CA Welf & Inst Code Section 4684.81

(a)

The department shall implement a pilot project using community placement plan funds, as appropriated in the State Department of Developmental Services’ annual budget, to test the effectiveness of providing enhanced behavioral supports in homelike community settings. The enhanced behavioral supports homes shall be for purposes of providing intensive behavioral services and supports to adults and children with developmental disabilities who need intensive services and supports due to challenging behaviors that cannot be managed in a community setting without the availability of enhanced behavioral services and supports, and who are at risk of institutionalization or out-of-state placement, or are transitioning to the community from a developmental center, other state-operated residential facility, institution for mental disease, or out-of-state placement.

(b)

An enhanced behavioral supports home may only be established in an adult residential facility or a group home approved through a regional center community placement plan pursuant to Section 4418.25.

(c)

Enhanced behavioral supports homes may be approved by the State Department of Developmental Services each fiscal year in which the pilot program is in effect and to the extent funding is available for this purpose, each for no more than four individuals with developmental disabilities. The homes shall be located throughout the state, as determined by the State Department of Developmental Services, based on regional center requests.

(d)

Each enhanced behavioral supports home shall be licensed as an adult residential facility or a group home pursuant to the California Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code) and certified by the State Department of Developmental Services, shall exceed the minimum requirements for a Residential Facility Service Level 4-i pursuant to Sections 56004 and 56013 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall meet all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to a facility licensed as an adult residential facility or a group home for facility licensing, seclusion, and restraint, including Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 1180) of the Health and Safety Code, and the use of behavior modification interventions, subject to any additional requirements applicable to enhanced behavioral supports homes established by statute or by regulation promulgated pursuant to this article and Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 1567.61) of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.

(e)

A regional center shall not place a consumer in an enhanced behavioral supports home unless the program is certified by the State Department of Developmental Services and the facility is licensed by the State Department of Social Services.

(f)

The State Department of Developmental Services shall be responsible for granting the certificate of program approval for an enhanced behavioral supports home.

(g)

The State Department of Developmental Services may, pursuant to Section 4684.85, decertify any enhanced behavioral supports home that does not comply with program requirements. Upon decertification of an enhanced behavioral supports home, the State Department of Developmental Services shall report the decertification to the State Department of Social Services. The State Department of Social Services shall revoke the license of the enhanced behavioral supports home that has been decertified pursuant to Section 1550 of the Health and Safety Code.

(h)

If the State Department of Developmental Services determines that urgent action is necessary to protect a consumer residing in an enhanced behavioral supports home from physical or mental abuse, abandonment, or any other substantial threat to the consumer’s health and safety, the State Department of Developmental Services may request that the regional center or centers remove the consumer from the enhanced behavioral supports home or direct the regional center or centers to obtain alternative or additional services for the consumers within 24 hours of that determination. When possible, an individual program plan (IPP) meeting shall be convened to determine the appropriate action pursuant to this section. In any case, an IPP meeting shall be convened within 30 days following an action pursuant to this section.

(i)

Enhanced behavioral supports homes shall have a facility program plan approved by the State Department of Developmental Services.

(1)

The facility program plan approved by the State Department of Developmental Services shall be submitted to the State Department of Social Services for inclusion in the facility plan of operation.

(2)

The vendoring regional center and each consumer’s regional center shall have joint responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the services provided in the enhanced behavioral supports home. Monitoring shall include at least quarterly, or more frequently if specified in the consumer’s individual program plan, face-to-face, onsite case management visits with each consumer by his or her regional center and at least quarterly quality assurance visits by the vendoring regional center. The State Department of Developmental Services shall monitor and ensure the regional centers’ compliance with their monitoring responsibilities.

(j)

The State Department of Developmental Services shall establish by regulation a rate methodology for enhanced behavioral supports homes that includes a fixed facility component for residential services and an individualized services and supports component based on each consumer’s needs as determined through the individual program plan process, which may include assistance with transitioning to a less restrictive community residential setting.

(k)

(1)The established facility rate for a full month of service, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to this article, shall be paid based on the licensed capacity of the facility once the facility reaches maximum capacity, despite the temporary absence of one or more consumers from the facility or subsequent temporary vacancies created by consumers moving from the facility. Prior to the facility reaching licensed capacity, the facility rate shall be prorated based on the number of consumers residing in the facility. When a consumer is temporarily absent from the facility, including when a consumer is in need for inpatient care in a health facility, as defined in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, the regional center may, based on consumer need, continue to fund individual services, in addition to paying the facility rate. Individual consumer services funded by the regional center during a consumer’s absence from the facility shall be approved by the regional center director and shall only be approved in 14-day increments. The regional center shall maintain documentation of the need for these services and the regional center director’s approval.

(2)

An enhanced behavioral supports home using delayed egress devices, in compliance with Section 1531.1 of the Health and Safety Code, may utilize secured perimeters, in compliance with Section 1531.15 of the Health and Safety Code and applicable regulations. No more than two enhanced behavioral supports homes using delayed egress devices in combination with secured perimeters may be certified by the State Department of Developmental Services during the first year of the pilot program, one in northern California and one in southern California, and no more than one additional home using delayed egress devices in combination with a secured perimeter may be certified by the State Department of Developmental Services in each subsequent year of the pilot program. No more than six enhanced behavioral supports homes that use delayed egress devices in combination with a secured perimeter shall be certified during the pilot program. Enhanced behavioral supports homes shall not be counted for purposes of the statewide limit established in regulations on the total number of beds permitted in homes with delayed egress devices in combination with secured perimeters pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 1531.15 of the Health and Safety Code. The department shall make reasonable efforts to include enhanced behavioral supports homes within the statewide limit.