5670-5676.5
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
SECTION 5670-5676.5
5670. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the development of a system of residential treatment programs in every county which provides a range of alternatives to institutional care based on principles of residential, community-based treatment. (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that community residential mental health programs in the State of California be developed in accordance with the guidelines and principles set forth in this chapter. To this end, counties may implement the community residential treatment system described in this chapter either with available county allocations, or as new moneys become available. 5670.5. Criteria for community residential treatment system programs are as follows: (a) Facilities: (1) Settings, whether residential or day, should be as close to a normal home environment as possible without sacrificing client safety or care. (2) Residential treatment centers should be relatively small, preferably 15 beds or less, but in any case with the appearance of a noninstitutional setting. (3) The individual elements of the system should, where possible, be in separate facilities, and not part of one large facility attempting to serve an entire range of clients. (b) Staffing patterns: (1) Staffing patterns should reflect, to the maximum extent feasible, at all levels, the cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual and other social characteristics of the community the facility serves. (2) The programs should be designed to use appropriate multidisciplinary professional consultation and staff to meet the specific diagnostic and treatment needs of the clients. (3) The programs should use paraprofessionals and persons who have been consumers of mental health services where appropriate. (c) Programs: (1) The programs should, to the maximum extent feasible, be designed so as to reduce the dependence on medications as a sole treatment tool. Programs in which prescriptions for medication are a component of the program should be subject to the medications-monitoring. (2) The programs should have a rehabilitation focus which encourages the client to develop the skills to become self-sufficient and capable of increasing levels of independent functioning. Where appropriate, they should include prevocational and vocational programs. (3) The program should encourage the participation of the clients in the daily operation of the setting in development of treatment and rehabilitation planning and evaluation. (4) Participation in any element of the system should not preclude the involvement of clients in individual therapy. Individual therapists of clients should, where possible, be directly involved in the development and implementation of a treatment plan, including medication and day program decisions. (d) Coordination: The programs should demonstrate specific linkages with one another, and with the general treatment and social service system, as a whole. These connections should not be limited to the mental health system, but should include, whenever possible, community resources utilized by the general population. 5671. The following should be the programs in the community residential treatment system. These programs should be designed to provide, at every level, alternatives to institutional settings. (a) A program for a short-term crisis residential alternative to hospitalization for individuals experiencing an acute episode or crisis requiring temporary removal from their home environment. The program should be available for admissions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The primary focus of this program should be on reduction of the crisis, on stabilization, and on a diagnostic assessment of the person's existing support system, including recommendations for referrals upon discharge. The services in the program should include, but not be limited to, provision for direct family work, connections to prevocational and vocational programs, and development of a support system, including income and treatment referrals. This program should be designed for persons who would otherwise be referred to an inpatient unit, either locally or in the state hospital. This program should place an emphasis on stabilization and appropriate referral for further treatment or support services, or both. (b) A long-term residential treatment program, with a full day treatment component as a part of the program, for persons who may require intensive support for as long as two or three years. This program should be designed to provide a rehabilitation program for the so-called "chronic" patient who needs long-term support in order to develop independent living skills. The clients in this program should be those who would otherwise be living marginally in the community with little or no service support, and who would return many times to the hospital for treatment. It should also serve those who are referred to, and maintained in, state hospitals or nursing homes because they require long-term, intensive support. This program should go beyond maintenance to provide an active rehabilitation focus for these individuals. The services in this program should include, but not be limited to, intensive diagnostic work, including learning disability assessment, full day treatment program with an active prevocational and vocational component, special education services, outreach to develop linkages with the general social service system, and counseling to aid clients in developing the skills to move toward a less structured setting. (c) A transitional residential program designed for persons who are able to take part in programs in the general community, but who, without the support of counseling, as well as the therapeutic community, would be at risk of returning to the hospital. This program may employ a variety of staffing patterns and should be for persons who may be expected to move toward a more independent living setting within approximately three months to one year. The clients should be expected to play a major role in the functioning of the household, and shall be encouraged to accept increasing levels of responsibility, both in the residential community, and in the community as a whole. Residents should be required to be involved in daytime activities outside of the house which are relevant to their personal goals and conducive to their achieving more self-sufficiency. The services in this program should include, but are not limited to, counseling and ongoing assessment, development of support systems in the community, a day program which encourages interaction between clients and the community-at-large, and an activity program that encourages socialization and utilization of general