(a)
(1)Interagency collaboration and children’s program services shall be structured in a manner that will facilitate implementation of the goals of Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) of Division 5 to develop protocols outlining the roles and responsibilities of placing agencies and short-term residential treatment
centers regarding nonemergency placements of foster children in certified short-term residential treatment centers or foster family agencies.
(2)
Components shall be added to state-county performance contracts required in Section 5650 that provide for reports from counties on how this section is implemented.
(3)
The State Department of Health Care Services shall develop performance contract components required by paragraph (2).
(4)
Performance contracts subject to this section shall document that the procedures to be implemented in compliance with this section have been approved by the county social services department and the county probation department.
(b)
Funds specified in subdivision (a) of Section 17601 for services to wards of the court and dependent children of the court shall be allocated and distributed to counties based on the number of wards of the court and dependent children of the court in the county.
(c)
A county may utilize funds allocated pursuant to subdivision (b) only if the county has established an operational interagency placement committee with a membership that includes at least the county placement agency and a licensed mental health professional from the county department of mental health. If necessary, the funds may be used for costs associated with establishing the interagency placement committee.
(d)
Funds allocated pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be used to provide services to wards
of the court and dependent children of the court jointly identified by county mental health, social services, and probation departments as the highest priority. Every effort shall be made to match those funds with funds received pursuant to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, contained in Subchapter 19 (commencing with Section 1396) of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code.
(e)
(1)Each interagency placement committee shall establish procedures whereby a ward of the court or dependent child of the court, or a voluntarily placed child whose placement is funded by the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care Program, who is to be placed or is currently placed in a short-term residential treatment center program, as specified in Section 11462.01, or a group home granted an extension
pursuant to Section 11462.04, shall be assessed to determine whether he or she meets the medical necessity criteria for Medi-Cal specialty mental health Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment services, as the criteria are described in Section 1830.210 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, or assessed as seriously emotionally disturbed, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 5600.3.
(2)
The assessment required by paragraph (1) shall also indicate that the child is in need of the care and services provided by a short-term residential
treatment center.
(3)
Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit an interagency placement committee from considering an assessment that was provided by a licensed mental health professional, as described in subdivision (g), and that was developed consistent with procedures established by the county pursuant to paragraph (1).
(f)
The interagency placement committee shall document the results of the assessment required by subdivision (e) and shall notify the appropriate provider in writing, of those results within 10 days of the completion of the assessment.
(g)
If the child’s or youth’s placement is not funded by the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care Program, a licensed
mental health professional, or an otherwise recognized provider of mental health services, shall certify that the child has been assessed as meeting the medical necessity criteria for Medi-Cal specialty mental health Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment services, as the criteria are described in Section 1830.210 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, or assessed as seriously emotionally disturbed, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 5600.3. A “licensed mental health professional” includes a physician licensed under Section 2050 of the Business and Professions Code, a licensed psychologist within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 2902 of the Business and Professions Code, a licensed clinical social worker within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 4996 of the Business and Professions Code, a licensed marriage and family therapist within the meaning
of subdivision (b) of Section 4980 of the Business and Professions Code, or a licensed professional clinical counselor within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section
4999.12.
(h)
This section shall become operative on January 1, 2017.