Mental Health Services Act: use of funds for substance use disorder treatment.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) , an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, funds a system of county mental health plans for the provision of mental health services, as specified. The act establishes the Mental Health Services Fund, which is continuously appropriated to, and administered by, the State Department of Health Care Services to fund specified county mental health programs. This bill would require the department to establish a pilot program in up to 10 counties, as specified, and would authorize funding from the MHSA, commencing January 1, 2022, and continuing until January 1, 2027, to be used by participating counties to treat a person with cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders when the person would be eligible for treatment of the mental health disorder pursuant to the MHSA. The bill would also authorize participating counties during the specified time period to use MHSA funds to assess whether a person has cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders and to treat a person who is preliminarily assessed to have cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders, even when the person is later determined not to be eligible for services provided with MHSA funds. The bill would require a person being treated for cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders who is determined to not need the mental health services that are eligible for funding pursuant to the act, to be, as quickly as possible, referred to substance use disorder treatment services. By authorizing the use of continuously appropriated funds for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would require the department to submit a progress report to the Legislature on the efficacy of the pilot program on or before July 1, 2023, and to submit a final report to the Legislature on the efficacy of the pilot program not later than July 1, 2027.