Older adults.

Existing law establishes an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program, administered by the California Department of Aging, to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. Existing law requires the ADRC program to provide services within the geographic area served and provide information to the public about the services provided by the program. Existing law requires the department to administer the ADRC Infrastructure Grants Program for the purpose of implementing a No Wrong Door System, as defined. Existing law makes the operation of these provisions contingent upon the appropriation of funds for that purpose. This bill would require the California Department of Aging to develop a core model of ADRC best practices, and would require ADRC programs operated jointly by area agencies on aging and independent living centers to implement these best practices by July 1, 2022. In developing those best practices, the bill would require the department to consider specified practices, including, among others, a person-centered counseling process. The bill would delete the contingent operation and instead make the implementation of these provisions, and the existing ADRC provisions, contingent on an appropriation of funds for that express purpose. This bill would require the California Department of Aging to take specified actions with regard to the implementation of the No Wrong Door System, including, among other things, developing a plan for, and overseeing the implementation of, the No Wrong Door System and coordinating funding sources for the No Wrong Door System. The bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to determine if the Medicaid administrative claiming process may be used to fund the No Wrong Door System, or activities associated with the No Wrong Door System, and, if so, would authorize the department to take necessary action to receive that funding. The bill would make the implementation of these provisions contingent on an appropriation of funds for those express purposes.