For each selected county the State Department of Health Care Services shall define and establish client and cost outcome and other system performance goals, and negotiate the expected levels of attainment for each year of participation. Expected levels of attainment shall include a breakdown by ethnic origin and shall be identified by a county in its proposal. These goals shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:
(a) Client improvement and cost avoidance outcome measures, as follows:
(1) To reduce the number of child months in group homes, residential placements pursuant to Chapter 26.5 (commencing with Section 7570) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, and state hospital placements.
(2) To reduce the cost of AFDC-FC group home care, residential placements as described in paragraph (1), and state hospital utilization, by an amount which equals at least 50 percent of the third year project cost. Cost avoidance shall be based on data comparisons of statewide average expenditure and population.
(3) To increase school attendance for pupils in targeted programs.
(4) To increase the grade level equivalent of pupils in targeted programs from admission to discharge.
(5) To reduce the rate of recidivism incurred for wards in targeted juvenile justice programs.
(6) To show measurable improvement in individual and family functional status for a representative sample of children enrolled in the system of care.
(7) To achieve statistically significant increases in services provided in nonclinic settings among agencies.
(8) To increase ethnic minority and gender access to services proportionate to the percentage of these groups in the county’s schoolage population.
(b) System development and operation measures, as follows:
(1) To provide an integrated system of care that includes multiagency programs and joint case planning, to children with serious emotional disturbance as defined in Section 5856.
(2) To identify and assess children who comprise the target population in the county evidenced by a roster which contains all children receiving mental health case management and treatment services. This roster shall include necessary standardized and uniform identifying information and demographics about the children served.
(3) To develop and maintain individualized service plans that will facilitate interagency service delivery in the least restrictive environment.
(4) To develop or provide access to a range of intensive services that will meet individualized service plan needs. These services shall include, but not be limited to, case management, expanded treatment services at schoolsites, local juvenile corrections facilities, and local foster homes, and flexible services.
(5) To ensure the development and operation of the interagency policy council and the interagency case management council.
(6) To provide culturally competent programs that recognize and address the unique needs of ethnic populations in relation to equal access, program design and operation, and program evaluation.
(7) To develop parent education and support groups, and linkages with parents to ensure their involvement in the planning process and the delivery of services.
(8) To provide a system of evaluation that develops outcome criteria and which will measure performance, including client outcome and cost avoidance.
(9) To gather, manage, and report data in accordance with the requirements of the state funded outcome evaluation.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 948, Sec. 56. (AB 2119) Effective January 1, 2025.)