Bill Text: CA AB2553 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 2553 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Mental health advocacy.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - Died at Desk. [AB2553 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2553-Introduced.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 2553	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Grove

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to amend Section 5500 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
relating to mental health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2553, as introduced, Grove. Mental health advocacy.
   Existing law requires the State Department of State Hospitals and
the State Department of Health Care Services to contract with a
single nonprofit entity to provide for the protection and advocacy
services to persons with mental disabilities, as specified. Existing
law requires each local mental health director to appoint, or
contract for the services of, one or more county patients' rights
advocates. Existing law requires these advocates to, among other
things, monitor mental health facilities, services, and programs, as
defined, for compliance with statutory and regulatory patients'
rights provisions, and receive and investigate certain complaints
from or concerning recipients of mental health services residing in
licensed health or community care facilities. Existing law authorizes
a mental health client, as defined, to enter into an agreement with
a county patients' rights advocate for the provision of advocacy
services.
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 5500 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   5500.  As used in this chapter:
   (a) "Advocacy" means those activities undertaken on behalf of
persons who are receiving or have received mental health services to
protect their rights or to secure or upgrade treatment or other
services to which they are entitled.
   (b) "Mental health client" or "client" means a person who is
receiving or has received services from a mental health facility,
service, or program and who  has   has, 
personally or through a guardian ad litem, entered into an agreement
with a county patients' rights advocate for the provision of advocacy
services.
   (c) "Mental health facilities, services, or programs" means a
publicly operated or supported mental health facility or program; a
private facility or program licensed or operated for health purposes
providing services to persons with mental health disorders; and
publicly supported agencies providing other than mental health
services to clients with mental health disorders.
   (d) "Independent of providers of service" means that the advocate
has no direct or indirect clinical or administrative responsibility
for any recipient of mental health services in any mental health
facility, program, or service for which he or she performs advocacy
activities.
   (e) "County patients' rights advocate" means an advocate
appointed, or whose services are contracted for, by a local mental
health director.