BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 291 (Lara) - Mental health:  vulnerable communities
          
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          |Version: April 28, 2015         |Policy Vote: HEALTH 7 - 0       |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: May 11, 2015      |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy    |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.



          


          Bill  
          Summary:  SB 291 would require the Office of Statewide Health  
          Planning and Development to address workforce training and  
          education needs to meet the mental health needs of vulnerable  
          communities.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
           One-time costs of $600,000 - $700,000 to develop a needs  
            assessment of workforce training and educational needs to meet  
            the mental health needs of vulnerable communities (California  
            Health Data and Planning Fund).

           No additional costs are anticipated for the Office of Health  
            Equity to include individuals who have experienced trauma  
            related to genocide in the Office's programs for vulnerable  







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            communities.

           No additional costs are anticipated for the Department of  
            Health Care Services to consult with additional stakeholders.


          Background:  Under current law, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and  
          Development is required to develop a Health Manpower Plan. The  
          Office previously developed the required plan. There are  
          currently no plans to update the plan.


          Proposed Law:  
           SB 291 would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning  
          and Development to address workforce training and education  
          needs to meet the mental health needs of vulnerable communities  
          as part of its Health Manpower Plan for California.
          The bill would require the Office of Health Equity (within the  
          Department of Public Health) to include individuals who have  
          experienced trauma related to genocide in the Office's programs  
          for vulnerable communities.


          The bill would require the Department of Health Care Services to  
          consult with stakeholders in specified vulnerable communities  
          when developing technical assistance to county mental health  
          programs.




          Related  
          Legislation:  SB 315 (Monning) would authorize the California  
          Health Facilities Financing Authority to create a grant program  
          to fund projects for delivery of health care services to  
          vulnerable communities. That bill will be heard in this  
          committee.


          Staff  
          Comments:  The Office of Statewide Health Planning and  
          Development has previously completed the Health Manpower Plan.  
          Current law does not require the Office to update the plan and  
          it does not have any immediate plans to do so. This analysis  








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          assumes that the Office would develop a stand-alone update to  
          the Health Manpower Plan addressing issues specific to the  
          mental health needs of vulnerable communities.


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