Bill Text: CA AB2804 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 2804 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Substance use disorder treatment workforce expansion.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-25 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2804 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB2804-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2804

Introduced by Assembly Member Waldron

February 16, 2018

An act to repeal and add Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 11998) of Division 10.6 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to substance use disorder.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2804, as introduced, Waldron. Substance use disorder treatment workforce expansion.

Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate substance use disorder programs and facilities, as specified, and provides various programs for education about and treatment of substance use disorders.

This bill would state the Legislature’s long-range goals through the creation of one-year and five-year plans to expand the substance use disorder treatment workforce in California to aid in the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. The bill would set out one-year goals for school districts, the California State University system, the University of California, the community college system, and the department. The bill would also set out five-year plans to be created by the department, in collaboration with other state agencies, including coordination with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OHSPD) to administer grants, stipends, and loan repayment programs for counselors, peers, and licensed professionals who enroll in addiction-related coursework, with special emphasis on applicants who are able to fill identified cultural, linguistic, and geographic shortage areas.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2023, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2024.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 11998) of Division 10.6 of the Health and Safety Code is repealed.

SEC. 2.

Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 11998) is added to Division 10.6 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

CHAPTER 1. Substance Use Disorder Treatment Workforce Expansion Goals

11998.

This chapter sets forth the state’s long-range goals through the creation of one-year and five-year plans to expand the substance use disorder treatment workforce in California to aid in the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. The goals of this chapter are advisory, but it is the intent of the Legislature that the goals be addressed, to the extent possible, by each county and by the State Department of Health Care Services and other state agencies. These advisory goals do not amend the existing law. Implementation of the one-year and five-year plans are subject to the budget review process.

11998.1.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the following one-year goals be achieved:

(a) Each school district with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, reports all of the following:

(1) The number of paid and volunteer hours used by the district for the 2016–17 fiscal year for alcohol and drug use prevention activities.

(2) The budget allocation for the 2016–17 fiscal year spent for alcohol and drug education and use prevention activities.

(3) Official policies regarding district rules for employing alcohol and drug use prevention professionals and substance use disorder treatment professionals.

(b) The California State University system, the University of California, and the California Community College system report all of the following:

(1) The number of paid and volunteer hours used by the entity for the 2016–17 fiscal year for alcohol and drug use prevention activities.

(2) The actual budget allocation for the 2016–17 fiscal year spent for alcohol and drug education and use prevention activities.

(3) Official policies regarding rules for employing alcohol and drug use prevention professionals and substance use disorder treatment professionals.

(1) Conduct a statewide needs assessment report to evaluate the current state of the substance use disorder workforce in each county, while focusing on substance use disorder services provided to youth.

(2) Conduct a quality assessment for addiction treatment, prevention, and integrated workforces that includes a sunrise review for addiction counselors.

(3) Require that certifying organizations approved by the department formalize a career ladder for addiction professionals that encompasses registrants through master’s level counselors.

(4) In consultation with approved certifying organizations, adopt standards for peer specialists and intervention specialists, so that those specialists can be included in regulations for certifying organizations.

11998.2.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the following five-year plans be created by the State Department of Health Care Services, in collaboration with other state agencies:

(a) A plan for a statewide Medi-Cal incentive program for federally qualified health centers and other Medi-Cal providers to implement and widely utilize the new Facilitating Change for Excellence in SBIRT (FaCES) adolescent tool in the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) practice.

(b) A plan to implement fee waivers to help individuals in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs to cover costs related to certification and testing for positions in the substance use disorder treatment profession.

(c) Coordination with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OHSPD) to administer grants, stipends, and loan repayment programs for counselors, peers, and licensed professionals who enroll in addiction-related coursework, with special emphasis on applicants who are able to fill identified cultural, linguistic, and geographic shortage areas.

(1) Applicants shall commit to working in underserved areas for at least one year.

(2) Incentives may be provided to currently licensed professionals seeking additional education for the provision of substance use disorder treatment services.

(3) Incentives may be used for community college undergraduate, post graduate, and vocational schools.

(d) A plan for the start up, training, and ongoing operation for participation in an ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) program.

(e) Develop a long-range plan for providing funding to compensate for provider time to encourage the use of ECHO programs.

(f) A plan for the implementation of extended behavioral health and substance use disorder training for licensed and certified providers in underserved and rural areas.

(g) A plan for implementing substance use disorder training programs in communities that were disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs to become peers, counselors, and community health workers and promotores.

(h) Review of the strategies for obtaining funding for clinics in underserved areas to utilize peers, community health workers, and promotores.

(i) Development of a structured English learner counselor development career path that takes into account the need to effectively communicate clinically.

(j) A plan to encourage the development of a variety of alternate language curricula for clinical and nonclinical professionals, including counselors, peers, navigators, and community health workers.

(k) In conjunction with national and state organizations, develop a matrix to assess a substance use disorder treatment program’s ability to address both sexual orientation and gender identification issues of individuals receiving services.

(l) Create staff certification goals for each county and develop a methodology for factoring increases in staff budgets to account for increases in salaries to support these levels via future Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) waiver provisions.

(m) Create a plan for a statewide education and training program for medication assisted treatment (MAT) training that would increase the number of counselors and licensed professionals with a specialty certification in MAT.