BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON Public Safety
Senator John Vasconcellos, Chair S
1999-2000 Regular Session B
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SB 2183 (Soto) 3
As Amended April 13, 2000
Hearing date: April 25, 2000
Uncodified law
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EXPANSION OF TREATMENT PROGRAM:
CHILD VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE
HISTORY
Source: UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Department
Prior Legislation: SB 1092 (Lockyer) - 1997 - vetoed by
Governor
Support: Unknown
Opposition:None known
KEY ISSUE
SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE PROVIDE $5 MILLION FOR A PILOT PROGRAM FUNDED
THROUGH THE OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING WHEREIN THE UCLA
TRAUMA PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT WOULD TREAT CHILD VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
AND CHILDREN EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE?
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PURPOSE
The purpose of this bill is to expand a model program for
the treatment of children victimized by and exposed to
violence, and thereby to decrease trauma to these children
and later behavioral problems, including criminality.
Existing law authorizes the Office of Child Abuse
Prevention in the State Department of Social Services to
make grants to fund various programs relating to child
abuse prevention. (Welf. & Inst. Code 18952 et seq.)
Existing law allows each county to appoint a commission to
oversee child abuse prevention programs, and funds each
board through a trust fund from birth certificate fees,
legislative appropriations, local government
appropriations, and private gifts/bequests, and further
provides for allocation of any federal matching grants.
(Welf. & Inst. Code 18965-18966.)
Existing law defines the Office of Criminal Justice
Planning (OCJP), an agency in the executive branch. The
responsibility of OCJP is to "develop . . . the
comprehensive statewide plan for the improvement of
criminal justice and delinquency prevention . . ." (Pen.
Code 13820, 13823.)
Existing law , in part, directs the OCJP to develop programs
to address family violence and child sexual abuse. (Pen.
Code 13823.3, 13823.4, 13823.6, and 13823.15.)
This bill would provide $5 million through OCJP to expand a
Pasadena project for school-based trauma intervention run
by the UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Department to five sites in
northern and southern California.
COMMENTS
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1. Need for This Bill
Background provide by the author asserts:
The National Institute of Justice has found that
43% of male adolescents and 35% of female
adolescents have witnessed violence such as a
shooting, knifing, sexual assault, or mugging.
Among those, 15% developed Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD). Many are despondent, reserved,
and do not perform well in school. They are more
likely to commit crimes and are less likely to be
productive citizens.
Yet, despite the negative effects of witnessing
violence, these kids do not receive much
assistance or counseling. These children are the
forgotten victims of crime.
The UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Program and the Office
of Criminal Justice and Planning have been
operating a pilot program in northwest Pasadena
for the past three years. It is a school-based,
trauma-grief focused intervention program that
has been very successful in treating junior high
and high school students. These students
improved school performance greatly, felt better
about themselves, and became more motivated to
become productive citizens.
This bill would extend the program to five
additional sites, two in northern California and
three in southern California. The sites will be
in high crime and violence areas. The program
has been successful, now it is important to
expand it to reach more traumatized youth and
help them. We need to reach out, identify the
kids, and get them treatment.
2. UCLA Study on Long-term Effects on Children of Exposure
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to Violence and Violent Victimization
As noted in the author's background, research has indicated
that young people who are abused and exposed to violence
are prone to psychological problems and may be particularly
likely to become involved in violence and crime.
a. UCLA Psychiatry Study as to Effects of Victimization
and Exposure to Violence:
Many [students exposed to violence] suffer from
persistent symptoms of posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) that can last for many years
after the experience with violence . . . Our own
findings indicate that traumatized youth are more
likely to be disciplined in school, fail
academically, attend alternative schools, and be
in the custody of the California Youth Authority.
b. Treatment Options: Funding and Site of UCLA Program
There is an emerging national consensus that
school-based programs are the most efficacious
and cost-effective means to deliver post-violence
or post-disaster mental health services to youth
and their families. Through funding from OCJP,
the UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Program is entering
its third year of implementing a school-based
trauma and grief focused intervention for a high
school and feeder junior high school complex in
northwest Pasadena.
c. Study Assessment Tools, Implementation
The UCLA group has tested "survey and clinical evaluation
tools" and developed protocols for group intervention in
a school setting. In the program, staff members work
with parents, victim assistance programs, and juvenile
justice personnel. The program provides high quality
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mental health care to many students.
d. Positive Results of Prior Programs
UCLA Trauma Psychiatry . . . conducted a pilot
school-based trauma focused intervention as
Woodward Elementary School in Inglewood,
California. The most severely affected children
showed significant reduction of their chronic
posttraumatic stress symptoms . . . Treated
children improved in the following areas:
capacity for attention, appropriate expression of
anger, compliance with classroom rules, and
pro-social activity with peers.
Preliminary results from the ongoing . . .
program in Pasadena are extremely encouraging.
During treatment, there is significant reduction
in PTSD and depression. Entering treatment, 60%
had been failing two or more classes. These
students have raised their grades substantially
after one semester of treatment. Almost all of
the program participants who were in special
classrooms were returned to regular classes.
3. Legislative Findings Included in This Bill
This bill includes the following legislative findings about
the existing UCLA program:
(a) The UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Program has a pilot
program in one cluster consisting of one high school
and two to four middle schools in northwest Pasadena
that provides trauma and grief intervention.
(b) The pilot program identifies youth that are in need
of postviolence and postdisaster mental health
services. Many of the students who participated in
this program suffered severe and debilitating chronic
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and had lost their
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motivation for learning.
(c) The pilot program has been successful in treating
students for their trauma and also has helped to
improve their school work.
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(d) The pilot program should be extended from one to
five clusters, two of which would be located in
northern California and three in southern California
with specific sites selected by the UCLA Trauma
Psychiatry Program.
4. Specific Program Outline for This Proposal
a. Program Outline
The extended program would provide services in school
districts in Oakland, Los Angeles, and another city.
Services will be provided through five school clusters.
Each cluster consists of a senior high and from two to
four feeder junior high schools. Approximately
2,500-3,000 students will receive direct treatment
services through the program.
Treatment involves approximately 20 sessions of
evaluation, group treatment, "booster" follow-up, and two
to three family support meetings. Treatment staff will
be mobilized to respond to any acute trauma.
b. Program Costs
The cost estimates are based on an average cost of
$270,000 per school, plus 10% administrative and 10%
training costs, for a total budget of approximately $5
million over a three-year period. Direct service costs
are approximately $60,000 per school, per year.
SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE FUND A $5 MILLION EXPANSION OF A
SCHOOL-BASED TREATMENT PROGRAM, OPERATED BY THE UCLA TRAUMA
PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT, FOR JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO OR VICTIMIZED BY
VIOLENCE?
SHOULD THERE BE A REPORT BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE
PROGRAM FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THIS BILL?
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SHOULD THE UNCODIFIED LAW ADDED BY THIS BILL BE
"SUNSETTED?"
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