Bill Text: CA SB130 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Veterans: mental health.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB130 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB130-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 130 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 16, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senator Roth
JANUARY 22, 2015
An act to amend Section 5600.3 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to mental health. 987.005
of the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 130, as amended, Roth. Mental Health.
Veterans: mental health.
Existing law, the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Act
of 2014, requires the California Housing Finance Agency, the
Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department
of Veterans Affairs to establish and implement programs to assist
veterans at risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or
chronic homelessness. Existing law, as added by Proposition 41 on the
June 3, 2014, statewide primary election, authorizes the state to
sell $600,000,000 in general obligation bonds to fund affordable
multifamily housing for low-income and homeless veterans, as
specified. Proposition 41 authorizes the Legislature to amend its
provisions for purposes of improving efficiency, effectiveness, and
accountability, or for the purpose of furthering overall program
costs, by a majority vote.
This bill would require the California Housing Finance Agency, the
Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department
of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant process to provide grants to
entities that provide supportive services as part of housing
programs established under the Veterans Housing and Homelessness
Prevention Act of 2014. The bill would provide that implementation of
this grant process would be subject to appropriation by the
Legislature.
Existing law requires every county to establish a community mental
health service. Existing law requires cities and counties to use
specified funds to establish and maintain a local health and welfare
trust fund. To the extent resources are available, existing law
directs that the primary goal of the use of the mental health account
in that trust fund is to serve specified populations.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those
provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 987.005 of the
Military and Veterans Code is amended to read:
987.005. (a) The departments shall establish and implement
programs pursuant to the purposes of this article that focus on
veterans at risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or
chronic homelessness. To the extent feasible, the departments shall
establish and implement programs that, among other things, do the
following:
(1) Leverage public (federal, state, and local), private, and
nonprofit program and fiscal resources.
(2) Prioritize projects that combine housing and supportive
services, including, but not limited to, job training, mental health
and drug treatment, case management, care coordination, or physical
rehabilitation.
(3) Promote public and private partnerships.
(4) Foster innovative financing opportunities.
(5) Ensure program guidelines and terms provide threshold
requirements or scoring criteria, or both, to advance applicants with
experience in combining permanent or transitional housing, or both,
with supportive services for veterans, or for partnering with housing
developers or service providers with experience offering housing or
services to veterans.
(b) The departments shall ensure at least 50 percent of funds
awarded for capital development under this article provide housing to
veteran households with extremely low incomes, as defined in Section
50106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(1) In determining whether a potential tenant is eligible for
supportive, affordable, or transitional housing targeted to extremely
low income households under this provision, eligibility shall take
into consideration all of a household's income sources upon initial
tenancy.
(2) At least 60 percent of units funded targeting extremely low
income households shall be supportive housing.
(3) This section shall not deter the departments from funding
projects serving mixed-income populations.
(c) In order to implement subdivision (a) and the programs
established pursuant to this article, the departments shall establish
a grant process for purposes of funding supportive services for
veterans, including, but not limited to, job training, mental health
and drug treatment, case management, care coordination, or physical
rehabilitation. Pursuant to that grant process, the departments shall
award grants to those entities that provide supportive services for
veterans based on the efficiency and effectiveness of the supportive
services provided. Implementation of this subdivision shall be
subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
(c)
(d) The departments may review, adopt, amend, and
repeal guidelines or terms, or both, to implement this article. Any
guidelines or terms adopted to implement this article shall not be
subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(d)
(e) Nothing in this article permits the departments or
the board to purchase, operate, or manage properties except in the
event of a foreclosure on a borrower or grantee.
SECTION 1. Section 5600.3 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
5600.3. To the extent resources are available, the primary goal
of the use of funds deposited in the mental health account of the
local health and welfare trust fund should be to serve the target
populations identified in the following categories, which shall not
be construed as establishing an order of priority:
(a) (1) Seriously emotionally disturbed children or adolescents.
