Bill Text: CA AB1352 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Community mental health services: mental health boards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-10-02 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 460, Statutes of 2019. [AB1352 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB1352-Amended.html
Bill Title: Community mental health services: mental health boards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-10-02 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 460, Statutes of 2019. [AB1352 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB1352-Amended.html
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Amended
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Senate
August 12, 2019 |
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Amended
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Senate
June 03, 2019 |
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Amended
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Assembly
April 22, 2019 |
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Amended
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Assembly
March 25, 2019 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1352
| Introduced by Assembly Member Waldron |
February 22, 2019 |
An act to amend Sections 5604, 5604.2, 5604.3, 5604.5, and 5848 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1352, as amended, Waldron.
Community mental health services: mental health boards.
Existing law, the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, governs the organization and financing of community mental health services for persons with mental disorders in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. Existing law generally requires each community mental health service to have a mental health board consisting of 10 to 15 members who are appointed by the governing body, and encourages counties to appoint individuals who have experience with and knowledge of the mental health system. Existing law specifies the duties of mental health boards, including, among other things, reviewing specified county agreements. Existing law requires a local mental health board to develop bylaws to be approved by the governing body to establish the specific number of members on the mental health board and to ensure that the composition of the mental health
board represents the demographics of the county as a whole.
This bill would require state that a mental health board to report directly serves in an advisory role to the governing body, and to have the authority would require the board to review and evaluate the local public mental health system
and advise the governing body independently from on community mental health services delivered by the local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable. The bill would revise the duties of mental health boards by, among other things, authorizing the local mental health boards to make recommendations to the governing body regarding concerns with the above-described county agreements. By imposing new duties on county mental health boards, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would encourage governing bodies to provide a budget for the local mental health board that is sufficient to facilitate the purpose, duties, and responsibilities of the local mental health board.
Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative
statute enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the continuously appropriated Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs. The act provides that the Legislature may amend that act through a bill passed by a 2/3 vote of the Legislature if the amendments are consistent with, and further the intent of, that act. The act authorizes the Legislature to add provisions to clarify its procedures and terms by majority vote.
The act requires each county mental health program to prepare a 3-year program and expenditure plan and annual updates, and requires the local mental health board to review the adopted plan or update and make recommendations to the county mental health department for revisions.
This bill would instead require the board to
make those recommendations to the local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable, and would require the local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable, to provide a an annual report of written explanations to the local governing body and the State Department of Health Care Services for any substantive recommendations made by the local mental health board that are not included in the final plan or update. By requiring local mental health agencies and local behavioral health agencies to provide a higher level of service with regard to existing duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would also include findings, declarations, and a statement of intent.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
This bill would declare that it clarifies procedures and terms of the Mental Health Services Act.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The Bronzan-McCorquodale Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 5600) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code)(the act) Code) (the act) defines California’s county mental health system, which was first established in 1968 through the Short-Doyle Act. The act requires county mental health systems to provide mental health services to children and adolescents who have a serious emotional disturbance, and adults and older adults who have a serious mental illness.
(b) This framework created local mental health advisory boards or commissions, as determined by each county, to provide community voice and input into the development and adoption of community mental health service plans, and to ensure that the county’s system of care is transparent, accountable, and responsible to the community being served.
(c) Local mental health boards or commissions are appointed by the governing body of the county (in most cases the county board of supervisors) and advise the governing body on a variety of issues related to the implementation of the community’s mental health system.
(d) Membership on local mental health boards generally ranges from 10 to 15 members, and may be as few as 5 members in counties with populations less than 80,000, and is required to include one member of the governing
body, and no fewer than one-half of membership must be consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers, who are receiving or have received mental health services.
(e) In 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63, which enacted the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), and which provided increased funding, personnel, and other resources to support county mental health programs and monitor progress toward statewide goals for children, transition age youth, adults, older adults, and families. The MHSA addresses a broad continuum of prevention, early intervention, and service needs, and the necessary infrastructure, technology, and training elements that will effectively support this system.
(f) The MHSA established the Mental Health Services
Oversight and Accountability Commission (commission) to provide vision and leadership, in collaboration with clients, their family members, and underserved communities, to ensure Californians understand mental health is essential to overall health. This commission holds public mental health systems accountable; accountable for Mental Health Services Act expenditures and programs; provides oversight for eliminating disparities; promotes wellness, recovery
recovery, and resiliency; and ensures positive outcomes for individuals living with serious mental illness and their families.
