1559.110.
(a) (1) The State Department of Social Services shall license transitional housing placement providers pursuant to this chapter. Prior to licensure, a provider shall obtain certification from the applicable county, in accordance with Section 16522.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.(2) For purposes of the certification of a program that serves nonminor dependents in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 16522.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, “applicable county” means the county where the administrative office or subadministrative office of a transitional housing placement provider is located, or a primary placing county.
(b) Transitional housing placement providers shall provide supervised transitional housing services to foster children who are at least 16 years of age and not more than 18 years of age, or nonminor dependents, as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or both.
(c) Transitional housing placement providers shall certify that housing units comply with the health and safety standards set forth in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 1501. Transitional housing shall include any of the following:
(1) Programs in which a participant lives in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium, with one or more adults approved by the provider.
(2) Programs in which a participant lives independently in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium owned, rented, or leased by the provider either with an adult employee of the provider or in a building in which one or more adult employees of the provider either reside or provide supervision.
(3) Programs in which a participant lives independently in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium owned, rented, or leased by a provider under the supervision of the provider if the department provides approval. The housing model described in this paragraph shall not be available to minor foster children.
(4)Programs in which a nonminor dependent participant lives independently in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium with a lease cosigned by both the nonminor dependent and the provider. The housing model described in this paragraph shall not be available to minor foster children.
(d) This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit a transitional housing placement provider from entering into a sublease or a colease with a nonminor dependent.
(d)
(e) (1) The department shall adopt regulations to govern transitional housing placement providers licensed pursuant to this section.
(2) The regulations shall be age-appropriate and recognize that nonminor dependents who are about to exit from the foster care system should be subject to
fewer restrictions than those who are foster children. At a minimum, the regulations shall provide for
all of the following:
(A) Require programs that serve both foster children and nonminor dependents to have separate rules and program design, as appropriate, for these two groups of youth.
(B) Allow nonminor dependents to have the greatest amount of freedom possible in order to prepare them for their transition to adulthood, in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 1502.7.
(C) Maintain a program staffing ratio of case manager to client not to exceed a shared average caseload of 1 to 12. A designated lead case manager shall be assigned to each youth.
(D) Allow a participant to share a bedroom with any of the following
persons:
(i) Another participant approved by the provider pursuant to regulations.
(ii) A participant in Transitional Housing Program-Plus, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, approved by the provider pursuant to regulations.
(iii) Any nonparticipant roommate approved by the provider pursuant to regulations.
(iv) The participant’s children.
(e)
(f) (1) A program manager for a Transitional Housing Placement-Plus Foster Care program shall have a master’s degree or higher from an accredited or state-approved graduate school, or equivalent education and experience, as determined by the department.
(2) Persons who possess a master’s degree or higher from an accredited or state-approved graduate school in any of the following areas, or equivalent education and experience, as determined by the department, shall be considered to be qualified to perform program manager activities in a Transitional Housing Placement-Plus Foster Care program:
(A) Marriage, family, and child counseling.
(B) Child psychology.
(C) Child development.
(D) Counseling psychology.
(E) Social psychology.
(F) Clinical psychology.
(G) Educational psychology.
(H) Education, with emphasis on counseling.
(I) Social work or social welfare.
(J) An area that includes the core content areas required for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, as specified in Sections 4999.32 and 4999.33 of the Business and Professions Code.
(K) A subject area that is functionally equivalent to those listed in subparagraphs (A) to (J), inclusive, as set forth by the department.
(f)
(g) (1) (A) In addition to the degree specifications in subdivision (e), (f), effective January 1, 2018, all new hires for the position of program manager for a Transitional Housing Placement-Plus
Foster Care program shall have a minimum of two years’ experience in a public or private child welfare social services setting or specific experience working with transition age youth who are 16 to 24 years of age, inclusive.
(B) Documentation of the completed education and experience
requirements shall be maintained in the personnel file.
(C) Persons who do not meet the requirements specified in subdivision (e) (f) or this subdivision may apply for an exception as provided for in subdivision (g). (h).
(D) Exceptions granted by the department prior to January 1, 2018, shall remain in effect.
(2)(A)Persons who are hired as a program manager on or after January 1, 2018, who do not meet the requirements listed in
subdivision (e) or this subdivision shall be required to successfully meet those requirements in order to be employed as a program manager.
(B)
(2) Employees who were hired prior to January 1, 2018, shall not be required to meet the requirements of this subdivision in order to remain employed as a program manager.
(g)
(h) (1) The department may grant exceptions to the requirement for a master’s degree or higher from an accredited or state-approved graduate school, or equivalent education and experience, as determined by the department, if the program manager has a baccalaureate degree from an accredited or state-approved graduate school.
(2) The department shall complete the process for the exception to minimum education and experience requirements described in subdivisions (e) and (f) (f) and (g) within 30 days of receiving the exception application of a program manager from the provider.
(h)
(i) (1) Effective January 1, 2018, all new hires for the position of case manager for a Transitional Housing Placement-Plus Foster Care program, not including program manager, shall meet either of the following requirements:
(A) A minimum of a baccalaureate degree in a related field specified in subdivision (e). (f).
(B) A minimum of a baccalaureate degree in a nonrelated field and a minimum of two years’ experience in a public or private child
welfare social services setting, or specific experience working with transition age youth who are 16 to 24 years of age, inclusive.
(2) Documentation of the completed education and experience requirements shall the maintained in the personnel file.
(3)(A)Persons who are hired as case manager personnel on or after January 1, 2018, who do not meet the requirements listed in this subdivision shall be required to successfully meet those requirements in order to be employed as Transitional Housing
Placement-Plus Foster Care case manager personnel.
(B)
(3) Persons who were hired prior to January 1, 2018, shall not be required to meet the requirements of this subdivision in order to remain employed as a case manager.