Bill Text: CT HB05267 | 2013 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Regional Delivery Of Human Services.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-16 - File Number 525 [HB05267 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2013-HB05267-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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January Session, 2013 |
*_____HB05267HS____040313____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING THE REGIONAL DELIVERY OF HUMAN SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-6 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(a) There shall be a regional administrator who shall be in unclassified service for each of the regions established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, to oversee and coordinate programs and services within the region.
(b) The Commissioners of Social Services, [and Public Health,] Children and Families, Developmental Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, on behalf of other state agencies, shall ensure that the following intra-agency and interagency goals are addressed and met: (1) The establishment by the Office of Policy and Management pursuant to section 16a-4a of not more than [six] eight uniform regional service delivery areas to be developed in consideration of (A) county geographical [size] borders; (B) general population distribution; (C) agency target population and caseload; (D) location of department facilities; (E) the accessibility of transportation for clients to service delivery offices and for workers to clients and (F) any federal requirements; (2) the coordination by the Office of Policy and Management pursuant to section 16a-4a of the regional service delivery areas of other state agencies which provide services closely linked with health and human services programs with the regional service delivery areas developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (3) the decentralization of the service delivery operations of each agency to provide as much autonomy as possible to each regional office enabling the office to respond effectively to the particular service needs of the region; (4) coordinated control and direction for programs to ensure consistency and uniformity among the regions in the development and provision of services; (5) the development of a strategic planning unit in the office of each commissioner to centralize policy development and planning within the agency and promote interagency coordination of health and human services planning and policy development; (6) development of a common intake process for entry into the health and human services system for information and referral, screening, eligibility determinations and service delivery; (7) the creation of a single application form for client intake and eligibility determinations with a common client identifier; (8) development of a commonly-linked computerized management information system with the capacity to track clients and determine eligibility across programs; (9) the coordination of current advisory boards and councils to provide input and expertise from consumers, advocates and other interested parties to the commissioners; [and] (10) the encouragement of collaborations that will foster the development and maintain the client-focused structure of the health and human services system, as well as involve partnerships between clients and their service providers; (11) the establishment of a regional funding allocation formula based on factors including, but not limited to, percentage of overall departmental caseload in each region; and (12) the coordination of staff, resources, office space and technology to allow access at any one regional office to programs and services administered by the Departments of Social Services, Children and Families, Developmental Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, any agency participating in the commonly-linked computerized management information system developed pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (b) of this section shall provide the name, address, date of birth and Social Security account numbers of the agency's clients to any agency using said system. Such information shall only be utilized by agencies participating in the system for accomplishing the goals set forth in subdivisions (6), [and] (8) and (12) of subsection (b) of this section. The information supplied by the agencies under this subsection shall not be subject to disclosure under sections 1-200 and 1-210 to 1-212, inclusive.
(d) Not later than January 1, 2014, the Commissioners of Social Services, Children and Families, Developmental Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall submit a joint report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and public health detailing a plan to offer one-stop services or referrals to services offered by the Departments of Social Services, Children and Families, Developmental Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services at any one regional office of said departments. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, provisions concerning: (1) The consolidation of office space and relocation of staff, where necessary, to offer such one-stop services or referrals to services at (A) fifty per cent of office locations of said departments not later than December 31, 2015, and (B) one hundred per cent of such office locations not later than December 31, 2016; (2) the development of a commonly-linked computerized management information system not later than January 1, 2016, with the capacity for (A) clients to complete a single application for services offered by said departments, and (B) departments to track clients and determine eligibility for all programs administered by said departments; and (3) a fiscal analysis of the savings projected from the coordinated delivery of such services.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2013 |
17b-6 |
HS |
Joint Favorable Subst. |