BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                                  SENATE HUMAN
                               SERVICES COMMITTEE
                        Senator Elaine K. Alquist, Chair


          BILL NO:       AB 1907                                      
          A
          AUTHOR:        Lieu                                         
          B
          VERSION:       January 26, 2006
          HEARING DATE:  June 13, 2006                                
          1
          FISCAL:        no                                           
          9
                                                                      
          0
          CONSULTANT:                                                 
          7
          Sue North
                                        

                                     SUBJECT
                                         
              Office of Child Abuse Prevention: Multidisciplinary  
                             personnel composition

                                     SUMMARY  

          This bill adds Marriage and Family Therapists to the list  
          of eligible therapists who may comprise the  
          Multidisciplinary personnel forming a team of three or more  
          persons trained to provide child abuse prevention services  
          under existing law.

                                     ABSTRACT  

          Existing law establishes an Office of Child Abuse  
          Prevention within the Department of Social Services which  
          oversees the programmatic design and allocation of state  
          and federal funds for local child abuse prevention  
          activities.  Existing law further stipulates the  
          involvement of "multidisciplinary personnel" in local  
          programs whose function is to offer comprehensive services  
          for children and families.  Current law defines the  
          personnel as chosen among "psychiatrists, psychologists or  
          other trained counseling personnel."  This bill would add  
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          STAFF ANALYSIS OF ASSEMBLY BILL 1907 (Lieu)           Page  
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          marriage and family therapists explicitly to that list.

                                  FISCAL IMPACT  

          None/nonfiscal bill

                            BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION  

          Assembly Human Services6-0
          Assembly Floor 71-0

          The expressed intent of the author is to remove the  
          vagueness of current law.  Further, it is argued that  
          marriage and family therapists are specifically trained in  
          the dynamics of family life, an understanding of which is  
          central to preventing child abuse.


          Comment:

          1.  There is one more type of licensed post-graduate mental  
          health therapists not explicitly mentioned in current law  
          already trained to to this work---licensed clinical social  
          workers (LCSWs).  Should they be added to the law as well?

                                    POSITIONS  

          Support:       California Association of Marriage and  
          Family Therapists                                       
          (Sponsor)

          Oppose:   None received




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