(g) The commission advises the Governor and Legislature regarding actions the state may take to improve care and services for individuals
living with mental illness. The commission consists of 16 voting members, including 4 consumers, or family members of consumers, but also includes a broader, less traditional definition of community members. Commission membership includes representatives from the mental health profession, law enforcement, educational institutions, health care service plans or insurers, and employers.
SEC. 2.
It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to do all of the following:(a) Clarify the role local mental health boards and commissions play in advising county boards of supervisors, or other related governing bodies, and local mental health agencies or local behavioral health agencies, as applicable.
(b) Strengthen and empower local mental health boards to serve their intended purpose, to provide community voice and input into the development and adoption of community mental health service plans, and to ensure that the county’s system of care is transparent, accountable, and responsible to the community being served.
(c) Increase transparency for the community to understand the reasons why substantive recommendations made by the local mental health board or commission are not included in the community mental health services plans or updates.
(d) Increase the role of nontraditional community participation on local mental health boards and commissions. In addition to the existing membership requirements, county governing bodies are encouraged to seek individuals with the experiences, knowledge, and expertise in different sectors of the community that intersect and engage with the mental health systems, such as representatives of county offices of education, hospitals, emergency departments, and law enforcement.
SEC. 3.
Section 5604 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5604.
(a) (1) Each community mental health service shall have a mental health board consisting of 10 to 15 members, depending on the preference of the county, appointed by the governing body, except that boards in counties with a population of less than 80,000 may have a minimum of five members. A county with more than five supervisors shall have at least the same number of members as the size of its board of supervisors. This section does not limit the ability of the governing body to increase the number of members above 15.(2) (A) The board shall report directly
serves in an advisory role to the governing body, and one member of the board shall be a member of the local governing body. Local mental health boards may recommend appointees to the county supervisors. The board membership should reflect the ethnic diversity of the client population in the county. county to the extent possible.
(B) Fifty percent of the board membership shall be consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers, who are receiving or have received mental health services. At least 20 percent of the total membership shall be consumers, and at least 20 percent shall be families of consumers.
(C) In addition to consumers and family members referenced in subparagraph (B), counties are encouraged to appoint individuals who have experience with and knowledge of the mental health system. This would include nontraditional members of the community that engage with individuals suffering from living with mental illness in the course of daily operations, such as representatives of the county offices of education, large and small businesses, hospitals, hospital districts,
physicians practicing in emergency departments, the city police, city police chiefs, county sheriffs, and community and nonprofit service providers.
(3) (A) In counties with a population that is less than 80,000, at least one member shall be a consumer, and at least one member shall be a parent, spouse, sibling, or adult child of a consumer, who is receiving, or has received, mental health services.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a board in a county with a population that is less than 80,000 that elects to have the
board exceed the five-member minimum permitted under paragraph (1) shall be required to comply with paragraph (2).
(b) The mental health board shall have the authority to
review and evaluate the local public mental health system, pursuant to Section 5604.2, and advise the governing body independently from on community mental health services delivered by the local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable.
(c) The term of each member of the board shall be for three years. The governing body shall equitably stagger the appointments so that approximately one-third of the appointments expire in each year.
(d) If two or more local agencies jointly establish a community mental health service pursuant to Article 1
(commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, the mental health board for the community mental health service shall consist of an additional two members for each additional agency, one of whom shall be a consumer or a parent, spouse, sibling, or adult child of a consumer who has received mental health services.
(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a member of the board or the member’s spouse shall not be a full-time or part-time county employee of a county mental health service, an employee of the State Department of Health Care Services, or an employee of, or a paid member of the governing body of, a mental health contract agency.
(2) A consumer of mental health services who has obtained employment with an employer described in paragraph (1) and who holds a position in which the consumer does not have
any interest, influence, or authority over any financial or contractual matter concerning the employer may be appointed to the board. The member shall abstain from voting on any financial or contractual issue concerning the member’s employer that may come before the board.
(f) Members of the board shall abstain from voting on any issue in which the member has a financial interest as defined in Section 87103 of the Government Code.
(g) If it is not possible to secure membership as specified in this section from among persons who reside in the county, the governing body may substitute representatives of the public interest in mental health who are not full-time or part-time employees of the county mental health service, the State Department of Health Care Services, or on the staff of, or a paid member of the governing body of, a mental health contract agency.
(h) The mental health board may be established as an advisory board or a commission, depending on the preference of the county.
SEC. 4.
Section 5604.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5604.2.
(a) The local mental health board shall do all of the following:(1) Review and evaluate the community’s public mental health needs, services, facilities, and special problems in any facility within the county or jurisdiction where mental health evaluations or services are being provided, including, but not limited to, schools, emergency departments, jails, and psychiatric facilities.
