(a) (1) For purposes of this section, “foster child” or “foster children” means a Medi-Cal eligible child or children younger than 21 years of age who have been placed into foster care by a county child welfare agency or a county probation department.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that foster children who are placed in community treatment facilities, group homes, or short-term residential therapeutic programs, or who are admitted to children’s crisis residential programs, outside of their county of original jurisdiction, are able to access specialty mental health services in a timely manner, consistent with their individual strengths and needs and the requirements of federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) services.

(3) The Legislature finds that because group home placements or short-term residential therapeutic program placements are intended to be short term, and because community treatment facility placements and children’s crisis residential program admissions are intended to be time-limited based on medical necessity, the responsibility for the provision of or arrangement for specialty mental health services for a foster child throughout the short-term or time-limited placement or admission shall remain with the county of original jurisdiction.

(4) The Legislature intends that the placement of a foster child in a group home, community treatment facility, or short-term residential therapeutic program, or the admission of the child to a children’s crisis residential program outside of the county of original jurisdiction should not disrupt continuity of care or adversely impact timely payment to the provider of specialty mental health services.

(b) Commencing July 1, 2024, a foster child’s county of original jurisdiction shall retain responsibility to arrange and provide specialty mental health services if the foster child is placed out of the county of original jurisdiction in a community treatment facility, group home, or short-term residential therapeutic program, or is admitted to a children’s crisis residential program, as these settings are defined in paragraph (8), (13), (18), or (21), respectively, of subdivision (a) of § 1502 of the Health and Safety Code, unless either of the following circumstances exist:

(1) The case plan for the foster child specifies that the child will transition to a less restrictive placement in the same county as the facility in which the child has been placed.

(2) The placing agency determines, as informed by the child and family team, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 16501, that the child will be negatively impacted if responsibility for providing or arranging for specialty mental health services is not transferred to the same county as the facility in which the child has been placed. The placing agency shall document the basis for making this determination in the child’s case record and may include in a child and family team meeting the mental health plan of the receiving county where the facility is located. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage local coordination with the receiving county mental health plan.

(c) If the circumstances in paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) exist, the process for presumptive transfer of responsibility for arranging and providing specialty mental health services set forth in Section 14717.1 shall apply.

(d) (1) To support service delivery, continuity of care, and timely payment, the placing agency shall provide notification to the mental health plan that will be responsible for arranging and providing specialty mental health services for the foster child before placing a foster child out of county in a community treatment facility, group home, or short-term residential therapeutic program, or admitting a foster child to a children’s crisis residential program. The placing agency may complete these notifications through email. If notification before placement or admission is not possible, the placing agency shall notify the appropriate mental health plan no later than three business days after making the out-of-county placement.

(2) Upon accepting placement or admission of a foster child, a group home, short-term residential therapeutic program, community treatment facility, or children’s crisis residential program may notify the mental health plan that will be responsible for arranging and providing specialty mental health services for the foster child that the foster child has been admitted to a children’s crisis residential program or placed in a group home, short-term residential therapeutic program, or community treatment facility.

(e) If the circumstances in paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) exist at any point during the foster child’s placement or admission out of county, Section 14717.1 shall apply.

(f) The placing agency shall document which mental health plan is responsible for providing or arranging for specialty mental health services.

(g) (1) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department and the State Department of Social Services may implement, interpret, or make specific this section, in whole or in part, by means of plan or county letters, information notices, plan or provider bulletins, or similar written instructions, until regulations are adopted.

(2) By July 1, 2027, the department and the State Department of Social Services shall adopt regulations to implement this section in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(h) (1) If the department determines it is necessary, it shall seek approval from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before implementing this section.

(2) If the department makes the determination that it is necessary to seek federal approval pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall make an official request for approval from the federal government no later than July 1, 2025.

(i) This section shall be implemented only if, and to the extent that, federal financial participation under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq.) is available and all necessary federal approvals have been obtained.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 42, Sec. 161. (AB 118) Effective July 10, 2023.)