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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing a cross-system coordinated behavioral |
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health intervention pilot project. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) The Department of State Health Services |
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shall establish a cross-system coordinated behavioral health |
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intervention pilot project for children in Bexar County. |
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(b) In implementing the pilot project, the department shall |
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require a local mental health authority serving Bexar County to: |
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(1) enter into a memorandum of understanding or other |
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agreement with state and local agencies that work directly with |
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children, including the Department of State Health Services, the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Youth |
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Commission, and the Texas Education Agency, to: |
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(A) permit cross-system collaboration in the |
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provision of uniform early intervention behavioral health |
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assessments to children; and |
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(B) to the extent allowed by other law, identify |
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children in the educational, juvenile justice, and child protective |
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services systems who have or are at risk of developing mental health |
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or substance abuse problems, divert the children to integrated |
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systems of care services, and reduce cross-system gaps or |
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inefficiencies in the provision of care; |
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(2) develop, in collaboration with the state and local |
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agencies, a best practices plan regarding: |
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(A) cross-system informed consent and |
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confidentiality practices; |
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(B) uniform behavioral health screening for |
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children; |
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(C) uniform referral processes between systems |
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and agencies related to behavioral health services; |
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(D) the delivery of early intervention and |
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treatment services; and |
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(E) an information exchange process between |
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agencies to facilitate faster identification and assessment of |
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behavioral health problems and integrate service delivery; |
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(3) identify outcome measures that may be used to |
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measure the efficiency of cross-system coordination; and |
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(4) ensure that an extensive listing of providers is |
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available for children and their families, including information |
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regarding the services offered and the behavioral health issues |
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addressed by the provider. |
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(c) The department may use funds for crisis prevention |
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programs in collaboration with funds from local authorities, |
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including school districts and criminal justice agencies, to |
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implement the pilot project. |
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(d) Not later than December 1, 2008, the local mental health |
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authority involved in the pilot project shall submit a report to the |
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department regarding the cross-system coordinated behavioral |
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health intervention pilot project, including: |
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(1) a comprehensive analysis of the efficacy of the |
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project; and |
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(2) the local authority's findings and |
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recommendations. |
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(e) This section expires September 1, 2009. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |