123613.
(a) (1) The department shall allocate funds to participating local health departments to administer the California Home Visiting Program.(2) Funding allocations shall balance the need to spread funding to as many local health departments as possible and the need to ensure sufficient funding for meaningful activities, and shall be determined in collaboration with the organizations representing local health department directors, local health officers,
and other affected stakeholders.
(b) In awarding funds pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall authorize local health departments to implement home visiting model or models as follows:
(1) Administer one of the evidence-based models approved by the department and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families.
(2) Request the department’s approval of an alternative
home visiting model that prioritizes the unique needs of individuals in the city, county, or city and county served by the local health department.
(3) Administer one or more
of the models outlined in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(c) (1) In awarding funds pursuant to subdivision (a), the department may also authorize local health departments to supplement home visiting with mental health support.
(2) If the local health department administers a model that offers mental health support, the local health department shall adhere to the model guidelines, but may supplement the model with additional mental health support.
(3) If the local health department administers a model that does not offer mental health support, the local health department may supplement the model with mental health support.
(4) Mental health supports include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(A) Implementing evidence-based approaches for supporting the mental health of program recipients, including programs aimed at reducing the risk of postpartum depression or programs that embed mental health support into home visits.
(B) Providing mental health training for local health department staff engaging in home visits.
(C) Providing mental health screenings and referrals for program recipients.
(D) Hosting family events to strengthen family engagement and promoting peer support among program participants.
(d) The department may provide funding to local health departments that did not participate in the California Home Visiting Program, as originally established by the department before the enactment of this article, to support planning activities for future participation in the California Home Visiting Program, as established by this article.
(e) The department shall implement the following phased
approach for increasing the number of evidence-based models, as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), beyond the models offered as of July 1, 2023, based on local health department assessments of their community needs and in collaboration with organizations representing local health department directors:
(1) Incorporate at least one new model by January 1, 2025.
(2) (A) To the extent that the Legislature appropriates new funding for the California Home Visiting Program, the department shall collaborate with organizations representing local health department directors to determine the number of new models to be incorporated.
(B) If the department does not incorporate at least two new models with each funding augmentation, the department shall include the process conducted to make that
determination in the report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to subdivision (j).
(f) (1) The department shall seek to maximize funds from the federal government, including, but not limited to, funds provided under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396 et seq.), for the purposes of this article.
(2) Notwithstanding the
provisions of this section, to the extent that federal funding is provided for these purposes, the department shall only authorize the use of those federal funds in a manner that complies with applicable federal requirements.
(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department, without taking regulatory action, shall implement, interpret, or make specific this article by means of policy letters. The department shall collaborate with affected stakeholders, including the
organizations representing local health department directors, First 5 California, home visiting model developers, and home visiting program advocates before acting pursuant to this subdivision. The department shall publicly post policy letters on the department’s internet website.
(h) (1) Implementation of this article shall be contingent upon funding appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose.
(2) This article does not apply to funding provided to the state under the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program administered by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
(i) As used in this section, “local health department” has the same meaning as provided in Section 101185.
(j) (1) The department shall submit a report every two years to the Senate Committee on Health and the Assembly Committee on Health on performance outcomes for the California Home Visiting Program participants in all of the following domains:
(A) Maternal and newborn health.
(B) Child injuries, abuse, neglect, and maltreatment and emergency department visits.
(C) School readiness and achievement.
(D) Crime or domestic violence.
(E) Family economic self-sufficiency.
(F) Coordination and referrals for other community resources and supports.
(2) The legislative report shall present data in the aggregate and by home visiting model, but in no way shall data within the report reveal individual participant identities.