CHAPTER
1.5. California Department of _____ Community Living
9050.
(a) There is hereby established, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, the California Department of _____. Community Living. The department shall consolidate leadership on issues and programs serving California’s older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.(b) The department shall realize California’s commitment to person-centered, coordinated service delivery for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in order to strengthen access to home and
community-based services and enable individuals of all ages to live with dignity and independence.
(c) The department shall provide leadership, policy development, and technical assistance to the programs within its jurisdiction while also advocating across state departments for the needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
(d) The timeline and implementation provisions for the Department of Community Living shall be further established, as appropriate, as a component of any master plan for aging established by the state.
9050.5.
(a) The department shall establish a statewide No Wrong Door (NWD) system to support seamless access to information regarding available long-term services and supports, building upon the standards established through the Aging and Disability Resource Connection program.(b) The purpose of the NWD system shall be to assist older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in obtaining accurate information and timely referrals to appropriate community services and supports through all of the following means:
(1) A universal assessment process.
(2) Information and referral services.
(3) Person-centered options counseling concerning available programs for long-term services and supports and public and private benefits.
(4) Short-term service coordination.
(5) Transition services from hospitals to home and from skilled nursing facilities to the community.
9051.
The department shall assist older adults and people with disabilities in connecting to services needed through provision of care coordination, health insurance counseling, peer-based programs, and community transition services through the following programs:(a) The Multipurpose Senior Services Program.
(b) The Linkages Program.
(c) The California Community Transitions Project (Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration).
(d) Independent living center transition programs.
(e) Independent living center assistive technology programs.
(f) The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program.
(g) The California State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
9052.
The department shall provide leadership in enhancing and streamlining access to the following home and community-based services, including those services that are currently overseen by other state departments:(a) Community-based adult services.
(b) Independent living centers.
(c) The Traumatic Brain Injury program.
(d) The Older Individuals who are Blind program.
(e) Assistive technology programs.
(f) Services authorized under the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, including but not limited to, both of the following:
(1) Nutritional programs, including congregate feeding programs and home-delivered meals.
(2) Family Caregiver Support Program.
(g) Assisted Living Waiver program.
(h) Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver.
(i) Caregiver resource centers.
(j) Home and Community-Based Services programs, including the Foster Grandparent Program, the Senior Companion Program, Alzheimer’s day care resource centers, respite
services, and the Brown Bag program.
9053.
The department shall assist the following entities in carrying out their mandated duties and responsibilities to be an advocate for the needs of California’s older adults and people with disabilities:(a) The California Commission on Aging.
(b) The State Independent Living Council.
(c) The Assistive Technology Advisory Committee.
(d) The California Senior Legislature.
9054.
The department shall allocate funding through a number of mechanisms to programs identified by the department that link individuals to the right services at the right time.9055.
(a) The department shall provide block grants to area agencies on aging to provide services through programs authorized under the Home and Community-Based Services program, with a goal of ensuring that local needs are met in accordance with the area plans.(b) An area agency on aging that receives a block grant pursuant to this section shall have the discretion to allocate funds to the following programs in amounts to be determined by the area agency on aging based on local need:
(1) The Alzheimer’s day care resource center.
(2) The
Brown Bag program.
(3) The Linkages Program.
(4) The Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs.
9056.
The department shall continue funding for independent living centers based on current levels as of January 1, 2020, and as written in the State Plan for Independent Living, while working to secure additional funding sources to meet the needs of the local community and underserved populations. Independent living center programs include housing, personal assistant services, assistive technology, information and referral, peer support, individual and systems change advocacy, independent living skills training, youth transition, transition, and diversion.9057.
The department shall increase access to the Aging and Disability Resource Connections program to streamline local service delivery through funding, technical assistance, and coordination with area agencies on aging and independent living centers.