Foster youth with complex needs: regional health teams.

Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings, and governs the provision of child welfare services, which is defined to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of specified purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and restoring to their families children who have been removed. Existing federal law, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, among other things, provides states with an option to use federal funds under Title IV of the federal Social Security Act to provide mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parent skill-based programs to a child who is a candidate for foster care or a child in foster care who is a pregnant or parenting foster youth, as specified. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to establish up to 10 regional health teams throughout the state, to serve foster youth and youth who may be at risk of entering foster care. The bill would require the department to submit a state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no later than July 1, 2024, to implement the Medicaid Health Home State Plan Option, as specified, in establishing the regional health teams. The bill would require the department to coordinate with the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Developmental Services, and to convene and engage specified stakeholders, to develop the regional health teams. The bill would make regional health teams available to children and youth and any adult caregiver or other adult connected with the child or youth under 26 years of age, who are experiencing severe mental illness, emotional disturbance, substance use, intellectual or developmental disability, or special health care needs or chronic health issues, or any combination of those conditions. The bill would specify the required membership of the regional health teams, including, but not limited to, a physician, a licensed clinical social worker, and a public health nurse. The duties of the regional health team would include, but not be limited to, receiving and responding to referrals received from staff from county child welfare agencies, county probation departments, regional centers, and others, developing a person-centered care plan, and coordinating and delivering various categories of care and services. The bill would require the department to provide grants, upon appropriation, to create the necessary startup infrastructure for 10 health teams that are geographically situated to support access to services equitably throughout the state, as specified. The bill would require the regional health teams to be funded by the department pursuant to a competitive procurement process. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature that the health home state plan option begin no later than December 1, 2024, as specified. The bill would condition implementation of these provisions on the availability of federal financial participation and receipt of any necessary federal approvals. The bill would authorize the department to implement these provisions through all-county letters or similar instructions.