(2) Review any county agreements entered into pursuant to Section 5650. The local mental health board may make recommendations to
the governing body regarding concerns identified within these agreements.
(3) Advise the governing body and the local mental health director as to any aspect of the local mental health program. Local mental health boards may request assistance from the grand jury or local patients’ rights advocates when reviewing and advising on mental health evaluations or services provided in public facilities with limited access, such as county jails. access.
(4) Review and approve the procedures used to ensure
citizen and professional involvement at all stages of the planning process. Involvement shall include individuals with lived experience of mental illness and their families, community members, advocacy organizations, and mental health professionals. It shall also include other professionals that interact with individuals suffering from living with mental illnesses on a daily basis, such as education, emergency services, employment, health care, housing, law enforcement, local business owners, social services, seniors, transportation, and veterans.
(5) Submit an annual report to the governing body on the needs and performance of the county’s mental health system.
(6) Review and make
recommendations on applicants for the appointment of a local director of mental health services. The board shall be included in the selection process prior to the vote of the governing body.
(7) Review and comment on the county’s performance outcome data and communicate its findings to the California Behavioral Health Planning Council.
(8) This part does not limit the ability of the governing body to transfer additional duties or authority to a mental health board.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that, as part of its duties pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall assess the impact of the realignment of services from the state to the county, on services delivered to clients and on the local community.
SEC. 5.
Section 5604.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5604.3.
(a) The board of supervisors may pay from any available funds the actual and necessary expenses of the members of the mental health board of a community mental health service incurred incident to the performance of their official duties and functions. The expenses may include travel, lodging, childcare, and meals for the members of an advisory board while on official business as approved by the director of the local mental health program.(b) Governing bodies are encouraged to provide a budget for the local mental health board, using planning and administrative revenues identified in subdivision (c) of Section 5892, that is sufficient to facilitate the purpose, duties, and responsibilities of the local mental health
board.
SEC. 6.
Section 5604.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5604.5.
The local mental health board shall develop bylaws to be approved by the governing body which shall do all of the following:(a) Establish the specific number of members on the mental health board, consistent with subdivision (a) of Section 5604.
(b) Ensure that the composition of the mental health board represents and reflects the diversity and demographics of the county as a whole, to the extent feasible.
(c) Establish that a quorum be one person more than one-half of the appointed members.
(d) Establish that the chairperson of the mental health board
be in consultation with the local mental health director.
(e) Establish that there may be an executive committee of the mental health board.
SEC. 7.
Section 5848 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5848.
(a) Each three-year program and expenditure plan and update shall be developed with local stakeholders, including adults and seniors with severe mental illness, families of children, adults, and seniors with severe mental illness, providers of services, law enforcement agencies, education, social services agencies, veterans, representatives from veterans organizations, providers of alcohol and drug services, health care organizations, and other important interests. Counties shall demonstrate a partnership with constituents and stakeholders throughout the process that includes meaningful stakeholder involvement on mental health policy, program planning, and implementation, monitoring, quality improvement, evaluation, and budget allocations. A draft plan and update shall be prepared and circulated for review and comment for at least 30 days to representatives of stakeholder interests and any interested party who has requested a copy of the draft plans.(b) The mental health board established pursuant to Section 5604 shall conduct a public hearing on the draft three-year program and expenditure plan and annual updates at the close of the 30-day comment period required by subdivision (a). Each adopted three-year program and expenditure plan and update shall include any substantive written recommendations for revisions. The adopted three-year program and expenditure plan or update shall summarize and analyze the recommended revisions. The mental health board shall review the adopted plan or update and make recommendations to the local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable, for revisions. The local mental health agency or local behavioral health agency, as applicable, shall provide a
an annual report of written explanations to the local governing body and the State Department of Health Care Services for any substantive recommendations made by the local mental health board that are not included in the final plan or update.
(c) The plans shall include reports on the achievement of performance outcomes for services pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) funded by the Mental Health Services Fund and established jointly by the State Department of Health Care Services and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, in collaboration with the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California.
(d) Mental health services provided pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800) and Part 4 (commencing with Section
5850) shall be included in the review of program performance by the California Behavioral Health Planning Council required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 5772 and in the local mental health board’s review and comment on the performance outcome data required by paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 5604.2.
(e) The department shall annually post on its internet website a summary of the performance outcomes reports submitted by counties if clearly and separately identified by counties as the achievement of performance outcomes pursuant to subdivision (c).
(f) For purposes of this section, “substantive recommendations made by the local mental health board” means any recommendation that is brought before the board and approved by a majority vote of the membership present at a public
hearing of the local mental health board that has established its quorum.
