been awarded grants pursuant to this part shall report annually on the use of grant funds to the commission and post the annual report on the use of the funds on their Internet Web sites. This report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) How grant funds and matching funds are being used.
(2) Available evaluation data, including outcomes of the campus mental health programs funded pursuant to the grant program.
(3) Program information regarding services being offered and the number of individuals being served.
(4) Plans for sustainability of mental health programming beyond the funding from this part.
(b) The campuses shall electronically submit the reports required pursuant to subdivision (a), annually, to the appropriate Chancellor’s offices and the University of California Office of the President.
5832.4.
 (a)  Upon an appropriation of funds for the purposes of this section, the commission shall contract with a public or private research university or institute in this state to evaluate the program. The commission shall develop the research design and issue a request for proposal for a contract for the evaluation, with the assistance of the Department of Finance. The commission shall develop an evaluation plan to assess the impact of the program.
(b) The commission shall submit the final research design and request for proposal required by subdivision (a) to the chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee no more 30 days prior to executing a contract for the evaluation.
(c) The commission, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, shall submit the evaluation established in subdivision (a) to the Legislature by February 1, 2019, and annually thereafter by no later than February 1 of each year, evaluating the impact of the program and providing recommendations for further implementation. The commission shall make the report available to the public and shall post the report on its Internet Web site. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A financial accounting of all funds awarded, disbursed to grant recipients, and remaining to be allocated.
(2) Available evaluation data, including outcomes of the mental health programs funded pursuant to the grant program.
(3) Program information regarding services being offered and the number of individuals being served.
(4) Plans for sustainability of mental health programming beyond the funding from the grant program.
(5) A financial accounting of all administrative expenditures by the commission.
5832.5.
 This part shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2022, deletes or extends that date.