Home California Youth Mental Health Services Bill Moves to Governor

Youth Mental Health Services Bill Moves to Governor

by ECT

AB 741 Aims to Expand Crisis Services for Children

 

SACRAMENTO — A bill that would allow short-term residential treatment centers to be operated as children’s crisis residential centers is on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk for approval.

 

AB 741, authored by Assemblymember Das Williams, D-Carpinteria, is intended to help children experiencing a mental health crisis find services that are convenient and accessible, rather than travel far distances and endure long waiting periods to receive treatment at hospitals.

 

“It is imperative that those who are experiencing a mental health crisis receive immediate attention, in the least disruptive environment possible,” Williams said. “This bill addresses a gap in the continuum of care, and will allow young people to receive the treatment they need and deserve.”

 

The bill would broaden the definition of Short Term Residential Treatment Center to include children, creating a category of licensing in state statute for children’s crisis residential services. Adding this category of licensing will allow providers to take advantage of existing Federal and State funds administered by the Department of Healthcare Services and the Department of Social Services.

 

An estimated three out of four children in the United States who need mental health services do not receive them, and about two out of ten high school students in California have considered suicide. In California, 47 out of 58 counties lack any child/adolescent psychiatric hospital inpatient beds for children under 12, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry.

 

This bill creates the necessary licensing category to ensure that counties and their community-based providers have the ability to develop safe and effective crisis residential programs which serve the needs of children and youth throughout the state.

 

 

Website: www.asm.ca.gov/Williams

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