84R8925 GCB-F
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1891
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the delivery of mental health services and supports
under a system of care framework to minors who have or are at risk of
developing a serious emotional disturbance or who are at risk of
being removed from the minor's home.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 531.251, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 531.251. TEXAS SYSTEM OF CARE FRAMEWORK [CONSORTIUM].
(a) In this section:
(1) "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years
of age.
(2) "Serious emotional disturbance" means a mental,
behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to result
in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or
limits a person's role or ability to function in family, school, or
community activities.
(3) "System of care framework" means a framework for
collaboration among state agencies, minors who have a serious
emotional disturbance or are at risk of developing a serious
emotional disturbance, and the families of those minors that
improves access to services and delivers effective community-based
services that are family-driven, youth- or young adult-guided, and
culturally and linguistically competent.
(b) The commission shall implement [form a consortium to
have responsibility for and oversight over] a [state] system of
care framework to develop local mental health systems of care in
communities for minors who are receiving residential mental health
services and supports or inpatient mental health hospitalization,
have or are at risk of developing a serious emotional disturbance,
or [who] are at risk of being removed from the minor's home and
placed in a more restrictive environment to receive mental health
services and supports, including an inpatient mental health
hospital, a residential treatment facility, or a facility or
program operated by the Department of Family and Protective
Services or an agency that is part of the juvenile justice system.
(c) [(a-1) The consortium must include:
[(1) representatives of the Department of State Health
Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Health and
Human Services Commission's Medicaid program, Texas Education
Agency, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and Texas Correctional
Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments;
[(2) one youth or young adult who has a serious
emotional disturbance and has received mental health services and
supports; or
[(3) a family member of a youth or young adult
described by Subdivision (2).
[(a-2) The consortium may coordinate with the Children's
Policy Council for the purposes of including the representation
required by Subsections (a-1)(2) and (3).
[(b)] The commission [and the consortium] shall:
(1) maintain a comprehensive plan for the delivery of
mental health services and supports to a minor and a minor's family
using a system of care framework, including best practices in the
financing, administration, governance, and delivery of those
services;
(2) enter memoranda of understanding with the
Department of State Health Services, the Department of Family and
Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Juvenile
Justice Department, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders
with Medical or Mental Impairments that specify the roles and
responsibilities of each agency in implementing the comprehensive
plan described by Subdivision (1) [implement strategies to expand
the use of system of care practices in the planning and delivery of
services throughout the state];
(3) identify appropriate local, state, and federal
funding sources to finance infrastructure and mental health
services and supports needed to support state and local system of
care framework efforts; [and]
(4) develop an evaluation system to measure
cross-system performance and outcomes of state and local system of
care framework efforts; and
(5) in implementing the provisions of this section,
consult with stakeholders, including:
(A) minors who have or are at risk of developing a
serious emotional disturbance or young adults who received mental
health services and supports as a minor with or at risk of
developing a serious emotional disturbance; and
(B) family members of those minors or young
adults.
[(b-1) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
the consortium shall submit a report to the legislature and the
Council on Children and Families that contains an evaluation of the
outcomes of the Texas System of Care and recommendations on
strengthening state policies and practices that support local
systems of care, including recommendations relating to:
[(1) methods to increase access to effective and
coordinated services and supports;
[(2) methods to increase community capacity to
implement local systems of care through training and technical
assistance;
[(3) use of cross-system performance and outcome data
to make informed decisions at individual and system levels; and
[(4) strategies to maximize public and private funding
at the local, state, and federal levels.]
SECTION 2. Section 531.255, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 531.255. EVALUATION. [(a)] The commission [and the
Department of State Health Services jointly] shall monitor the
implementation of a system of care framework under Section 531.251
and adopt rules as necessary to facilitate or adjust that
implementation [progress of the communities that implement a local
system of care, including monitoring cost avoidance and the net
savings that result from implementing a local system of care].
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.