BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2034
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2034 (Steinberg)
As Amended May 26, 2000
Majority vote
HEALTH 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 21-0
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|Ayes:|Gallegos, Bates, |Ayes:|Migden, Campbell, |
| |Aanestad, Florez, Cox, | |Ackerman, Alquist, |
| |Reyes, Kuehl, Runner, | |Aroner, Ashburn, Brewer, |
| |Thomson, Wayne, Wesson, | |Cedillo, Corbett, Davis, |
| |Wildman, Zettel | |Kuehl, Maldonado, Papan, |
| | | |Romero, Runner, Shelley, |
| | | |Thomson, Wesson, Wiggins, |
| | | |Wright, Zettel |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Deems counties funded in 2000-2001 for mental health
outreach services to be eligible for continuation funding if
they have successfully demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of
their programs. Deems other counties to be eligible for funding
to establish outreach services if a county demonstrates that it
can provide comprehensive services, as specified. Adds
transition youth and families living with a severely mentally
ill adult to the target population for these services.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Adds transition youth, ages 18 to 25, and families with a
severely mentally ill adult living with them, to the
population targeted in outreach programs to homeless mentally
ill persons.
2)Includes provision of psychiatric services that are integrated
with other services and for psychiatric collaboration in
overall service planning.
3)Requires the Department of Social Services, a service provider
to transition youth, the United Advocates for Children of
California, and the California Mental Health Advocates for
Children and Youth to be represented on the existing advisory
board to the Director of the Department of Mental Health for
the purpose of providing advice regarding criteria for grant
awards to counties.
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4)Adds to the criteria for grant awards, a description of
efforts to maximize utilization of other state, federal and
local funds, and a description of efforts to obtain health
foundation charitable funds.
5)Requires counties seeking expansion grants for programs that
were funded prior to January 1, 2001, to provide outcome data,
as specified.
6)Permits, if sufficient funds have been made available to
counties that have received demonstration grant funding,
additional funding to be made available for other counties
that do not have an integrated services program but meet adult
system of care criteria. To the extent funds are available,
permits counties to apply for a start-up program to serve
approximately 100 people.
7)Requires grants to counties to be used to expand existing
integrated service programs that meet the adult system of care
criteria to provide new services.
8)Requires each county to identify, as the Department of Mental
Health (DMH) may require, the amount of funding required for
housing market conditions, the estimated number of people who
will be eligible for income from Social Security, and types of
housing and support services that will be required.
9)Requires DMH to conduct a literature review of mental health
public education programs, as specified, and requires DMH to
make recommendations to the Legislature as to whether such a
program should be implemented in California.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires counties to relieve and support incompetent, poor,
indigent persons, and those incapacitated by age, disease, or
accident, when such persons are not supported and relieved by
relatives, friends, or other public or private institutions.
2)Establishes a target population for county mental health
services that includes severely mentally ill adults, and
children with severe emotional disturbances.
3)Requires DMH to establish service standards for mental health
services provided through demonstration projects to serve the
mentally ill. Provides $10 million in 1999-2000 for
AB 2034
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demonstration projects in Los Angeles, Sacramento and
Stanislaus counties.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriation
Committee, implementation of programs in this bill is contingent
upon the Budget Act. Unknown savings to the California
Department of Corrections and county mental health programs and
jails to the extent these programs prevent the need for more
intensive mental health treatment and/or incarceration.
COMMENTS : The author is proposing this bill to continue and
expand upon the successful community mental health programs
established under AB 34 (Steinberg), Chapter 617, Statutes of
1999. Through county programs in Sacramento, Los Angeles and
Stanislaus counties, as of February 1, 2000, more than 900
severely mentally ill people have received services and are on
their way to stabilization. Sacramento County supports this
bill to extend the 1999-2000 homeless pilot program to other
counties as well as to transition youth.
Chapter 617 provides funding for mental health outreach
demonstration projects in Los Angeles ($4.8 million), Stanislaus
($2.8 million) and Sacramento ($1.9 million) counties. In
Sacramento County, outreach teams go to parks, levees and other
places to find homeless persons to whom they can offer services.
Sacramento County has enrolled 196 people in mental health
services as a result of this program. In Stanislaus, 88 people
are being served by programs funded through Chapter 617.
According to the author, Stanislaus is working to serve adults
who are periodically homeless, and young adults who are
transitioning from foster care and the juvenile justice system.
Los Angeles County is serving 790 people through programs funded
with Chapter 617 demonstration dollars.
Analysis Prepared by : Ann Blackwood / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0005183