Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services (department) , jointly with the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) , to establish the Children's Crisis Continuum Pilot Program. Existing law requires the department, jointly with DHCS, to award grants under the pilot program and requires participating entities to develop a highly integrated continuum of care for the foster youth served in the pilot program. Under existing law, that continuum of care is required to include certain components, including, among others, a crisis residential program that is operated in accordance with all statutes and regulations governing its licensure category.
This bill would authorize a participating entity that does not have a crisis residential program as a part of its continuum of care, but that has included in its continuum of care a comparable type of treatment component designed to serve children and youth experiencing the highest level of acute behavioral health needs in a residential setting, to utilize all awarded grant funds, including any funds specifically designated to fund a crisis residential program, to fund any other component of the continuum of care.

Statutes affected:
AB 1579: 16553 WIC
01/13/26 - Introduced: 16553 WIC