community resources. (d) A program for semisupervised, independent, but structured living arrangement for persons who do not need the intensive support of the other system programs, but who, without some support and structure, are at risk to return to a condition requiring hospitalization. The individual apartments or houses should be shared by three to five persons. These small cooperative housing units should function as independent households with direct linkages to staff support in case of emergencies, as well as for regular assessment and evaluation meetings. Individuals may use satellite housing as a transition to independent living, or may remain in this setting indefinitely in order to avoid the need for more intensive settings. This program should be for persons who only need minimum support in order to live in the community. These individuals may require rent subsidy, as well as the backup of another system, in order to remain in this setting. The satellite units should be as normative as the general living arrangements in the communities in which they are developed. (e) A program to provide emergency housing or respite care services, or both. These services should be designed for persons with a mental disability in need of temporary housing, but who do not require hospitalization or the more intensive support and treatment of the crisis residential program. Services provided should include, but not be limited to, advocacy, counseling, and linkages to community mental health and other human services, including referrals to vocational and housing opportunities. (f) A day rehabilitation program which should be designed to provide structured education, training, and support services to promote the development of independent living skills and community support. Services provided should include, but not be limited to, peer support, education services, prevocational and employment services, recreational and social activities, service brokerage and advocacy, orientation to community resources, training in independent living skills, health education including medication education, individual and group counseling, education and counseling services for family members, and crisis intervention. (g) The program for socialization centers should be designed to serve a broad range of clients, including those in the system programs, when appropriate, as well as persons living in the community in general. This program should be designed to provide regular daytime, evening, and weekend activities for persons who require long-term, structured support, but who do not receive such services in their living setting. Although the socialization center is meant to provide a maintenance support program for those individuals who only wish or require regular socialization opportunities, the programs should also provide the opportunity to develop the skills to move toward more independent functioning. The services in this program should include, but not be limited to, outings, recreational activities, cultural events, linkages to community resources, as well as prevocational counseling, life skills training, and other rehabilitation efforts. This program should be for persons who would lose contact with a social or treatment system, or both, if left to their isolated living situation, or their ability to participate in activities for the "general public." With this level of support, persons would be able to lead full and active lives, with the opportunity to develop the skills to move toward independent living. Also included in the program should be adult education support programs which utilize community college and other adult education agencies. These services would provide opportunities to individuals throughout the community residential treatment system and in other living settings, including independent living, to develop skills necessary for independent living through the utilization of resources available to the general population. (h) An in-home treatment program designed as an alternative to out-of-home placement for individuals who are otherwise not appropriate for, or do not choose to participate in, other elements of the community residential treatment system. This program should be designed for those individuals who would benefit most from a treatment intervention in their home environment. It is a basic premise of this element that treatment should focus on the development of family and other personal and community supports, rather than exclusively on the individual. The goal of the program should be to reintegrate the individual with the family unit, when appropriate, and with the greater community without removing the person from his or her home environment. The service may be designed as a crisis intervention for persons experiencing an acute episode or an ongoing independent living service, or both, for persons wishing to obtain or maintain housing and services in the community. Services provided should include, but not be limited to, crisis intervention, family work, when appropriate, development of a specific treatment plan, development of an ongoing rehabilitation plan utilizing available resources in the community, and coordination with such services as case management, vocational rehabilitation, schools and other education services, and various special programs which would act as a support system for the individual. (i) A volunteer-based companion program designed to encourage the development of personal relationships with residents of community care facilities with the goal of motivating and assisting residents to make a successful transition to independent living, or to programs of the community residential treatment system. The service should be provided primarily by volunteers, including students as a part of a college or university curriculum, who are supervised and coordinated by trained and experienced personnel. Services provided should include, but not be limited to, recreation, one-to-one companionship, advocacy, and assistance in developing the knowledge and use of community resources, including housing and vocational services, and follow up for persons who make the transition to independent living. 5671.5. It is the intent of the Legislature that programs serving children and adolescents should be established under this chapter. Such programs should follow the guidelines and principles set forth in this chapter and in addition should meet the following criteria unique to the population to be served: (a) The programs should, to the maximum extent feasible, be designed so as to reduce the disruption and promote the reintegration of the family unit of which the child is a part. (b) The programs should have an education focus and should demonstrate specific linkage with community education resources. (c) The programs should contain a specific followup component. 5672. The types of programs serving children and adolescents referred to in Section 5671.5 are those described in this section. The programs should meet the criteria set forth in this section and in Sections 5671 and 5671.5. Nothing in this section should be construed to waive any licensure requirement pursuant to the California Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code) for any community care facility. (a) A program for a short-term crisis residential alternative to hospitalization. The services in this program should include, but not be limited to, provision of direct services to the family, specific linkages with the child's educational system and community educational resources, and development of a support system, including school and treatment referrals. The program should be designed for children and adolescents who would otherwise be referred to a psychiatric inpatient unit. It should be a 24-hour program, with an emphasis on stabilization and appropriate referral for further treatment or support services. (b) A long-term residential treatment program. This program should have an educational orientation and should reflect the principle that education be available in the least restrictive environment. The program should serve children and adolescents requiring an intensive support system for a period of six to 18 months, who would otherwise be at risk of periodic hospitalization. The program should provide coordinated intervention with the child, family unit, and community education resources, and should include aftercare services to the child and family unit to solidify gains and develop skills in linking with community services. (c) A transitional residential program. This program may include group homes, foster homes, or homes adapted for preparing adolescents approaching majority to adjust to emancipation. The services in this program should include, but not be limited to, coordination with community education resources to meet the child' s individual need, family services designed to strengthen the family unity of which the child is a part, and aftercare services to reinforce the gains brought about by the program and assist in community adjustment. (d) A program for a semisupervised, independent but structured living arrangement. This program should apply to older adolescents, who are either emancipated or who would not be returning home from out-of-home placement. The semisupervised living arrangement should require structured living designed to impart those skills necessary for successful independent living as described in subdivision (d) of Section 5671. Adult supervision should be available 24 hours per day. The services should include, but not be limited to, prevocational and vocational linkages in the community, financial planning which may include rent subsidy assistance, and development of a social support system. (e) (1) A day treatment program. This program should provide services to children and adolescents who are residing in their own homes or in out-of-home placements. Schoolsites or other noninstitutional settings are preferred for this program. A day treatment program for children should offer a multidisciplinary approach and should incorporate education, recreation, and rehabilitation activities. Services provided should be age appropriate and age specific intensive remedial programs, including education, counseling, socialization, and recreational services. To the extent feasible, the client's family should be included in these activities. (2) Day treatment services should be designed to provide an alternative to residential placement, to provide preventive services in the early stages of family breakdown, and to reduce the need for more costly and lengthy treatment services. Aftercare services should be available to maintain gains and prevent family regression. (f) A socialization center program. This program should provide a multidisciplinary approach and seek funding from a variety of agencies responsible for providing services, including, but not limited to, school districts and recreation departments. The services should promote community acceptance of clients and the integration of their family units. Family involvement in planning activities and developing support system linkages should be encouraged. (g) An in-home treatment program. This program should be designed to strengthen the child's ties with the family unit and with the greater community without removing the child from his or her home environment and community educational system. Services provided should include, but not be limited to, crisis intervention, direct family services, development of specific treatment plans, development of ongoing plans utilizing available resources in the community educational system, and special programs which act as a support system for the child and family unit. (h) Augmentation of crisis intervention program. This program should provide specifically for evaluation, diagnosis, and disposition planning for children and adolescents in psychiatric crisis. (i) Case management services program. This program should emphasize prevention services and should be designed to divert to noninstitutional programs children and adolescents at risk of involvement with traditional mental health institutions. 5673. (a) A five-year pilot program is hereby authorized in Napa County and Riverside County to establish a 15-bed locked facility in each county, for the provision of community care and treatment for mentally disordered persons who are placed in a state hospital or another health facility because no community placements are available to meet the needs of these patients. It is the intent of the Legislature to carefully evaluate this specific approach to determine its potential for replication in other limited jurisdictions. Participation in this pilot program by the two counties shall be on a voluntary basis. The pilot program shall be implemented notwithstanding the following licensure requirements enforced by the State Department of Social Services: (1) Subdivision (a) of Section 1502 of the Health and Safety Code, which defines a community care facility as providing nonmedical care. (2) Subdivision (a) of Section 1505 of the Health and Safety Code, which exempts any health facility, as defined by Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, from licensure under the California Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code). (3) Section 1507 of the Health and Safety Code, which limits the provision of medical services in community care facilities to incidental medical services. (4) Paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 80001 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, which states that