Amended in Senate August 19, 2016

Amended in Senate August 16, 2016

Amended in Senate August 2, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 7, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 30, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2017

Introduced by Assembly Member McCarty

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Chang, Cristina Garcia, Gonzalez, and Levine)

(Coauthors: Senators Hancock and Pan)

February 16, 2016

An act to add and repeal Part 3.3 (commencing with Section 5832) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2017, as amended, McCarty. College Mental Health Services Program.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, funds a system of county mental health plans for the provision of mental health services, as specified. Existing law provides for the operation and administration of various mental health programs at a statewide and county level, as specified.

This bill, until January 1, 2022, would begin delete establish the College Mental Health Services Trust Account. The bill would make moneys in the account available to the State Department of Health Care Services, end delete begin insert require the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, end insert subject to appropriation by the Legislature, begin delete for purposes of creating end delete begin insert to create end insert a grant program for public community colleges, colleges, and universities begin delete to improve end delete begin insert for purposes of improving end insert access to mental health services on those campuses, as specified. The bill would require campuses that have been awarded grants under these provisions to report annually on the use of those grant funds and to post that information on their Internet Web sites. The bill would also require the begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the impact of the program, as specified. begin insert The bill would require that evaluation to be conducted by a public or private research university or institute in this state, and would require the Department of Finance to assist the commission in issuing a request for proposal for that contract. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) Students, faculty, health practitioners, and college
administrators are reporting increased rates of mental health needs
by students attending public colleges in California.

(b) One in four students has a diagnosable mental illness and
40 percent of students do not seek mental health services when
they need it.

(c) Eight out of 10 people who experience psychosis have their
first episode between 15 and 30 years of age.

(d) The demand for mental health services by public college
students far outpaces the ability of colleges to provide them.
California public college campuses and higher education systems
do not meet national staffing standards for psychiatric services
and other mental health professionals.

(e) The lack of services directly impacts college students’
success and academic performance as well as their ability to
develop socially as productive members of society.

(f) The effects of untreated mental health needs are long lasting
and can include college students dropping out of school,
experiencing homelessness, and dying of suicide.

(g) One in 10 college students has considered suicide and suicide
is the second leading cause of death among college students,
claiming more than 1,100 lives every year nationally.

(h) Research shows that for each dollar invested in student
prevention and early intervention mental health services, California
will see a return of at least $6 and up begin insert to end insert $11 as a result of more
students graduating.

begin insert

(i) Under the Prevention and Early Intervention component of
the Mental Health Services Act, subdivision (b) of Section 3706
of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations states that at least
51 percent of the Prevention and Early Intervention Fund shall
be used to serve individuals who are 25 years old or younger.

end insert begin insert

(j) Since the approval of the Mental Health Services Act in 2004,
there has been limited interaction between college campuses and
county mental health departments. It is the purpose of this act to
foster partnerships between counties and college campuses to
better address the mental health needs of their students.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Part 3.3 (commencing with Section 5832) is added to
Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

 

PART 3.3.  College Mental Health Services
Program

 

5832.  

This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the
College Mental Health Services Program Act.

5832.1.  

begin delete There is hereby established in the State Treasury the
College Mental Health Services Trust Account. Moneys in the
account shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature,
to the State Department of Health Care Services end delete begin insert Moneys shall be
available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Mental
Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission end insert to fund
the grant program established pursuant to this part.

5832.2.  

(a) The begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert shall create a grant
program for public community colleges, colleges, and universities,
in collaboration with county behavioral health departments, to
improve access to mental health services and early identification
or intervention programs. The begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert shall
establish grant program guidelines and shall develop a request for
application (RFA). The RFA shall include, but not be limited to,
all of the following:

(1) Eligibility standards of applicants in order to qualify to be
considered for a grant award.

(2) Required program components to be included in the grant
application, which may include, but are not limited to:

(A) The ability of the program to meet the needs of students
that cannot be met through existing funds.

(B) The ability of the program to fund the matching component
required by subdivision (f).

(C) The ability of the campus, in partnership with the local
county, to establish direct linkages for students to community-based
mental health services.

(D) The ability of the campus to address direct services
including, but not limited to, increasing staff to student ratios and
decreasing wait times.

(E) The ability to participate in evidence-based and
community-defined best practice programs for mental health
services improvements.

(3) Preferred program components to be included in the grant
application, which may include, but are not limited to:

(A) The ability of the campus to serve underserved and
vulnerable populations.

(B) The ability of the campus, in partnership with the local
county, to establish direct linkages for students to community-based
mental health services for which reimbursement is available
through the students’ health coverage.

(C) The ability of the campus to reduce racial disparities in
access to mental health services.

(D) The ability of the campus to fund mental health stigma
reduction activities.

(E) The ability of the campus to provide employees and students
with education and training on early identification, intervention,
and referral of students with mental health needs.

(F) The ability of the campus to screen students receiving other
health care services and provide linkages to services from the
appropriate mental health provider based on the health insurance
status of that student, for those students who are shown to have a
need for services.

(G) Evidence of an existing or planned partnership between the
campus and the county behavioral health department to address
complex mental health needs of students based on their health
insurance status and based on the extent to which there are students
whose needs cannot be met through their health plan, health
insurance, or Medi-Cal.

