By:  Moncrief                                         S.B. No. 1470
         2001S0722/1                            
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to creating a pilot treatment program for certain
 1-3     juveniles on probation.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 533, Health and Safety
 1-6     Code, is amended by adding Section 533.048 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 533.048.  YOUTH ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PILOT
 1-8     PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section:
 1-9                 (1)  "ACT pilot program" means the Youth Assertive
1-10     Community Treatment pilot program established by the department
1-11     under this section.
1-12                 (2)  "ACT team" means the clinical and rehabilitation
1-13     professional staff that provide services under the ACT pilot
1-14     program.
1-15                 (3)  "Targeted youth" means persons under 18 years of
1-16     age who:
1-17                       (A)  have severe and persistent mental illnesses;
1-18                       (B)  have a history of:
1-19                             (i)  multiple hospitalizations;
1-20                             (ii)  poor school performance;
1-21                             (iii)  placement in emergency shelters or
1-22     residential treatment facilities; or
1-23                             (iv)  chemical abuse or dependency; and
1-24                       (C)  are on juvenile probation.
1-25           (b)  The department shall establish a Youth Assertive
 2-1     Community Treatment pilot program in Tarrant County to provide
 2-2     treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to targeted youth
 2-3     in Tarrant County.  The ACT pilot program shall be modeled on other
 2-4     Assertive Community Treatment programs that have been established
 2-5     across the state by the department.
 2-6           (c)  The department shall create an ACT team consisting of
 2-7     degreed or licensed professionals in the clinical treatment or
 2-8     rehabilitation fields to be responsible for administering the ACT
 2-9     pilot program.  The professionals chosen for the ACT team must
2-10     include a full-time registered nurse, who will provide direct
2-11     services to the targeted youth, and a psychiatrist, who will be
2-12     available to the ACT pilot program for a minimum of 10 hours per
2-13     week.  The ACT team shall maintain a ratio of not less than one ACT
2-14     team member for each 10 targeted youth, with a maximum of 30
2-15     targeted youth receiving services at any one time.
2-16           (d)  In administering the ACT pilot program, the ACT team
2-17     shall:
2-18                 (1)  provide psychiatric, substance abuse, and social
2-19     development services to targeted youth;
2-20                 (2)  maintain the ratio specified in Subsection (c) in
2-21     order to:
2-22                       (A)  provide ACT team availability during evening
2-23     and weekend hours;
2-24                       (B)  meet the needs of special populations; and
2-25                       (C)  cover the geographic areas served by the
2-26     program; and
 3-1                 (3)  maintain 24-hour responsibility and availability
 3-2     for covering and managing any psychiatric crisis for the targeted
 3-3     youth.
 3-4           SECTION 2.  Not later than January 15, 2003, the Texas
 3-5     Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation shall submit to
 3-6     the governor and the legislature a report concerning the
 3-7     effectiveness of the Youth Assertive Community Treatment pilot
 3-8     program established under Section 533.048, Health and Safety Code,
 3-9     as added by this Act.
3-10           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.