an adult residential facility provides nonmedical care. (5) Paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 80072 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, which relates to a client's right not to be locked in any room, building, or facility premises. However, for purposes of this section, a client shall not be locked in any room. (b) Clients provided care within these pilot facilities shall be conservatees as defined by Section 5350 who, prior to the establishment of this program, either received care at a state hospital or were placed in facilities for the mentally disordered. (c) Standards for services provided shall be developed by each county mental health director, in consultation with, and approved by, the State Department of Mental Health and monitored regularly by the department for compliance with these standards. These services shall be on a 24-hour basis in a therapeutic homelike environment. The services shall cover the full range of the social rehabilitation model concept, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Counseling. (2) Day treatment. (3) Crisis intervention. (4) Vocational training. (5) Medication evaluation and management by a licensed physician and other licensed professional and paraprofessional staff who possess a valid license or certificate to perform this function. (d) Administration of medication and monitoring of medication shall occur notwithstanding statutory and regulatory licensure requirements for community care facilities to the contrary. Standards for use of medications shall be developed and monitored by the State Department of Mental Health. (e) The facilities shall be licensed and monitored by the State Department of Social Services and shall comply with all licensing requirements except those specifically exempted by this section. In addition, no less than 75 square feet of outdoor space per client shall be made available for client use. The State Department of Social Services shall conduct inspections of the facilities pursuant to Section 1533 of the Health and Safety Code and shall be given immediate access to the facilities. (f) In staffing the pilot program, each county board of supervisors shall give full consideration to each potential means of implementation, including, but not limited to, the clinical, programmatic, and economic benefits and advantages of each alternative. The pilot program shall meet all of the staffing criteria of subdivision (b) of Section 5670.5. The staff shall use and document the actions of a multidisciplinary professional consultation staff to meet the specific diagnostic and treatment needs of clients. The staff shall include, but need not be limited to, a licensed psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker, and a psychiatric technician. The staff may also include a licensed vocational nurse. One or more of the following licensed professionals shall be present at the facility at all times: (1) A psychiatrist or psychologist. (2) A registered psychiatric nurse. (3) A psychiatric technician. (4) A licensed vocational nurse. (g) Protocols and training shall be established for licensed vocational nurses employed by these facilities. (h) The State Department of Mental Health shall certify the program content in each county and monitor the program's functions on a regular basis and the State Department of Social Services shall regularly evaluate the facilities in accord with its statutory and regulatory licensure functions, pursuant to subdivisions (d) and (e). (i) The pilot program shall be deemed successful if it demonstrates both of the following: (1) That costs of the program are no greater than public expenditures for providing alternative services to the clients served by the program. (2) That the benefit to the clients, as described in subdivision (h), is improved by the program. (j) Commencement of the pilot program in each county pursuant to this section shall be contingent upon the county and the department identifying funds for this purpose, as described in a financial plan that is approved in advance by the Department of Finance. 5675. (a) Subject to Section 5768, Placer County and up to 15 other counties may establish a pilot project for up to six years, to develop a shared mental health rehabilitation center for the provision of community care and treatment for persons with mental disorders who are placed in a state hospital or another health facility because no community placements are available to meet the needs of these patients. Participation in this pilot project by the counties shall be on a voluntary basis. (b) (1) The department shall establish, by emergency regulation, the standards for the pilot project, and monitor the compliance of the counties with those standards. Participating counties, in consultation with the department, shall be responsible for program monitoring. (2) The department, in conjunction with the county mental health directors, shall provide an interim report to the Legislature within three years of the commencement of operation of the facilities authorized pursuant to this section regarding the progress and cost effectiveness demonstrated by the pilot project. The department, in conjunction with the county mental health directors, shall report to the Legislature within five years of the commencement of operation of the facilities authorized pursuant to this section regarding the progress and cost effectiveness demonstrated by the pilot project. The report shall evaluate whether the pilot project is effective based on clinical indicators, and is successful in preventing future placement of its clients in state hospitals or other long-term health facilities, and shall report whether the cost of care in the pilot facilities is less than the cost of care in state hospitals or in other long-term health facility options. The evaluation report shall include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the selected method and the effectiveness of the pilot project staffing, and an analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot project at meeting all of the following objectives: (A) That the clients placed in the facilities show improved global assessment scores, as measured by preadmission and postadmission tests. (B) That the clients placed in the facilities demonstrate improved functional behavior as measured by preadmission and postadmission tests. (C) That the clients placed in the facilities have reduced medication levels as determined by comparison of preadmission and postadmission records. (3) The pilot project shall be deemed successful if it demonstrates both of the following: (A) The costs of the program are no greater than public expenditures for providing alternative services to the clients served by the project. (B) That the benefit to the clients, as described in this subdivision, is improved by the project. (c) The project shall be subject to existing regulations of the State Department of Health Services applicable to health facilities that the State Department of Mental Health deems necessary for fire and life safety of persons with mental illness. (d) The department shall consider projects proposed by other counties under Section 5768. (e) (1) Clients served by the project shall have all of the protections and rights guaranteed to mental health patients pursuant to the following provisions of law: (A) Part 1 (commencing with Section 5000) and this part. (B) Article 5 (commencing with Section 835), Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 850), and Article 6 (commencing with Section 860) of Chapter 4 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations. (2) Clients shall have access to the services of a county patients' rights advocates as provided in Chapter 6.2 (commencing with Section 5500) of Part 1. 