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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to health and mental health services for children in |
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foster care and kinship care. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 264.015, Family Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 264.015. TRAINING. (a) The department shall include |
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training in trauma-informed programs and services in any training |
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the department provides to foster parents, adoptive parents, |
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kinship caregivers, [and] department caseworkers, and department |
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caseworker supervisors. The department shall pay for the training |
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provided under this subsection [section] with gifts, donations, and |
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grants and any federal money available through the Fostering |
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Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Pub. |
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L. No. 110-351). The department shall annually evaluate the |
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effectiveness of the training provided under this subsection to |
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ensure progress toward a trauma-informed system of care. |
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(b) The department shall require department caseworkers and |
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department caseworker supervisors to complete an annual refresher |
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training course in trauma-informed programs and services. |
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(c) In addition to the recipients of training under |
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Subsection (a), the department shall offer training in |
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trauma-informed programs and services to: |
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(1) court-appointed special advocates; |
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(2) children's advocacy center staff; |
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(3) therapists at Department of Aging and Disability |
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Services mental health centers; and |
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(4) domestic violence shelter staff. |
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(d) The department shall include trauma-informed programs |
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and services training in parenting classes the department provides |
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to parents receiving services from the department. |
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SECTION 2. Section 531.0216, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) The commission shall: |
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(1) explore opportunities to increase STAR Health |
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program providers' use of telemedicine medical services in |
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medically underserved areas of this state; and |
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(2) encourage STAR Health program providers to use |
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telemedicine medical services as appropriate. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 533, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 533.0052 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 533.0052. STAR HEALTH PROGRAM: CONTRACT PROVISIONS. |
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(a) A contract between a managed care organization and the |
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commission for the organization to provide health care services to |
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recipients under the STAR Health program must include a requirement |
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that each physician or provider under a managed care plan receive |
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training in trauma-informed care. |
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(b) The commission shall encourage each managed care |
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organization providing health care services to recipients under the |
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STAR Health program to include in a written agreement between the |
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organization and a physician or provider under a managed care plan a |
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requirement that the physician or provider receive training in |
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post-traumatic stress disorder and |
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attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder within a reasonable time |
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after the date the physician or provider begins providing services |
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under the managed care plan. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 32.0561 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 32.0561. PRELIMINARY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT. In |
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addition to complying with the regimen of care prescribed by the |
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Texas Health Steps program under Section 32.056, a provider of |
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health care to recipients under the STAR Health program shall |
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conduct a preliminary behavioral health assessment of each |
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recipient who is a child during the child's initial visit to the |
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provider. |
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SECTION 5. (a) Section 533.0052(a), Government Code, as |
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added by this Act, applies only to a contract between the Health and |
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Human Services Commission and a managed care organization that is |
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entered into or renewed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) To the extent permitted by law or the terms of the |
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contract, the Health and Human Services Commission shall amend a |
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contract entered into before the effective date of this Act with a |
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managed care organization to require compliance with Section |
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533.0052(a), Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 6. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |