BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1770|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1770
Author: Chesbro (D)
Amended: 4/13/00
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH & HUMAN SERV. COMMITTEE : 5-1, 4/26/00
AYES: Escutia, Figueroa, Hughes, Solis, Vasconcellos
NOES: Haynes
NOT VOTING: Morrow, Mountjoy, Polanco
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-4, 5/25/00
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette,
Perata, Vasconcellos
NOES: Johnson, Kelley, Leslie, Mountjoy
NOT VOTING: McPherson
SUBJECT : Mental health: client and family member
empowerment
programs
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes a mental health client and
family empowerment grant program to enhance the role of
clients and families in the mental health system, as well
as improving the responsiveness of the mental health system
to clients and family members.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Requires the State Department of Mental Health (DMH) and
CONTINUED
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county mental health departments to administer a number
of programs to provide services to persons who have a
mental illness.
2.Provides that under realignment, federal and state
Medi-Cal funds plus a portion of tax proceeds, are
provided to county mental health departments, which have
primary responsibility to provide mental health care to
county residents.
This bill makes a number of Legislative findings including:
1.Persons with mental illness and their families make
significant contributions toward the development of a
cohesive, high-quality mental health system, which is
enhanced when clients and family members are afforded
choices about methods of service delivery.
2.Clients and families should have a leadership role in the
development, implementation, and oversight of mental
health policies.
3.Counties should improve the exercise of consumer choice
in the determination of mental health treatment and
service programs.
4.Delivery of appropriate and effective mental health
services and supports is improved by the involvement of
clients and families in the development of treatment and
service plans.
5.Peer supports improve the participation of both clients
and family members in the mental health system.
This bill requires DMH to administer a program of
competitive grants for county mental health programs that
improve services and supports for clients and families.
Proposals would be required to contain, among other
requirements, descriptions of how funds would result in:
1.Establishment, expansion or improvement of training,
information and referral services for clients and for
family members.
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2.Expansion of the role of clients and family members in
the development of local policy.
3.Establishment or expansion of self-help and other
client-run programs as well as family-to-family support
activities.
4.Improved decision making and choices of clients and
family members.
Proposals also would be required to demonstrate that (1)
clients and family members participated in the development
of the proposal and (2) how the programs will continue
after state funding is terminated.
Comments
County Mental Health Program Services
Existing law establishes the county mental health
departments as the primary providers of mental health care.
Under realignment, counties currently serve approximately
200,000 persons with mental health disorders annually.
Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform
In January, 2000, the Legislature created, through SCR 59,
a Joint Committee on Mental Health Reform with the purpose
of identifying promising strategies and policy
recommendations relating to mental health treatment. The
Joint Committee has held public hearings in Sacramento, Los
Angeles, Santa Rosa and Oakland to receive testimony of
clients, family members, service providers and advocates on
recommendations for improvement of California's mental
health system.
The Joint Committee received testimony on the status of the
mental health system and gaps in needed services. A number
of witnesses testified to lack of information about, and
access to, the mental health system. Also, clients
testified to the value of peer support activities,
including self-help groups and family-to-family support
programs.
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FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2000-01 2001-02
2002-03 Fund
County grants Unknown General
Staff comments:
Based on previous experience of DMH with similar grants
funded by other sources, grants to individual counties
could range between $200,000 and $400,000.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/26/00)
California Child, Youth and Family Coalition
California Network of Mental Health Clients
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill California
Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
California Mental Health Directors Association
Mental Health Advocacy Project
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
the stated purpose in introducing this bill is to address a
recurring theme noted during hearings of the Joint
Committee on Mental Health Reform:
"?there is a lack of respect and partnership felt by
clients and family members in the mental health system.
They lack information, access and a meaningful role in
system design and implementation. The committee also
repeatedly heard from clients and families who had
benefited through peer support activities, including
self-help programs and family-to-family support
programs".
In support of this bill, the California Network of Mental
Health Clients argues that: "Self-help groups, instead of
treating individuals as diagnoses and labels, respect them
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as human beings?thus developing service responses that deal
with the whole person. Self-help groups work for many
reasons, not the least of which is that clients see other
clients in positions of authority, as role models, and thus
have more confidence in their own capabilities."
Protection and Advocacy, Inc. comments in support of this
bill that it: "?is consistent with the principle that
persons receiving mental health services should be allowed
to participate in every aspect of their treatment, as are
persons who receive other kinds of health services."
CP:sl 5/26/00 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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