5675.1. (a) In accordance with subdivision (b), the department may establish a system for the imposition of prompt and effective civil sanctions for long-term care facilities licensed or certified by the department, including facilities licensed under the provisions of Sections 5675 and 5768, and including facilities certified as providing a special treatment program under Sections 72443 to 72474, inclusive, of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. (b) If the department determines that there is or has been a failure, in a substantial manner, on the part of any such facility to comply with the applicable laws and regulations, the director may impose the following sanctions: (1) A plan of corrective action that addresses all failure identified by the department and includes timelines for correction. (2) A facility that is issued a plan of corrective action, and that fails to comply with the plan and repeats the deficiency, may be subject to immediate suspension of its license or certification, until the deficiency is corrected, when failure to comply with the plan of correction may cause a health or safety risk to residents. (c) The department may also establish procedures for the appeal of an administrative action taken pursuant to this section, including a plan of corrective action or a suspension of license or certification. 5675.2. (a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the Licensing and Certification Fund, Mental Health, from which money, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the Budget Act, shall be expended by the State Department of Mental Health to fund administrative and other activities in support of the department's Licensing and Certification Program. (b) Commencing January 1, 2005, each new and renewal application for a license to operate a mental health rehabilitation center shall be accompanied by an application or renewal fee. (c) The amount of the fees shall be determined and collected by the State Department of Mental Health, but the total amount of the fees collected shall not exceed the actual costs of licensure and regulation of the centers, including, but not limited to, the costs of processing the application, inspection costs, and other related costs. (d) Each license or renewal issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance. Application for renewal of the license shall be accompanied by the necessary fee and shall be filed with the department at least 30 days prior to the expiration date. Failure to file a timely renewal may result in expiration of the license. (e) License and renewal fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Licensing and Certification Fund, Mental Health. (f) Fees collected by the department pursuant to this section shall be expended by the department for the purpose of ensuring the health and safety of all individuals providing care and supervision by licensees and to support activities of the Licensing and Certification Program, including, but not limited to, monitoring facilities for compliance with applicable laws and regulations. (g) The department may make additional charges to the facilities if additional visits are required to ensure that corrective action is taken by the licensee. 5676. (a) The department, in conjunction with the State Department of Health Services, shall develop a state-level plan for a streamlined and consolidated evaluation and monitoring program for the review of skilled nursing facilities with special treatment programs. The plan shall provide for consolidated reviews, reports, and penalties for these facilities. The plan shall include the cost of, and a timeline for implementing, the plan. The plan shall be developed in consultation with stakeholders, including county mental health programs, consumers, family members of persons residing in long-term care facilities who have serious mental illness, and long-term care providers. The plan shall review resident safety and quality programming, ensure that long-term care facilities engaged primarily in diagnosis, treatment, and care of persons with mental diseases are available and appropriately evaluated, and ensure that strong linkages are built to local communities and other treatment resources for residents and their families. The plan shall be submitted to the Legislature on or before March 1, 2001. (b) The State Department of Health Services shall forward to the State Department of Mental Health copies of citations issued to a skilled nursing facility that has a special treatment program certified by the State Department of Mental Health. 5676.5. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that funds allocated to establish or enhance mental health programs are used to integrate the new or enhanced program into an existing system of care. (b) Counties that apply for funds to establish or enhance their mental health service system shall document, in the application process, how the new funds blend into an existing system of care and do not supplant existing expenditures. (c) Applications shall include plans for services and supports, and shall specify how the new or enhanced program blends into an existing array of services. Applications shall demonstrate how a collaborative process involving clients, family members, and other system stakeholders was used to develop the proposal. (d) Applications shall include a commitment to outcome reporting, as defined by the department, including client benefit outcomes, client and family member satisfaction, system of care access, cost savings, cost avoidance, and cost effectiveness outcomes that measure both short- and long-term cost savings. (e) Applications shall demonstrate, when appropriate, how the county intends to continue the new or enhanced program when the grant funds have ended.