(a) A community treatment facility, as defined in paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 1502 and licensed pursuant to this chapter, shall meet the requirements of this section.

(b) (1) A community treatment facility shall have national accreditation from an entity identified by the department pursuant to subdivision (c) of § 4094.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(2) A community treatment facility applicant shall submit documentation of accreditation, or application for accreditation, with its application for licensure.

(3) A community treatment facility shall have up to 24 months from the date of licensure to obtain accreditation.

(4) A community treatment facility that has not obtained accreditation shall provide documentation to the department reporting its progress in obtaining accreditation at 12 months and at 18 months after the date of licensure.

(5) This subdivision does not preclude the department from requesting additional information from the community treatment facility regarding its accreditation status.

(6) The department may revoke a community treatment facility’s license pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 1550) for failure to obtain accreditation within the timeframes specified in this subdivision.

(c) (1) A community treatment facility shall prepare and maintain a current, written plan of operation as required by the department.

(2) The plan of operation shall include a program statement that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) A description of how the community treatment facility will meet standards for a comprehensive trauma-informed treatment model designed to address the individualized needs of children, consistent with Section 1522.45, that include, but are not limited to, a description of the services to be provided or arranged to meet the short-term and long-term needs and goals of the child as assessed by the qualified individual, consistent with the assessment described in subdivision (e) of Section 4094.5 and subdivision (g) of § 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as applicable.

(B) A plan for how the community treatment facility will make licensed nursing staff available, as set forth in § 4094 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 1900) of Division 1 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations.

(C) A description of the community treatment facility’s ability to support the individual needs of children and their families, including, but not limited to, treatment that implements child-specific short- and long-term needs and goals identified by the qualified individual’s assessment of the child as described in subdivision (e) of Section 4094.5 and subdivision (g) of § 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as applicable.

(D) A description of procedures for the development, implementation, and periodic updating of the needs and services plan for children served by the community treatment facility and procedures for collaborating with the child and family team described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of § 16501 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as applicable, that include, but are not limited to, a description of the services to be provided or arranged to meet the short- and long-term needs and goals of the child as assessed by the qualified individual, consistent with the assessment described in subdivision (e) of Section 4094.5 and subdivision (g) of § 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as applicable, processes to ensure treatment is consistent with the short- and long-term needs and goals for the child, including, as specified in the child’s permanency plan, the anticipated duration of the treatment, and processes to ensure that consistent progress is made toward the timeframe and plan for transitioning the child to a less restrictive family environment.

(E) (i) A description of how the community treatment facility, in accordance with the child’s case plan and the child and family team recommendations, will provide for, arrange for the provision of, or assist in, all of the following:

(I) Identification of home-based family care settings for a child who does not have a home-based caregiver identified.

(II) Development of discharge planning and an individualized family-based aftercare support plan that identifies necessary supports, services, and treatment to be provided for at least six months postdischarge as a child moves from the community treatment facility placement to a home-based family care setting or to a permanent living situation through reunification, adoption, or guardianship, or to a transitional housing program. This plan shall be developed, pursuant to § 4096.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, in collaboration with the county placing agency, the child and family team, and other necessary agencies or individuals for at least six months postdischarge. Federal financial participation under the Medi-Cal program shall only be available for aftercare services if all state and federal specialty mental health service requirements are met and the treatment is medically necessary, regardless of the six months postdischarge requirement.

(III) Documentation of the process by which the short- and long-term, child-specific mental health goals identified by a qualified individual, as defined in § 16501 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, consistent with the assessment described in subdivision (e) of Section 4094.5 and subdivision (g) of § 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, will be implemented by the community treatment facility, as applicable.

(ii) Clause (i) shall not be interpreted to supersede the placement and care responsibility vested in the county child welfare agency or probation department.

(F) (i) A description of how the community treatment facility will, to the extent clinically appropriate, consistent with any applicable court orders, and in accordance with the child’s best interest, do all of the following:

(I) Facilitate participation of family members in the child’s treatment program.

(II) Facilitate outreach to the family members of the child, including siblings, document how the outreach is made, including contact information, and maintain contact information for any known biological family and nonrelative extended family members of the child.

(III) Document how family members will be integrated into the treatment process for the child, including postdischarge, and how sibling connections are maintained.

(ii) Clause (i) shall not be interpreted to supersede the placement and care responsibility vested in the county child welfare agency or probation department.

(G) Any other information that may be prescribed by the department for the proper administration of this section.

(d) The community treatment facility shall maintain in the child’s record the written determination and the qualified individual’s assessment of the child, as applicable, required to be completed and provided to the community treatment facility pursuant to subdivision (e) of § 4094.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(e) (1) Emergency regulations to implement this section may be adopted by the Director of Social Services in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). These emergency regulations shall be developed in consultation with system stakeholders. The initial adoption of the emergency regulations and one readoption of the initial regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare. Initial emergency regulations and the first readoption of those emergency regulations shall be exempt from review by the Office of Administrative Law. The emergency regulations authorized by this section shall be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for filing with the Secretary of State and shall remain in effect for no more than 180 days.

(2) The adoption, amendment, repeal, or readoption of a regulation authorized by this section is deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare for purposes of Sections 11346.1 and 11349.6 of the Government Code, and the department is hereby exempted from the requirement that it describe specific facts showing the need for immediate action. A certificate of compliance for these implementing regulations shall be filed within 24 months following the adoption of the first emergency regulations filed pursuant to this section. The emergency regulations may be readopted and remain in effect until approval of the certificate of compliance.

(3) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of interim licensing standards until regulations are adopted. These interim licensing standards shall have the same force and effect as regulations until the adoption of regulations.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 3. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)