1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of a pilot program for certain juveniles
1-3 with mental illness and placed on probation by a juvenile court.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 614, Health and Safety Code, is amended
1-6 by adding Section 614.019 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 614.019. YOUTH ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PILOT
1-8 PROGRAM. (a) The council may establish in Tarrant County an
1-9 assertive community treatment pilot program to provide treatment,
1-10 rehabilitation, and support services to individuals in that county
1-11 who:
1-12 (1) are under 18 years of age;
1-13 (2) have severe and persistent mental illness;
1-14 (3) have a history of:
1-15 (A) multiple hospitalizations;
1-16 (B) poor performance in school;
1-17 (C) placement in emergency shelters or
1-18 residential treatment facilities; or
1-19 (D) chemical dependency or abuse; and
1-20 (4) have been placed on probation by a juvenile court.
1-21 (b) The pilot program must be modeled after other assertive
1-22 community treatment programs established by the Texas Department of
1-23 Mental Health and Mental Retardation. The program is limited to
1-24 serving not more than 30 program participants at any time.
1-25 (c) If the council creates a pilot program under this
2-1 section, the council shall provide for the program a team of
2-2 licensed or degreed professionals in the clinical treatment or
2-3 rehabilitation field to administer the pilot program. A team
2-4 created under this subsection must include:
2-5 (1) a registered nurse to provide full-time direct
2-6 services to the program participants; and
2-7 (2) a psychiatrist available to the program for 10 or
2-8 more hours each week.
2-9 (d) In administering the pilot program, the program's
2-10 professional team shall:
2-11 (1) provide psychiatric, substance abuse, and
2-12 employment services to program participants;
2-13 (2) maintain a ratio of one or more team members for
2-14 each 10 program participants to the extent practicable;
2-15 (3) be available to program participants during
2-16 evening and weekend hours;
2-17 (4) meet the needs of special populations;
2-18 (5) maintain at all times availability for addressing
2-19 and managing a psychiatric crisis of any program participant; and
2-20 (6) cover the geographic areas served by the program.
2-21 (e) The council and the pilot program shall cooperate with
2-22 or contract with local agencies to avoid duplication of services
2-23 and to maximize federal Medicaid funding.
2-24 SECTION 2. (a) The Criminal Justice Policy Council shall
2-25 conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot program
2-26 established under Section 614.019, Health and Safety Code, as added
3-1 by this Act. The study shall, at a minimum, provide information
3-2 regarding:
3-3 (1) the number of urinalysis tests of program
3-4 participants that show the presence of controlled substances or
3-5 other substances as determined by the Texas Council on Offenders
3-6 with Mental Impairments;
3-7 (2) the number of arrests of program participants; and
3-8 (3) the number of hospitalizations of program
3-9 participants.
3-10 (b) The Criminal Justice Policy Council shall report the
3-11 results of the study to the governor, lieutenant governor, and
3-12 speaker of the house of representatives on or before December 31,
3-13 2002.
3-14 SECTION 3. Section 614.019, Health and Safety Code, as added
3-15 by this Act, is effective only during a state fiscal biennium in
3-16 which the legislature has appropriated money to the Texas Council
3-17 on Offenders with Mental Impairments for the purposes of that
3-18 section. If the legislature has not appropriated money for those
3-19 purposes in a fiscal biennium, the Texas Council on Offenders with
3-20 Mental Impairments, with appropriated money or other available
3-21 resources, shall attempt to provide services during that biennium
3-22 that are comparable to the services the council may provide under
3-23 that section.
3-24 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1470 passed the Senate on
May 3, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1470 passed the House on
May 23, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor