Federal 21st Century Cures Act: community-based crisis response plan: grant.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Health Care Services within the California Health and Human Services Agency and sets forth the powers and duties of the department with regard to the administration and state oversight of mental health and substance use disorder functions and programs in this state, and the Medi-Cal program. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or to amend existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis for the purpose of administering or implementing any federal grant awarded pursuant to the federal 21st Century Cures Act. Existing federal law, the 21st Century Cures Act, authorizes the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to state and local governments and Indian tribes and tribal organizations to enhance community-based crisis response systems that, among other things, promote integration and coordination between local public and private entities engaged in crisis response, such as first responders, health care providers, and behavioral health providers, and addresses gaps in community resources for crisis intervention and prevention. This bill would require the department to develop and submit an application to solicit a grant under the federal authority described above to develop a community-based crisis response plan and would require the grant application to include, at a minimum, and consistent with federal grant application requirements, a plan for specified objectives. The bill would require the department to confer with specified stakeholders in developing its grant proposal and application. The bill would require the department, if awarded a grant, to submit to the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, at the time and in the manner, and containing the information, as the secretary may reasonably require, a report, including an evaluation of the effect of that grant on, among other things, local crisis response services and measures for individuals receiving crisis planning and early intervention supports. The bill would also require the department to submit a copy of this report to the Legislature. The bill would only become operative if Congress appropriates funds for purposes of the competitive grants.