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Health Services Department recommending the Board delegate and authorize the Director of Health Services Department to execute agreements with other counties based on the standardized agreement developed by the State of California - Health and Human Services Agency, Department of Mental Health, to ensure access to and payment for specialty mental health services for El Dorado County foster children placed out-of-county and for out-of-county foster children placed in El Dorado County.
FUNDING: Other Counties, or Medi-Cal, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT), AB 3632, and Realignment.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agreement. Where another county is providing specialty mental health services to a foster child whose county of origin is El Dorado County, the EDC Health Services Department, Mental Health Division, will arrange payment to that county, and will then claim reimbursement from available funding sources (such as: Medi-Cal, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT), AB 3632, and Realignment), depending upon eligibility of the child and the specific services provided. Where El Dorado County is providing such services to a foster child from another county, the funding source will be a payment from that county.
Reason for Recommendation: SB 785 (Chapter 811, Statutes of 2000) added Section 5777.6 to Welfare and Institutions Code (W&I Code) requiring local mental health plans (MHPs) to establish a procedure to ensure access to outpatient specialty mental health services for foster care children placed outside their county of origin.
The MHP in the child's county of origin is responsible for providing or arranging for medically necessary specialty mental health services for minors living outside their county of origin.
Pursuant to Section 5777.7 (a)(1)(A) of the W&I Code, the State of California - Health and Human Services Agency, Department of Mental Health (DMH) has developed a standardized agreement addressing access to and payment for services. If the MHP in the child's county of origin requires the use of a contract as a payment mechanism, the MHP must use the standardized agreement developed by DMH pursuant to Section 5777.7 (a)(3)(A) of the W&I Code.
The Health Services Department, Mental Health Division, recommends the use of the required State standardized agreement in order to ensure compliance with County Charter, Ordinance and Procurement Policy requirements and to facilitate payment for services. The agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of the parties regarding the provision of and payment for specialty mental health services for foster children living outside their county of origin. Copies of the State's standardized agreement (MH 5126, Rev 1/10), and the corresponding Blue Route sheet documenting County Counsel and Risk Management approval of the agreement, are attached and on file with the Board Clerk.
The Department recommends that authority to sign individual agreements with other counties be delegated to the Health Services Director, to ensure that agreements are in place within 30 days of an approved request for services as required by W&I Code Section 5777.7 (a)(5). This delegation will authorize the Health Services Director to act on behalf of the County as both the Mental Health Plan, when El Dorado County is the child's county of origin, and as the Contractor when El Dorado County is the county of residence. Retroactive delegation of signature authority is requested to facilitate payment for services provided prior to the date of this Board item.
The Department also requests the Director be given authority to sign future versions of the agreement that may be issued by State DMH (with Rev dates subsequent to 1/10), provided that County Counsel and Risk Management review and approval of any such future version of the standardized State agreement is first obtained.
Action to be taken following Board approval: Board Clerk to provide Health Services Department, Mental Health Division (MHD) with a certified Master Report. Health Services to execute the standardized State agreement for services provided by other counties and for services provided by MHD for other counties. Auditor-Controller to pay invoices for services associated with these agreements.
Contact: Neda West, Health Services Department
Concurrences: The standardized State agreement has been approved by County Counsel and Risk Management and a copy is on file in the Board Clerk's Office.