SB 158, as amended, Correa. Autism services: demonstration program.
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act authorizes the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism.
This bill wouldbegin delete declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that wouldend delete establishbegin insert, until January 1, 2019,end insert a demonstration programbegin delete that will provide technical assistance and best practices related to linguistic and cultural competency for autism services that are provided by regional centers to consumers and their familiesend deletebegin insert
that would be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program to implement measures in underserved communities to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with autism or pervasive developmental spectrum disorders, improve the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of those disorders, and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments, as specified. The bill would require the department to contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve as the coordinating center for the program. The bill would also require the department to define the responsibilities of the coordinating center and to establish criteria for participation in, and guidelines for the implementation of, the program. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2018, the center, or its designee, to provide information to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the department, the Governor’s office, and participating regional
centers information regarding the efficacy and outcomes of the RE CAP programend insert.
Vote: majority.
Appropriation: no.
Fiscal committee: begin deleteno end deletebegin insertyesend insert.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
begin insertSection 4639.8 is added to the end insertbegin insertWelfare and Institutions Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert
begin insert(a) A demonstration program that shall provide improved services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families, who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved communities is hereby established pursuant to this section.
(b) The demonstration program shall be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program.
(c) The department shall contract with a University of California or California State University campus that shall serve as a coordinating center to implement the RE CAP program. In collaboration with the participating regional centers, the coordinating center shall identify and coordinate the activities and resources of other participating entities and organizations.
(d) The department shall do all of the following:
(1) Define the responsibilities of the coordinating center.
(2) Establish appropriate criteria and parameters by which regional centers may participate in the RE CAP program.
(3) Establish criteria and parameters by which specific geographic areas in catchment areas of participating regional centers shall be designated as underserved communities.
(4) Establish guidelines, best practices, and technical assistance by which regional centers participating in the RE CAP program shall implement measures in underserved communities to accomplish any of the following:
(A) Promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with ASD.
(B) Improve the early screening for ASD.
(C) Improve the diagnosis and assessment of ASD.
(D) Increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments for ASD.
(5) Establish indicators and outcome measures that may be utilized to evaluate the efficacy of the RE CAP program.
(e) Participation of the regional centers shall be on a voluntary basis or as deemed necessary by the department.
(f) (1) Funding for the RE CAP program shall be from existing regional center resources in combination with additional resources provided by foundations, federal funding, and other sources and as allocated by the coordinating center for each of the RE CAP programs. No additional state funds shall be allocated for these purposes.
(2) The coordinating center shall implement the demonstration project described in this section only to the extent that adequate funding and resources are made available for the project.
(g) On or before January 1, 2018, the coordinating center, or its designee, shall provide information to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the department, the Governor’s office, and participating regional centers regarding the efficacy and outcomes of the RE CAP program.
(h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a demonstration program that will provide technical assistance and best practices related to linguistic and cultural competency for autism services that are provided by regional centers to consumers and their families.
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