Welfare and Institutions Code section 5855

The State Department of Health Care Services shall adopt as part of its overall mission the development of community-based, comprehensive, interagency systems of care that target children with serious emotional and behavioral disturbance separated from their families or at risk of separation from their families, as defined in Section 5856. These comprehensive, interagency systems of care shall seek to provide the highest benefit to children, their families, and the community at the lowest cost to the public sector. Essential values shall be as follows:

(a)

Family preservation. A child shall be maintained in their home with the child’s family whenever possible.

(b)

Least restrictive setting. A child shall be placed in the least restrictive and least costly setting appropriate to the child’s needs when out-of-home placement is necessary.

(c)

Natural setting. A child benefits most from mental health services in the child’s natural environment, where the child lives and learns, such as home, school, foster home, or a juvenile detention center.

(d)

Interagency collaboration and a coordinated service delivery system. The primary child-serving agencies, such as social services, probation, education, health, and mental health agencies, shall collaborate at the policy, management, and service levels to provide a coordinated, goal-directed system of care for children with serious emotional disturbance and their families.

(e)

Family involvement. Family participation is an integral part of assessment, intervention, and evaluation.

(f)

Cultural competence. Service effectiveness is dependent upon both culturally relevant and competent service delivery.

Source: Section 5855, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=5855.­ (updated Jan. 1, 2025; accessed Jun. 30, 2025).

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Verified:
Jul. 7, 2025

§ 5855's source at ca​.gov