84R8925 GCB-F
 
  By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1891
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the delivery of mental health services and supports
  under a system of care framework to minors who have or are at risk of
  developing a serious emotional disturbance or who are at risk of
  being removed from the minor's home.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 531.251, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 531.251.  TEXAS SYSTEM OF CARE FRAMEWORK [CONSORTIUM].  
  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years
  of age.
               (2)  "Serious emotional disturbance" means a mental,
  behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to result
  in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or
  limits a person's role or ability to function in family, school, or
  community activities.
               (3)  "System of care framework" means a framework for
  collaboration among state agencies, minors who have a serious
  emotional disturbance or are at risk of developing a serious
  emotional disturbance, and the families of those minors that
  improves access to services and delivers effective community-based
  services that are family-driven, youth- or young adult-guided, and
  culturally and linguistically competent.
         (b)  The commission shall implement [form a consortium to
  have responsibility for and oversight over] a [state] system of
  care framework to develop local mental health systems of care in
  communities for minors who are receiving residential mental health
  services and supports or inpatient mental health hospitalization,
  have or are at risk of developing a serious emotional disturbance,
  or [who] are at risk of being removed from the minor's home and
  placed in a more restrictive environment to receive mental health
  services and supports, including an inpatient mental health
  hospital, a residential treatment facility, or a facility or
  program operated by the Department of Family and Protective
  Services or an agency that is part of the juvenile justice system.
         (c) [(a-1)  The consortium must include:
               [(1)     representatives of the Department of State Health
  Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Health and
  Human Services Commission's Medicaid program, Texas Education
  Agency, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and Texas Correctional
  Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments;
               [(2)     one youth or young adult who has a serious
  emotional disturbance and has received mental health services and
  supports; or
               [(3)     a family member of a youth or young adult
  described by Subdivision (2).
         [(a-2)     The consortium may coordinate with the Children's
  Policy Council for the purposes of including the representation
  required by Subsections (a-1)(2) and (3).
         [(b)]  The commission [and the consortium] shall:
               (1)  maintain a comprehensive plan for the delivery of
  mental health services and supports to a minor and a minor's family
  using a system of care framework, including best practices in the
  financing, administration, governance, and delivery of those
  services;
               (2)  enter memoranda of understanding with the
  Department of State Health Services, the Department of Family and
  Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Juvenile
  Justice Department, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders
  with Medical or Mental Impairments that specify the roles and
  responsibilities of each agency in implementing the comprehensive
  plan described by Subdivision (1) [implement strategies to expand
  the use of system of care practices in the planning and delivery of
  services throughout the state];
               (3)  identify appropriate local, state, and federal
  funding sources to finance infrastructure and mental health
  services and supports needed to support state and local system of
  care framework efforts; [and]
               (4)  develop an evaluation system to measure
  cross-system performance and outcomes of state and local system of
  care framework efforts; and
               (5)  in implementing the provisions of this section,
  consult with stakeholders, including:
                     (A)  minors who have or are at risk of developing a
  serious emotional disturbance or young adults who received mental
  health services and supports as a minor with or at risk of
  developing a serious emotional disturbance; and 
                     (B)  family members of those minors or young
  adults.
         [(b-1)     Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
  the consortium shall submit a report to the legislature and the
  Council on Children and Families that contains an evaluation of the
  outcomes of the Texas System of Care and recommendations on
  strengthening state policies and practices that support local
  systems of care, including recommendations relating to:
               [(1)     methods to increase access to effective and
  coordinated services and supports;
               [(2)     methods to increase community capacity to
  implement local systems of care through training and technical
  assistance;
               [(3)     use of cross-system performance and outcome data
  to make informed decisions at individual and system levels; and
               [(4)     strategies to maximize public and private funding
  at the local, state, and federal levels.]
         SECTION 2.  Section 531.255, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 531.255.  EVALUATION. [(a)] The commission [and the
  Department of State Health Services jointly] shall monitor the
  implementation of a system of care framework under Section 531.251
  and adopt rules as necessary to facilitate or adjust that
  implementation [progress of the communities that implement a local
  system of care, including monitoring cost avoidance and the net
  savings that result from implementing a local system of care].
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.