Bill Text: CA AB1324 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Foster youth: identity theft.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2010-01-14 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB1324 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB1324-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 1324	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bass

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Sections 18250, 18251, 18253, 18253.5, 18254,
18255, 18256, and 18256.5 of, and to amend the heading of Chapter 4
(commencing with Section 18250) of Part 6 of Division 9 of, the
Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1324, as introduced, Bass. Children: wrap-around services.
   Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services
administers a pilot project that authorizes a county to develop and
implement a plan for providing wrap-around services designed to
enable children who would otherwise be placed in a group home setting
to remain in the least restrictive, most family-like setting
possible. The pilot project also imposes specified evaluation and
reporting requirements for participating counties, and training
requirements for staff in participating counties.
   This bill would remove the designation of this program as a pilot
project and make conforming changes.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The heading of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section
18250) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is amended to read:
      CHAPTER 4.  COUNTY WRAP-AROUND SERVICES  PILOT PROJECT
  PROGRAM 


  SEC. 2.  Section 18250 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18250.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that all counties
be authorized to provide children with service alternatives to group
home care through the development of expanded family-based services
programs. These programs shall include individualized or "wrap-around"
services, where services are wrapped around a child living with his
or her birth parent, relative, adoptive parent, licensed or certified
foster parent, or guardian. The wrap-around services developed under
this section shall build on the strengths of each eligible child and
family and be tailored to address their unique and changing needs.
   (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the 
pilot project   child wrap-around services program 
include the following elements:
   (1) Making available to the county the state share of nonfederal
reimbursement for group home placement, minus the state share, if
any, of any concurrent out-of-home placement costs, for children
eligible under this chapter, for the purpose of allowing the county
to develop family-based service alternatives.
   (2) Enabling the county to access all possible sources of federal
funds for the purpose of developing family-based service
alternatives.
   (3) Encouraging collaboration among persons and entities
including, but not limited to, parents, county welfare departments,
county mental health departments, county probation departments,
county health departments, special education local planning agencies,
school districts, and private service providers for the purpose of
planning and providing individualized services for children and their
birth or substitute families.
   (4) Ensuring local community participation in the development and
implementation of wrap-around services by county placing agencies and
service providers.
   (5) Preserving and using the service resources and expertise of
nonprofit providers to develop family-based and community-based
service alternatives.
  SEC. 3.  Section 18251 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18251.  As used in this chapter:
   (a) "County" means each county participating in an individualized
or "wrap-around"  pilot project   services
program  .
   (b) "County placing agency" means a county welfare or probation
department, or a county mental health department with respect to
those children placed pursuant to Section 7572.5 of the Government
Code.
   (c) "Eligible child" means a child who is any of the following:
   (1) A child who has been adjudicated as either a dependent or ward
of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, 601, or 602 and who
would be placed in a group home licensed by the department at a rate
classification level of 10 or higher.
   (2) A child who would be voluntarily placed in out-of-home care
pursuant to Section 7572.5 of the Government Code.
   (3) A child who is currently, or who would be, placed in a group
home licensed by the department at a rate classification level of 10
or higher.
   (d) "Wrap-around services" means community-based intervention
services that emphasize the strengths of the child and family and
includes the delivery of coordinated, highly individualized
unconditional services to address needs and achieve positive outcomes
in their lives.
   (e) "Service allocation slot" means a specified amount of funds
available to the county to pay for an individualized intensive
wraparound services package for an eligible child. A service
allocation slot may be used for more than one child on a successive
basis.
  SEC. 4.  Section 18253 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18253.  Each county shall ensure that an evaluation of the
 pilot project   wrap-around services program
 is conducted to determine the  cost  
cost-  and treatment effectiveness of outcomes such as family
functioning and social performance, preventing placement in more
restrictive environments, improving emotional and behavioral
adjustments, school attendance, and academic performance for eligible
children. Systems of care outcomes shall be included to the extent
they are applicable to the target population.
  SEC. 5.  Section 18253.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18253.5.  Each county shall ensure that staff participating in the
 pilot projects   wrap-around services programs
 have completed training provided or approved by the
department, on providing individualized wrap-around services.
  SEC. 6.  Section 18254 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18254.  (a) Reimbursement rates for  wraparound 
 wrap-around  services  programs  , under this
 pilot project   chapter  , shall be based
on the following factors:
   (1) The average cost of rate classification 10 to 11 in each
county, minus the cost of any concurrent out-of-home placement, for
children who are or would be placed in a rate level 10 or 11 group
home.
   (2) The average cost of rate classification 12 to 14 in each
county, minus the cost of any concurrent out-of-home placement, for
children who are or would be placed in a rate level 12 to 14 group
home.
   (b) The annual maximum limit on funding available for the 
pilot project   wrap-around services program 
authorized by this chapter shall be based on the average cost,
determined pursuant to subdivision (a), for the number of service
allocation slots assigned to each county.
   (c) The department shall reimburse each county, for the purpose of
providing intensive  wraparound   wrap-around
 services, up to 100 percent of the state share of nonfederal
funds, to be matched by each county's share of cost as established by
law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, up to 100 percent
of the federal funds allocated for group home placements of eligible
children, at the rate authorized pursuant to subdivision (a).
   (d) State and, to the extent permitted by federal law, federal
foster care funds shall remain with the administrative authority of
the county welfare department, which may enter into an interagency
agreement to transfer those funds, and shall be used to provide
intensive wraparound services.
   (e) General Fund costs for the provision of benefits to eligible
children  pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 18251
 ,  at rates authorized by subdivision (a)  ,
 through the  pilot project   wrap-around
services program  authorized by this chapter  ,  shall
not exceed the costs which would otherwise have been incurred had the
eligible children been placed in a group home.
  SEC. 7.  Section 18255 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18255.   This pilot project may be extended to any
  Any  county that applies to, and is granted
approval, by the department  may implement a  
wrap-around services program  . The number of service allocation
slots assigned to each county shall be determined by each county and
approved by the department.
  SEC. 8.  Section 18256 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18256.  Each county shall evaluate its  pilot project
  wrap-around services program  , prepare 
interim and final  periodic  evaluations, and
submit them to the appropriate committees of the Legislature and to
the department.  The interim   A  report
shall be submitted not later than six months following the start of
the third year of the  pilot project  
wrap-around services prog   ram  .  The final
  A subsequent  report shall be submitted not later
than six months following the end of the  five-year pilot
project   fifth year of the wrap-around services program
 . These reports shall assess the effectiveness of the 
pilot project   wrap-around services program 
authorized by this chapter. The reports shall include, but need not
be limited to, all of the following:
   (a) The effectiveness of the project  
programs  in reducing the level of out-of-home services
required, and in reducing the average length of stay in out-of-home
care.
   (b) A comparison of the cost of placement and services for
children in the  pilot project  wrap-around
services program  with the average cost of out-of-home placement
for the same number of children.
   (c) The effectiveness of the  pilot project  
wrap-around services program  in assisting children and
families in attaining their service goals.
  SEC. 9.  Section 18256.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   18256.5.   At the end of a county's pilot project, in
  In  order to prevent disruption to  the
  a  child  participating in a wrap-around
services program  ,  each child remaining in the pilot
project   any county that terminates its wrap-around
services program  shall continue to  receive 
 provide to that participating   child  all planned
services specified in the child's individualized services plan until
his or her case is closed.