86R6029 MCK-F

By: West S.B. No. 1279

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prevention and early intervention programs and practices.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 264.201(d), Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) The services may include in-home programs, parenting skills training, youth coping skills, and individual and family counseling. If the department requires or a court orders parenting skills training services through a prevention and early intervention [parenting education] program or practice, the program or practice must be an evidence-based program or practice, promising [practice parenting education] program or practice, or evidence-informed program or practice described by Section 265.151 that is provided in the community in which the family resides, if available.

SECTION 2. Section 265.004(a-1), Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a-1) The department shall ensure that not less than 75 percent of the money appropriated for parenting education programs under Subsection (a) funds evidence-based programs or practices described by Section 265.151(b) and that the remainder of that money funds promising [practice] programs or practices described by Section 265.151(c) and evidence-informed programs or practices described by Section 265.151(d).

SECTION 3. The heading to Subchapter D, Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [PARENTING

EDUCATION]

SECTION 4. Section 265.151, Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 265.151. REQUIREMENTS FOR [PARENTING EDUCATION] PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES ON EVIDENCE-BASED SPECTRUM. (a) A prevention and early intervention [parenting education] program or practice provided by the department must be an evidence-based program or practice, a promising program or practice, or an evidence-informed program or practice described by this section.

(b) An evidence-based program or practice is a [parenting education] program or practice that:

(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes;

(2) has comprehensive standards ensuring the highest quality service delivery with continuous improvement in the quality of service delivery;

(3) has demonstrated significant positive [short-term and long-term] outcomes as required by Section 265.152;

(4) is listed as an evidence-based program or practice by a nationally recognized clearinghouse associated with a state or federal agency or an institution of higher education [has been evaluated by at least one rigorous, random, controlled research trial across heterogeneous populations or communities with research results that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal];

(5) substantially complies with a program or practice manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of the program or practice services; [and]

(6) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual relevant professional development opportunities to the staff;

(7) is associated with a national organization, institution of higher education, or national or state public health institute;

(8) demonstrates substantial connections to other community-based services; and

(9) for crisis counseling, individual therapy, family therapy, clinical services, and other recognized professional practices requires:

(A) providers to meet any state requirements for professional licensure or certification; and

(B) practices to have empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of the practice.

(c) A promising [practice] program or practice is a parenting education program or practice that:

(1) has an active impact evaluation program or practice or demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact evaluation program or practice;

(2) is listed as a promising program or practice by a nationally recognized clearinghouse associated with a state or federal agency or an institution of higher education [has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based study demonstrating effectiveness or random, controlled trial in a homogeneous sample];

(3) substantially complies with a program or practice manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of the program or practice services;

(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual relevant professional development opportunities to the staff; [and]

(5) is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes; and

(6) demonstrates substantial connections to other community-based services.

(d) An evidence-informed program or practice is a program or practice that:

(1) combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, and client preferences and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services;

(2) has an active impact evaluation program or demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact evaluation program;

(3) substantially complies with a program or practice manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcome, duration, and frequency of the program or practice services; and

(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual relevant professional development opportunities to the staff.

SECTION 5. Section 265.152, Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 265.152. OUTCOMES OF PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING EDUCATION]. The department shall ensure that a prevention and early intervention [parenting education] program or practice provided under this subchapter [chapter] achieves favorable behavioral outcomes in at least two of the following areas:

(1) improved cognitive development of children;

(2) increased [school] readiness for and participation and performance in school [of children];

(3) reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;

(4) improved child safety;

(5) improved social-emotional development of children and youth;

(6) increased protective factors [improved parenting skills], including nurturing, [and] bonding, and other parenting skills;

(7) improved family economic self-sufficiency;

(8) reduced parental or youth involvement with the criminal justice system; [and]

(9) increased paternal involvement and support;

(10) improved maternal and child health; and

(11) increased protective factors for youth.

SECTION 6. Section 265.153, Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 265.153. EVALUATION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING EDUCATION]. (a) The department shall adopt outcome indicators to measure the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention [parenting education] programs and practices provided under this subchapter [chapter] in achieving desired outcomes.

(b) The department may work directly with the model developer of a prevention and early intervention [parenting education] program or practice to identify appropriate outcome indicators for the program or practice and to ensure that the program or practice substantially complies with the model.

(c) The department shall develop internal processes to share information with prevention and early intervention service providers [parenting education programs] to assist the department in analyzing the performance of the programs or practices.

(d) The department shall use information obtained under this section to:

(1) monitor prevention and early intervention [parenting education] programs and practices;

(2) continually improve the quality of the programs and practices; and

(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs and practices.

SECTION 7. Section 265.154, Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 265.154. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall prepare and submit a report on state-funded prevention and early intervention [parenting education] programs and practices to the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over child protective services.

(b) A report submitted under this section must include:

(1) a description of the prevention and early intervention [parenting education] programs and practices implemented and of the models associated with the programs and practices;

(2) information on the families served by the programs and practices, including the number of families served and their demographic information;

(3) the goals and achieved outcomes of the programs and practices;

(4) information on the cost for each family served, including any available third-party return-on-investment analysis; and

(5) information explaining the percentage of money spent on evidence-based programs and practices, on promising [practice] programs and practices, and on evidence-informed programs and practices.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.