(2) For the purposes of this part, "seriously emotionally
disturbed children or adolescents" means minors under the age of 18
years who have a mental disorder as identified in the most recent
edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
other than a primary substance use disorder or developmental
disorder, which results in behavior inappropriate to the child's age
according to expected developmental norms.
(3) Members of this target population shall meet one or more of
the following criteria:
(A) As a result of the mental disorder, the child has substantial
impairment in at least two of the following areas: self-care, school
functioning, family relationships, or ability to function in the
community; and either of the following occur:
(i) The child is at risk of removal from home or has already been
removed from the home.
(ii) The mental disorder and impairments have been present for
more than six months or are likely to continue for more than one year
without treatment.
(B) The child displays one of the following: psychotic features,
risk of suicide, or risk of violence due to a mental disorder.
(C) The child meets special education eligibility requirements
under Chapter 26.5 (commencing with Section 7570) of Division 7 of
Title 1 of the Government Code.
(b) (1) Adults and older adults who have a serious mental
disorder.
(2) For the purposes of this part, "serious mental disorder" means
a mental disorder that is severe in degree and persistent in
duration, which may cause behavioral functioning which interferes
substantially with the primary activities of daily living, and which
may result in an inability to maintain stable adjustment and
independent functioning without treatment, support, and
rehabilitation for a long or indefinite period of time. Serious
mental disorders include, but are not limited to, schizophrenia,
bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as major
affective disorders or other severely disabling mental disorders.
This section shall not be construed to exclude persons with a serious
mental disorder and a diagnosis of substance abuse, developmental
disability, or other physical or mental disorder.
(3) Members of this target population shall meet all of the
following criteria:
(A) The person has a mental disorder as identified in the most
recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, other than a substance use disorder or developmental
disorder or acquired traumatic brain injury pursuant to subdivision
(a) of Section 4354 unless that person also has a serious mental
disorder as defined in paragraph (2).
(B) (i) As a result of the mental disorder, the person has
substantial functional impairments or symptoms, or a psychiatric
history demonstrating that without treatment there is an imminent
risk of decompensation to having substantial impairments or symptoms.
(ii) For the purposes of this part, "functional impairment" means
being substantially impaired as the result of a mental disorder in
independent living, social relationships, vocational skills, or
physical condition.
(C) As a result of a mental functional impairment and
circumstances, the person is likely to become so disabled as to
require public assistance, services, or entitlements.
(4) For the purpose of organizing outreach and treatment options,
to the extent resources are available, this target population
includes, but is not limited to, any of the following persons:
(A) Homeless persons who are mentally ill.
(B) Persons evaluated by appropriately licensed persons as
requiring care in acute treatment facilities including state
hospitals, acute inpatient facilities, institutes for mental disease,
and crisis residential programs.
(C) Persons arrested or convicted of crimes.
(D) Persons who require acute treatment as a result of a first
episode of mental illness with psychotic features.
(5) California veterans in need of mental health services and who
meet the existing eligibility requirements of this section, shall be
provided services to the extent services are available to other
adults pursuant to this section. Veterans who may be eligible for
mental health services through the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs should be advised of these services by the county
and assisted in linking to those services.
(A) No eligible veteran shall be denied county mental health
services based solely on his or her status as a veteran.
(B) Counties shall refer a veteran to the county veterans service
officer, if any, to determine the veteran's eligibility for, and the
availability of, mental health services provided by the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs or other federal health care
provider.
(C) Counties should consider contracting with community-based
veterans' services agencies, where possible, to provide high-quality,
veteran specific mental health services.
(c) Adults or older adults who require or are at risk of requiring
acute psychiatric inpatient care, residential treatment, or
outpatient crisis intervention because of a mental disorder with
symptoms of psychosis, suicidality, or violence.
(d) Persons who need brief treatment as a result of a natural
disaster or severe local emergency.
