Chapter 5 - CARE Plan - California Welfare and Institutions Code

Sections (1)

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 640, Sec. 10. (SB 42) Effective September 27, 2024. Section conditionally operative as provided in Section 5970.5.

(a)The CARE plan may include only the following:

(1)Behavioral health services funded through the 1991 and 2011 Realignment, Medi-Cal behavioral health, health care plans and insurers, and services supported by the Mental Health Services Act pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800).

(2)Medically necessary stabilization medications, to the extent not described in paragraph (1).

(3)Housing resources funded through the No Place Like Home Program (Part 3.9 (commencing with Section 5849.1) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); California Housing

Accelerator (Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 50672) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code); the Multifamily Housing Program (Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 50675) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code); the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216) of Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code); the Encampment Resolution Funding Program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 50250) of Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code); the Project Roomkey and Rehousing Program pursuant to Provision 22 of Item 5180-151-0001 of the Budget Act of 2021 (Ch. 21, Stats. 2021); the Community Care Expansion Program (Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 18999.97) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the CalWORKs Housing Support Program (Article 3.3 (commencing with Section

11330) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance pursuant to clause (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 11450 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code; the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 18999) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the Home Safe Program (Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 15770) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the Bringing Families Home Program (Article 6 (commencing with Section 16523) of Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the Transitional Housing Placement program for nonminor dependents (Article 4 (commencing with Section 16522) of Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and

Institutions Code); the Transitional Housing Program-Plus pursuant to subdivision (s) of Section 11400 and paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 11403.2 of Article 5 of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Article 4 (commencing with Section 16522) of Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code; the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 5960) of Part 7 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code); the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program; HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. Section 1437f(o)(19)]); Supportive Services for Veteran Families (Section 604 of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 [38 U.S.C. Sec. 2044]); HUD Continuum of Care program (Section 103 of

the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302]); the Emergency Solutions Grant (Subtitle B of Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. Secs. 11371-11378]); HUD Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. Sec. 1437f]); the Emergency Housing Vouchers (Section 3202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 [Public Law 117-2]; Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. Sec. 1437f(o)]); HOME Investment Partnerships Program (Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act [42 U.S.C. Sec. 12721 et seq.]); the Community Development Block Grant Program (Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 [42 U.S.C. Sec. 5301 et seq.]); housing supported by the Mental Health Services Act pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800); community development

block grants; and other state and federal housing resources.

(4)Social services funded through Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP), Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), CalWORKs, California Food Assistance Program, In-Home Supportive Services program, and CalFresh.

(5)Services provided pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 9.

(6)Upon the consent of the respondent and the entity or individual financially responsible for the services, additional services to support the recovery and stability of the respondent.

(b)Individuals who are CARE process participants shall be prioritized for

any appropriate bridge housing funded by the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing program.

(c)If the county behavioral health agency elects not to enroll the respondent into a full service partnership, as defined in Section 3620 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, the court may request information on the reasons for this and any barriers to enrollment.

(d)All CARE plan services and supports ordered by the court are subject to available funding and all applicable federal and state statutes and regulations, contractual provisions, and policy guidance governing initial and ongoing program eligibility. In addition to the resources funded through programs listed in subdivision (a), the State Department of Health Care Services may identify other adjacent covered Medi-Cal

services, including, but not limited to, enhanced care management and available community supports, which may be suggested, although not ordered, by the court, subject to all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations, contractual provisions, and policy guidance.

(e)This section does not prevent a county or other local governmental entity from recommending their own services that are their own responsibility not listed in subdivision (a) or (c). Any such recommendation is not required by this section and shall be made at the request of the county for the purposes of Section 6 of Article XIII B, and Sections 6 and 36 of Article XIII of the California Constitution.

(f)(1) For respondents who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the county

in which the respondent resides is the county of responsibility as defined in Section 1810.228 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations.

(2)If a proceeding commences in a county where the respondent is found or is facing criminal or civil proceedings that is different than the county in which the respondent resides, the county in which the respondent is found or is facing criminal or civil proceedings shall not delay proceedings under this part and is the responsible county behavioral health agency for providing or coordinating all components of the CARE agreement or CARE plan.

(3)The county in which the respondent resides, as defined in paragraph (1), shall be responsible for the costs of providing all CARE agreement or CARE plan behavioral health services, as defined

in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).

(4)In the event of a dispute over responsibility for any costs of providing components of the CARE agreement or CARE plan, the impacted counties shall resolve the dispute in accordance with the arbitration process established in Section 1850.405 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations for county mental health plans, including for respondents who are not Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and pursuant to any related guidance issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5984.