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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the delivery of mental health services and supports |
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under a system of care framework to minors who have or are at risk of |
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developing a serious emotional disturbance or who are at risk of |
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being removed from the minor's home. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 531.251, Government Code, as amended by |
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S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.251. TEXAS SYSTEM OF CARE FRAMEWORK [CONSORTIUM]. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years |
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of age. |
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(2) "Serious emotional disturbance" means a mental, |
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behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to result |
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in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or |
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limits a person's role or ability to function in family, school, or |
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community activities. |
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(3) "System of care framework" means a framework for |
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collaboration among state agencies, minors who have a serious |
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emotional disturbance or are at risk of developing a serious |
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emotional disturbance, and the families of those minors that |
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improves access to services and delivers effective community-based |
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services that are family-driven, youth- or young adult-guided, and |
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culturally and linguistically competent. |
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(b) The commission shall implement [form a consortium to
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have responsibility for and oversight over] a [state] system of |
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care framework to develop local mental health systems of care in |
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communities for minors who are receiving residential mental health |
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services and supports or inpatient mental health hospitalization, |
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have or are at risk of developing a serious emotional disturbance, |
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or [who] are at risk of being removed from the minor's home and |
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placed in a more restrictive environment to receive mental health |
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services and supports, including an inpatient mental health |
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hospital, a residential treatment facility, or a facility or |
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program operated by the Department of Family and Protective |
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Services or an agency that is part of the juvenile justice system. |
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(c) [(a-1) The consortium must include:
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[(1)
representatives of the Department of State Health
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Services, Department of Family and Protective Services,
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commission's Medicaid program, Texas Education Agency, Texas
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Juvenile Justice Department, and Texas Correctional Office on
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Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments; and
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[(2) one member who is:
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[(A)
a youth or young adult who has a serious
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emotional disturbance and has received mental health services and
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supports; or
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[(B)
a family member of a youth or young adult
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described by Paragraph (A).
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[(a-2)
The consortium may coordinate with the Children's
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Policy Council for the purposes of including the representation
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required by Subsection (a-1)(2).
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[(b)] The commission [and the consortium] shall: |
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(1) maintain a comprehensive plan for the delivery of |
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mental health services and supports to a minor and a minor's family |
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using a system of care framework, including best practices in the |
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financing, administration, governance, and delivery of those |
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services; |
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(2) enter memoranda of understanding with the |
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Department of State Health Services, the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Juvenile |
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Justice Department, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders |
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with Medical or Mental Impairments that specify the roles and |
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responsibilities of each agency in implementing the comprehensive |
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plan described by Subdivision (1) [implement strategies to expand
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the use of system of care practices in the planning and delivery of
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services throughout the state]; |
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(3) identify appropriate local, state, and federal |
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funding sources to finance infrastructure and mental health |
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services and supports needed to support state and local system of |
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care framework efforts; [and] |
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(4) develop an evaluation system to measure |
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cross-system performance and outcomes of state and local system of |
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care framework efforts; and |
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(5) in implementing the provisions of this section, |
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consult with stakeholders, including: |
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(A) minors who have or are at risk of developing a |
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serious emotional disturbance or young adults who received mental |
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health services and supports as a minor with or at risk of |
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developing a serious emotional disturbance; and |
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(B) family members of those minors or young |
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adults. |
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[(b-1)
Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
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the consortium shall submit a report to the legislature and the
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Council on Children and Families that contains an evaluation of the
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outcomes of the Texas System of Care and recommendations on
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strengthening state policies and practices that support local
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systems of care, including recommendations relating to:
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[(1)
methods to increase access to effective and
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coordinated services and supports;
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[(2)
methods to increase community capacity to
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implement local systems of care through training and technical
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assistance;
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[(3)
use of cross-system performance and outcome data
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to make informed decisions at individual and system levels; and
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[(4)
strategies to maximize public and private funding
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at the local, state, and federal levels.] |
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SECTION 2. Section 531.255, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.255. EVALUATION. [(a)] The commission [and the
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Department of State Health Services jointly] shall monitor the |
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implementation of a system of care framework under Section 531.251 |
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and adopt rules as necessary to facilitate or adjust that |
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implementation [progress of the communities that implement a local
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system of care, including monitoring cost avoidance and the net
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savings that result from implementing a local system of care]. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |