BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1770|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1770
Author: Chesbro (D)
Amended: 8/7/00
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH & HUMAN SERV. COMMITTEE : 5-1, 4/26/00
AYES: Escutia, Figueroa, Hughes, Solis, Vasconcellos
NOES: Haynes
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-4, 5/25/00
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette,
Perata, Vasconcellos
NOES: Johnson, Kelley, Leslie, Mountjoy
SENATE FLOOR : 22-11, 5/30/00
AYES: Alarcon, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Chesbro, Costa,
Dunn, Figueroa, Hayden, Hughes, Karnette, McPherson,
Murray, O'Connell, Ortiz, Rainey, Schiff, Solis, Soto,
Speier, Vasconcellos, Wright
NOES: Brulte, Haynes, Johannessen, Kelley, Knight, Leslie,
Lewis, Monteith, Morrow, Mountjoy, Poochigian
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 50-24, 8/28/00 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Mental health: client and family member
empowerment
programs
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Mental
CONTINUED
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Health (DMH) to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in
order to establish and expand empowerment programs for
mental health clients and their family members, as
specified.
Assembly Amendments make various revisions including:
1. Change legislative declarations and findings.
2. Require the department to implement the request for
proposal and award grants in consultation with a working
group, as specified.
3. Requires proposals to be submitted by any county mental
health department in partnership with specified local
organizations.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Requires the State Department of Mental Health (DMH) and
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:
1. Requires DMH to issue an RFP in order to establish and
expand empowerment programs for mental health clients
and their family members by no later than September 1 in
any year in which funds are provided in the annual
Budget Act for this purpose. Requires DMH to implement
the RFP and award grants in consultation with a working
group, as specified.
2. Provides that proposals solicited under this bill be
submitted by any county or multiple county mental health
department(s) in partnership with local organizations,
as specified. Specifies information that each proposal
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is required to include and information each proposal may
include.
3. Requires DMH to make grants to county mental health
departments on the basis of proposals meeting the
criteria set forth in this bill.
4. Requires DMH, in consultation with the working group, to
develop a process by which grantees submit reports in
order to assure the appropriate monitoring and oversight
occurs. Requires DHS to use these reports to provide
information to the Legislature, by April 1 in each year
programs are funded, regarding the implementation of the
programs established by this bill.
5. Makes specified findings and declarations regarding
mental health services in California.
6. States the intent of the Legislature to improve the role
and leadership of mental health system clients and their
family members in the development, implementation, and
oversight of California's mental health policies, as
specified.
Comments
The author states this bill requires DMH to issue a request
for proposals to counties or community-based organizations
in order to establish and expand empowerment programs and
activities for mental health clients and their family
members. The author states a recent Joint Committee on
Mental Health Reform hearing has illustrated the lack of
involvement and partnership felt by clients and family
members in the mental health system. Often, the author
states, families lack information, access and a meaningful
role in system design and implementation. Client and
family estrangement from the mental health system often
hampers participation in treatment and impedes recovery.
According to the author, the Joint Committee also
repeatedly heard from clients and families who have
benefited from peer support activities, including self-help
programs and family-to-family support programs, as well as
efforts to include clients and families as professional
staff in county mental health departments and in
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community-based programs. The National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill (NAMI) California writes in support stating
this bill will empower clients and family members to
participate more fully with the county mental health
departments in local policy development, implementation and
oversight activities in treatment and service plans for the
mental health system. NAMI states they have long held the
position that direct feedback from clients and family
members is essential input to the process of developing and
maintaining an effective mental health care delivery
system. NAMI states that clients and family members should
participate in their own or their family member's treatment
planning as well as the overall mental health system
planning, policy-making, development and implementation at
all levels. NAMI concludes that proactive efforts by the
county mental health departments to seek out better ways to
tap these invaluable resources will surely improve our
mental health system.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee
analysis, unknown costs, likely over $1 million annually,
for DMH to establish and administer the grant program. In
the Budget for fiscal year 2000-2001, the Legislature
included a $4.9 million augmentation to be used for Client
and Family Empowerment Challenge Grants, using federal
substance abuse funds. However, the governor vetoed the
augmentation because he felt it would create an expectation
of establishing a new statewide, state-funded program.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/26/00) (Unable to reverify at time
of this writing)
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
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/7/00) (Unable to reverify at
time of this writing)
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Department of Finance
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
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."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : According to the Department of
Finance, this bill would create an expectation of funding
to implement empowerment programs. The Legislature
approved $4.9 million for this purpose for 2000-01, but it
was vetoed because the program lacked specific details and
goals and the counties already have funding flexibility and
authority to provide such local programs. Counties have
been given responsibility for and currently have the
funding flexibility under State-Local Realignment to design
and implement specific treatment services necessary to meet
the needs of clients at the local level.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
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AYES: Alquist, Aroner, Bock, Calderon, Cardenas, Cardoza,
Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson,
Ducheny, Dutra, Firebaugh, Florez, Gallegos, Honda,
Jackson, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Lempert, Longville,
Lowenthal, Machado, Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, Migden,
Nakano, Papan, Reyes, Romero, Scott, Shelley, Steinberg,
Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thomson, Torlakson,
Villaraigosa, Vincent, Washington, Wayne, Wesson,
Wiggins, Wright, Hertzberg
NOES: Aanestad, Ackerman, Ashburn, Baldwin, Bates, Baugh,
Brewer, Briggs, Campbell, Granlund, Havice, House, Leach,
Leonard, Maddox, McClintock, Olberg, Oller, Robert
Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Pescetti, Runner, Thompson, Zettel
CP:sl 8/29/00 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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