84R8925 GCB-F
	By: Zaffirini	S.B. No. 1891

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the delivery of mental health services and supports
	under a system of care framework to minors who have or are at risk of
	developing a serious emotional disturbance or who are at risk of
	being removed from the minor's home.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 531.251, Government Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 531.251.  TEXAS SYSTEM OF CARE FRAMEWORK [CONSORTIUM].
	(a)  In this section:
	(1)  "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years
	of age.
	(2)  "Serious emotional disturbance" means a mental,
	behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to result
	in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or
	limits a person's role or ability to function in family, school, or
	community activities.
	(3)  "System of care framework" means a framework for
	collaboration among state agencies, minors who have a serious
	emotional disturbance or are at risk of developing a serious
	emotional disturbance, and the families of those minors that
	improves access to services and delivers effective community-based
	services that are family-driven, youth- or young adult-guided, and
	culturally and linguistically competent.
	(b)  The commission shall implement [form a consortium to
	have responsibility for and oversight over] a [state] system of
	care framework to develop local mental health systems of care in
	communities for minors who are receiving residential mental health
	services and supports or inpatient mental health hospitalization,
	have or are at risk of developing a serious emotional disturbance,
	or [who] are at risk of being removed from the minor's home and
	placed in a more restrictive environment to receive mental health
	services and supports, including an inpatient mental health
	hospital, a residential treatment facility, or a facility or
	program operated by the Department of Family and Protective
	Services or an agency that is part of the juvenile justice system.
	(c) [(a-1)  The consortium must include:
	[(1)     representatives of the Department of State Health
	Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Health and
	Human Services Commission's Medicaid program, Texas Education
	Agency, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and Texas Correctional
	Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments;
	[(2)     one youth or young adult who has a serious
	emotional disturbance and has received mental health services and
	supports; or
	[(3)     a family member of a youth or young adult
	described by Subdivision (2).
	[(a-2)     The consortium may coordinate with the Children's
	Policy Council for the purposes of including the representation
	required by Subsections (a-1)(2) and (3).
	[(b)]  The commission [and the consortium] shall:
	(1)  maintain a comprehensive plan for the delivery of
	mental health services and supports to a minor and a minor's family
	using a system of care framework, including best practices in the
	financing, administration, governance, and delivery of those
	services;
	(2)  enter memoranda of understanding with the
	Department of State Health Services, the Department of Family and
	Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Juvenile
	Justice Department, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders
	with Medical or Mental Impairments that specify the roles and
	responsibilities of each agency in implementing the comprehensive
	plan described by Subdivision (1) [implement strategies to expand
	the use of system of care practices in the planning and delivery of
	services throughout the state];
	(3)  identify appropriate local, state, and federal
	funding sources to finance infrastructure and mental health
	services and supports needed to support state and local system of
	care framework efforts; [and]
	(4)  develop an evaluation system to measure
	cross-system performance and outcomes of state and local system of
	care framework efforts; and
	(5)  in implementing the provisions of this section,
	consult with stakeholders, including:
	(A)  minors who have or are at risk of developing a
	serious emotional disturbance or young adults who received mental
	health services and supports as a minor with or at risk of
	developing a serious emotional disturbance; and
	(B)  family members of those minors or young
	adults.
	[(b-1)     Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
	the consortium shall submit a report to the legislature and the
	Council on Children and Families that contains an evaluation of the
	outcomes of the Texas System of Care and recommendations on
	strengthening state policies and practices that support local
	systems of care, including recommendations relating to:
	[(1)     methods to increase access to effective and
	coordinated services and supports;
	[(2)     methods to increase community capacity to
	implement local systems of care through training and technical
	assistance;
	[(3)     use of cross-system performance and outcome data
	to make informed decisions at individual and system levels; and
	[(4)     strategies to maximize public and private funding
	at the local, state, and federal levels.]
	SECTION 2.  Section 531.255, Government Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 531.255.  EVALUATION. [(a)] The commission [and the
	Department of State Health Services jointly] shall monitor the
	implementation of a system of care framework under Section 531.251
	and adopt rules as necessary to facilitate or adjust that
	implementation [progress of the communities that implement a local
	system of care, including monitoring cost avoidance and the net
	savings that result from implementing a local system of care].
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.