Community mental health services: mental health boards.

Existing law, the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, governs the organization and financing of community mental health services for persons with mental disorders in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. Existing law requires each community mental health service to have a mental health board consisting of members who are appointed by the governing body, and encourages counties to appoint individuals who have experience with and knowledge of the mental health system. Existing law requires at least 50% of the board membership to be consumers, or the parents, spouses, siblings, or adult children of consumers. Existing law specifies the duties of mental health boards, including acting in an advisory role to the governing body. This bill would require at least one member of the board to be a veteran or veteran advocate in counties with a population of 100,000 or more. In counties with a population of fewer than 100,000, the bill would require these counties to give a strong preference to appointing at least one member of the board who is a veteran or veteran advocate. By placing a new requirement on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.