Bill Text: CA SB12 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 12 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Mental health services: youth.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - August 30 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB12 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB12-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate May 17, 2019

Amended IN Senate February 19, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 12

Introduced by Senators Beall and Portantino
(Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Berman, Carrillo, Diep, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Lackey, Maienschein, Robert Rivas, and Wicks)

December 03, 2018

An act to add Part 3.35 (commencing with Section 5833) to Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 12, as amended, Beall. Mental health services: youth.

Existing law, the Children’s Mental Health Services Act, establishes an interagency system of care for the delivery of mental health services to seriously emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and their families. 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, also funds a system of county mental health plans for the provision of mental health services, as specified. Existing law provides for the operation and administration of various mental health programs by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.

This bill would require the commission, subject to ~~the availability of funds for these purposes,~~ an appropriation, to administer an Integrated Youth Mental Health Program for purposes of establishing local centers to provide integrated youth mental health services, as specified. The bill would authorize the commission to establish the core components of the program, subject to specified criteria, and would require the commission to develop the selection criteria and process for awarding funding to local entities for these purposes. The bill would authorize the commission to implement these provisions by means of an informational letter, bulletins, or similar instructions.

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

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

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Adolescence and young adulthood, from 12 to 25 years of age, comprise a critical developmental period in a person’s life. The brain is highly malleable, so forming healthy habits of mind and body can have a powerful, lifelong impact on the overall wellness of each child. Recent research demonstrates how especially important it is to establish this foundation during adolescence and young adulthood.

(2) One-half of adolescents meet the criteria for a mental disorder at some point in their lives.

(3) Seventy-nine percent of youth and young adults with mental health issues do not access care.

(4) Seventeen percent of students seriously considered attempting suicide in prior years.

(5) Twenty percent of youth abuse alcohol on a monthly basis.

(6) Rates of youth marijuana use have reached the highest levels in history.

(b) Further complicating the critical mental health service crisis for young people is the reality that most adolescents and young adults are reluctant to seek help for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Lack of awareness and understanding of mental illness.

(2) Stigma associated with mental illness.

(3) Lack of age-appropriate, youth-friendly mental health services.

(4) Concerns about confidentiality and embarrassment in disclosing mental health concerns.

(5) Doubts about the effectiveness of the treatment available.

(6) Lack of affordable services and inadequate transportation to service locations.

SEC. 2.

Part 3.35 (commencing with Section 5833) is added to Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

PART 3.35. Integrated Youth Mental Health Program

5833.

(a) There is hereby established the Integrated Youth Mental Health Program.

(b) The objective of this program is to establish, throughout the State of California, centers that provide integrated mental health, substance use, physical health, social support, and other services for youths 12 years of age to 25 years of age, inclusive, and their families. The program is intended to approach youth wellness in an innovative, comprehensive, and youth-friendly way, reaching adolescents and young adults in clinical sites, online, in schools, or other venues.

(c) Subject to ~~the availability of funds for these purposes,~~ an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or any other statute for purposes of this section, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission shall administer the Integrated Youth Mental Health Program. Counties, counties acting jointly, cities, or other local entities, as determined by the commission, are eligible to receive funds from the commission pursuant to this section.

(d) The commission shall establish core components of the program, which may include the following:

(1) Youth-informed design for integrated youth mental health services.

(2) A focus that supports individuals with mental health needs, including mild to moderate mental health issues, anxiety, and depression.

(3) A one-stop site for access to integrated care services, including mental health, physical health, substance use, and educational, vocational, and peer support.

(4) Accessibility, such that the services will be affordable, destigmatizing, appealing to youth, and confidential pursuant to existing state and federal laws.

(5) Staff that includes, but is not limited to, psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, substance use treatment counselors, peer and family support, and others.

(6) A focus on vulnerable and marginalized youth including, but not limited to, LGBTQ, homeless, and indigenous youth.

(e) The commission shall develop selection criteria and the process for awarding the funding. At a minimum, the commission may consider the following factors when selecting recipients and determining the amount of grant awards:

(1) Description of need, including potential gaps in local services.

(2) Description of the funding request and how it will be used to facilitate the objectives and anticipated outcomes.

(3) Ability to measure key outcomes, including improved access to mental health services.

(4) Ability to obtain federal Medicaid reimbursement, when applicable.

(5) Ability to provide additional funding support to the project, including public or private funding, grants, foundation support, and other collaborative efforts.

(6) Ability to sustain the project.

(7) Level of community engagement and commitment to the project.

(8) Level of youth involvement in designing and implementing the project.

(9) Geographic areas or regions of the state, including rural, suburban, and urban areas.

(f) Funds awarded by the commission to eligible local entities under this section shall, at the discretion of the commission, be for a period of five years. The commission shall determine the funding level for each program and has discretion to consider the level of need, population to be served, and related criteria, as described in subdivision (d).

(g) Funds awarded by the commission for purposes of this section may be used to supplement, but not supplant, existing financial and resource commitments of a county, counties acting jointly, or a city mental health department that receives a grant under this section.

(h) A reasonable percentage of the total annual funding shall be reserved for the commission to expend on administrative, research and evaluation, and technical assistance costs.

(1) The commission shall develop a strategy for monitoring implementation of the program.

(2) The commission shall develop a strategy for technical assistance, support, and evaluation to support the successful implementation of the objectives of the program.

(i) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission, without taking regulatory action, may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of informational letters, bulletins, or similar instructions.