SB 369

Under current law, among other responsibilities of counties related to mental

health of its residents, a county board of supervisors or county boards of supervisors

of two or more counties must establish a county department of community programs

to administer a community mental health, developmental disabilities, alcoholism

and drug abuse program, make appropriations to operate the program, and

authorize grant applications to fund the program. The county department of

community programs, which is governed by a county community programs board,

has various powers and duties including the duties of entering into contracts to

render or secure services and preparing a local plan which includes an inventory of

existing resources, identifies needed resources and services and contains a plan for

meeting the needs of those who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, alcoholic,

or drug abusers and those with other psychiatric disabilities. The Department of

Health Services (DHS) also has various duties related to the county departments of

community programs including reviewing requests and certifying county

departments of community programs and community mental health programs;

developing a training curriculum for use in training members of the county

community programs boards and county human services boards; and prescribing

certain standards and requirements.

This bill requires DHS to promulgate rules by January 1, 2016, to create a

mechanism for counties to report which mental health services and programs they

provide.