BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 219

By: Nelson

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that children in foster care and kinship care do not receive sufficient mental health services and professionals do not sufficiently understand the impact of trauma on a child's mental health and behaviors.  S.B. 219 seeks to ensure that children in foster care and kinship care receive needed mental health services and that professionals understand the impact of trauma on a child's mental health and behaviors by amending current law relating to health and mental health services for children in foster care and kinship care.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 219 amends the Family Code to include Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) supervisors among the persons in whose training DFPS is required to include training in trauma-informed programs and services. The bill requires DFPS to annually evaluate the effectiveness of such training to ensure progress toward a trauma-informed system of care. The bill requires DFPS to require DFPS caseworkers and supervisors to complete an annual refresher training course in trauma-informed programs and services. The bill requires DFPS, to the extent that resources are available, to assist court-appointed special advocate programs, children's advocacy centers, local community mental health centers, and domestic violence shelters in developing training in trauma-informed programs and services and in locating money and other resources to assist the entities in providing trauma-informed programs and services.

S.B. 219 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to explore opportunities to increase STAR Health program providers' use of telemedicine medical services in medically underserved areas of Texas and to encourage STAR Health program providers to use telemedicine medical services as appropriate.

S.B. 219 requires a contract between a managed care organization and HHSC for the organization to provide health care services to recipients under the STAR Health program to include a requirement that trauma-informed care training be offered to each contracted physician or provider. The bill requires HHSC to encourage each managed care organization providing health care services to a recipient under the STAR Health program to make training in post-traumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder available to a contracted physician or provider within a reasonable time after the date the physician or provider begins providing services under the managed care plan. The bill requires HHSC to encourage each such managed care organization to ensure that the organization's network providers comply with the regimen of care prescribed by the Texas Health Steps program, if applicable, including the requirement to provide a mental health screening during each of the recipient's Texas Health Steps medical exams conducted by a network provider.

S.B. 219 requires HHSC, to the extent permitted by law or the terms of the contract, to amend a contract entered into before the effective date of the bill with a managed care organization to require compliance with the requirement that trauma-informed care training be offered to each contracted physician or provider. The bill requires a state agency that is affected by a provision of the bill to request a federal waiver or authorization if the agency determines that a waiver or authorization is necessary for the implementation of the provision, and it authorizes the agency to delay implementation until the federal waiver or authorization is obtained.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.