BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 741
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
741 (Williams)
As Amended May 4, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Health |19-0 |Bonta, Maienschein, | |
| | |Bonilla, Burke, | |
| | |Chávez, Chiu, | |
| | |Gomez, Gonzalez, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Roger Hernández, | |
| | |Lackey, Nazarian, | |
| | |Patterson, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Ridley-Thomas, | |
| | |Rodriguez, | |
| | |Santiago, | |
| | |Steinorth, | |
| | |Thurmond, Waldron, | |
| | |Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
AB 741
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| | |Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Modifies the definition of "social rehabilitation
facility" children and adolescents, in addition to adults.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes in federal law the Medicaid program to provide
comprehensive health benefits to low income persons.
2)Establishes the Medi-Cal program as California's Medicaid
program.
3)Establishes specified Medi-Cal benefits, some required by
federal law, and other benefits which are optional under federal
law.
4)Defines "social rehabilitation facility" as any residential
facility that provides social rehabilitation services in a group
setting up to 18 months to adults recovering from mental illness
who temporarily need assistance, guidance, or counseling.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
AB 741
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1)$200,000 General Fund (GF) to Department of Social Services to
modify regulations governing licensure to define program
standards specific to children.
2)Potential ongoing costs to license additional facilities.
Licensure fees would cover some licensure costs; however, any
workload cost in excess of license would be GF costs.
COMMENTS: According to the author, the objective for mental
health services, guided by the federal Olmstead Act, is to provide
treatment in the least restrictive setting possible. The
overarching goal of existing programs is to keep youth
experiencing a mental health crisis in calm, familiar environments
where their mental health needs can be met. Currently, an
estimated three out of every four children in the United States
that need mental health services, do not receive them. Nearly 20%
of high school students in California consider suicide at some
point in their lives and more than 10% actually attempt it. With
47 out of 58 counties lacking any child/adolescent psychiatric
hospital inpatient beds for children under 12 (and fewer than 70
beds statewide), the need for children's crisis residential
services could not be more acute. Among the benefits already
included in the State Mental Health Plan are: crisis intervention;
crisis stabilization; crisis residential treatment services; and
the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT)
supplemental Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS). Without a
licensing category specific to children's crisis residential
programs, however, this critically needed service - both in lieu
of inpatient care and as a step down from inpatient care - is
missing from the continuum of care.
According to the California Alliance of Child and Family Services,
cosponsors of this bill, and other supporters, this bill is aimed
at addressing a critical component missing in the continuum of
specialty mental health services for children and youth in
AB 741
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California - children's crisis residential services. This bill
creates the needed licensing category to ensure that counties and
their community-based providers have the ability to develop crisis
residential programs with an appropriate licensing category, to
ensure children and youth have access to mental health services
that are responsive to their individual needs and strengths in a
timely manner, and consistent with the requirements of the
Medi-Cal EPSDT and SMHS program standards and requirements. There
is no question that a full continuum of care for children and
youth with critical mental health needs is both essential and
required by law. The lack of a licensing component for crisis
residential services, however, is preventing the development of
this much needed program which would provide a residentially-based
acute care option in a less restrictive environment than inpatient
hospitalization and would offer a more appropriate alternative for
children that do not require a hospital level of care.
This bill has no known opposition.
Analysis Prepared by:
Paula Villescaz / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 FN:
0000665