(H) Evidence of an existing or planned partnership between the
campus and local safety net providers to ensure linkages to primary
care and community-based mental health care, regardless of the
health insurance status of the student.

(4) Articulation of grant program goals and expected outcomes.

(5) Required reporting and evaluation standards to be met by
applicants that are selected for a grant award.

(6) Timelines and deadlines for grant applications and
anticipated funding award determinations.

(b) Colleges, in collaboration with their local county behavioral
health department, shall submit their grant application to the
begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert according to the guidelines adopted
pursuant to subdivision (a).

(c) To the extent that an application follows the guidelines
adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) and specifically states what
activities shall be undertaken in accordance with those guidelines,
the begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert shall have the authority to approve
grant programs and shall award funding.

(d) Grants may be awarded to a community college district in
the California Community College system, a campus within the
California State University system, or a campus within the
University of California system, or a grouping of campuses within
the segments.

(e) Total available grant funding to colleges by segment shall
be proportional to the number of students served by that segment
but, in no case shall the begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert award more than
five million dollars ($5,000,000) per campus, per application.

(f) Grants shall only be awarded to a campus begin insert or campuses end insert that
can show a dollar-for-dollar match of funds or another match to
be determined by the begin delete department, end delete begin insert commission, end insert in consultation with
the applicant, based on resources and existing mental health needs
of students from the begin delete campus. end delete begin insert campus or campuses. end insert Matching funds
can include in-kind funds, student health fee funds after notification
to the student association, and other appropriate funds as
determined by the begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert and pursuant to the
guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).

(g) Grants shall be awarded to applicants on a competitive basis
based on their ability to meet the application standards and
prioritization of these standards as determined by the begin delete department end delete
begin insert commission end insert through the development of the RFA guidelines
adopted pursuant to subdivision (a).

(h) Individual grant award allocations shall be expended over
at least one year but not to exceed three years, as determined by
the begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert through the grant award process.

(i) Administrative costs associated with administering an
approved program shall be limited to 5 percent of the total grant
amount for any grantee. Administrative costs incurred by the
begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert to administer this program begin delete shall be
reimbursed from the College Mental Health Services Trust
Account, and end delete shall not exceed 5 percent of the total funds begin delete expended
annually from the account. end delete begin insert annually. end insert

(j) The funding provided pursuant to this part shall not be used
to supplant existing campus, state, or county funds utilized to
provide mental health services.

(k) The begin delete department end delete begin insert commission end insert shall provide technical
assistance to smaller colleges and county behavioral health
departments upon request during the application process to ensure
equitable distribution of the grant award.

5832.3.  

(a) Community colleges, campuses in the California
State University, and campuses in the University of California
system that have been awarded grants pursuant to this part shall
report annually on the use of grant funds to the begin delete department end delete
begin insert commission end insert and post the annual report on the use of the funds on
their Internet Web sites. This report shall include, but not be limited
to, all of the following:

(1) How grant funds and matching funds are being used.

(2) Available evaluation data, including outcomes of the campus
mental health programs funded pursuant to the grant program.

(3) Program information regarding services being offered and
the number of individuals being served.

(4) Plans for sustainability of mental health programming
beyond the funding from begin delete the College Mental Health Services Trust
Account. end delete begin insert this part. end insert

(b) The campuses shall electronically submit the reports required
pursuant to subdivision (a), annually, to the appropriate
Chancellor’s offices and the University of California Office of the
President.

5832.4.  

(a)  begin delete The department shall develop an evaluation plan
to assess the impact of the program. end delete begin insert Upon an appropriation of
funds for the purposes of this section, the commission shall contract
with a public or private research university or institute in this state
to evaluate the program. The commission shall develop the
research design and issue a request for proposal for a contract
for the evaluation, with the assistance of the Department of
Finance. The commission shall develop an evaluation plan to
assess the impact of the program. end insert

begin insert

(b) The commission shall submit the final research design and
request for proposal required by subdivision (a) to the chairperson
of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee no more 30 days prior
to executing a contract for the evaluation.

end insert begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert  The begin delete department, end delete begin insert commission, end insert in compliance with Section
9795 of the Government Code, shall submit begin delete a report end delete begin insert the evaluation
established in subdivision (a) end insert to the Legislature by February 1,
begin delete 2021, end delete begin insert 2019, and annually thereafter by no later than February 1
of each year, end insert evaluating the impact of the program and providing
recommendations for further implementation. The begin delete department end delete
begin insert commission end insert shall make the report available to the public and shall
post the report on its Internet Web site. begin insert The report shall include,
but not be limited to, the following: end insert

begin insert

(1) A financial accounting of all funds awarded, disbursed to
grant recipients, and remaining to be allocated.

end insert begin insert

(2) Available evaluation data, including outcomes of the mental
health programs funded pursuant to the grant program.

end insert begin insert

(3) Program information regarding services being offered and
the number of individuals being served.

end insert begin insert

(4) Plans for sustainability of mental health programming
beyond the funding from the grant program.

end insert begin insert

(5) A financial accounting of all administrative expenditures
by the commission.

end insert

5832.5.  

This part shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2022, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that is enacted before January 1, 2022, deletes or extends that date.