NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signature of the appropriate legislative officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws. SENATE BILL 10-014 BY SENATOR(S) Tochtrop, Boyd, Carroll M., Gibbs, Newell, Williams; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Solano, Labuda, Apuan, Benefield, Gerou, Hullinghorst, Primavera, Schafer S., Todd. Concerning changes to the demonstration programs for system of care family advocates. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. 26-22-101 (1) (b), (1) (c), (1) (e), (1) (f), and (2), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 26-22-101. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (b) Preliminary research demonstrates that family advocates and family systems navigators increase family and youth satisfaction, improve family participation, and improve services to help youth and families succeed and achieve positive outcomes. One preliminary study in Colorado found that the wide array of useful characteristics and valued roles performed by family advocates and family systems navigators, regardless of where they are located institutionally, provided evidence for continuing and expanding the use of family advocates and family systems navigators in systems of care. (c) Input from families, youth, and state and local community agency representatives in Colorado demonstrates that family advocates and family systems navigators help families get the services and support they need and want, help families to better navigate complex state and local systems, improve family and youth outcomes, and help disengaged families and youth to become engaged families and youth; (e) A family advocate or a family systems navigator helps state and local agencies and systems adopt more strengths-based-targeted programs, policies, and services to better meet the needs of families and their youth with mental illness or co-occurring disorders and improve outcomes for all, including families, youth, and the agencies they utilize; (f) There is a need to demonstrate the success of family advocates and family systems navigators in helping agencies and systems in Colorado to better meet the needs of families and youth and help state and local agencies strengthen programs. (2) It is therefore in the state's best interest to establish demonstration programs for system of care family advocates and family systems navigators for mental health juvenile justice populations who navigate across mental health, physical health, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, juvenile justice, education, child welfare, and other state and local systems to ensure sustained and thoughtful family participation in the planning processes of the care for their children and youth. SECTION 2. 26-22-102 (2), (4), (5), (6), and (8), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended, and the said 26-22-102 is further amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SUBSECTION, to read: 26-22-102. Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires: (2) "Demonstration programs" means programs that are intended to exemplify and demonstrate evidence of the successful use of family advocates and family systems navigators in assisting families and youth with mental illness or co-occurring disorders. (4) "Division of mental behavioral health" means the unit within the department of human services that is responsible for mental health services. (5) "Family advocacy coalition" means a coalition of family advocates, family systems navigators, or family advocacy organizations working to help families and youth with mental health problems, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, and other co-occurring disorders to improve services and outcomes for youth and families and to work with and enhance state and local systems. (6) "Family advocate" means an individual who has been trained to assist families in accessing and receiving services and support. Family advocates are usually individuals who have raised or cared for children and youth with mental health or co-occurring disorders and have worked with multiple agencies and providers, including mental health, physical health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities, and other state and local systems of care a parent or primary care giver who: (a) Has been trained in a system of care approach to assist families in accessing and receiving services and supports; (b) Has raised or cared for a child or adolescent with a mental health or co-occurring disorder; and (c) Has worked with multiple agencies and providers, such as mental health, physical health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities, education, and other state and local service systems. (6.5) "Family systems navigator" means an individual who: (a) Has been trained in a system of care approach to assist families in accessing and receiving services and supports; (b) Has the skills, experience, and knowledge to work with children and youth with mental health or co-occurring disorders; and (c) Has worked with multiple agencies and providers, including mental health, physical health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities, education, and other state and local service systems. (8) "Partnership" means a relationship between a family advocacy organization and another entity whereby the family advocacy organization works directly with another entity for oversight and management of the family advocate or family systems navigator and family advocacy demonstration program, and the family advocacy organization employs, supervises, mentors, and provides training to the family advocate or family systems navigator. SECTION 3. 26-22-103, Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read: 26-22-103. Demonstration programs established. There are hereby established demonstration programs for system of care family advocates and family systems navigators for mental health juvenile justice populations that shall be implemented and monitored by the division of mental behavioral health, with input, cooperation, and support from the division of criminal justice, the task force, and family advocacy coalitions. SECTION 4. The introductory portion to 26-22-104 (1), 26-22-104 (1) (b), the introductory portions to 26-22-104 (2), (3) (c), and (3) (d), 26-22-104 (3) (d) (IV) and (3) (d) (V), the introductory portion to 26-22-104 (4), and 26-22-104 (4) (a) and (4) (c), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 26-22-104. Program scope. (1) On or before September 1, 2007, the division of mental behavioral health, after consultation with family advocacy coalitions, the task force, and the division of criminal justice, shall develop a request for proposals to design demonstration programs for family advocacy programs that: (b) Provide navigation, crisis response, integrated planning, transition services, and diversion from the juvenile justice system for youth with mental illness or co-occurring disorders. (2) The division of mental behavioral health shall accept responses to the request for proposals from a partnership between a family advocacy organization and any of the following entities or individuals that operate or are developing a family advocacy program: (3) The responses to the request for proposals shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information: (c) A plan for family advocates or family systems navigators that includes: (d) A plan for family advocate or family systems navigator program services for targeted youth and their families, including: (IV) Cooperative training programs for family advocates or family systems navigators and for staff, where applicable, of mental health, physical health, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and other state and local systems related to the role and partnership between the family advocates or family systems navigators and the systems that affect youth and their family; (V) Integrated crisis response services and crisis and transition planning; (4) On or before November 15, 2007, the division of mental behavioral health, after consultation with family advocacy coalitions, the task force, and the division of criminal justice, shall select three demonstration programs to deliver juvenile justice family advocacy services. The division of mental behavioral health shall base the selection on: (a) The program's demonstration of collaborative partnerships that integrate family advocates or family systems navigators into the systems of care; (c) Any other criteria set by the division of mental behavioral health. SECTION 5. 26-22-105 (1), (3) (c), and (5), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 26-22-105. Evaluation and reporting. (1) On or before January 1, 2008, the division of mental behavioral health shall prepare an initial descriptive report of the selected demonstration programs and provide the report to the legislative oversight committee, the task force, the family advocacy coalition, and the demonstration programs selected pursuant to section 26-22-104 (4). (3) Each selected demonstration program shall regularly forward the following data to the division of criminal justice: (c) Family and youth satisfaction and assessment of family advocates or family systems navigators; (5) On or before June 1, 2010, the division of criminal justice shall complete a comprehensive evaluation of the selected demonstration programs based on the data provided pursuant to subsection (3) of this section. Prior to preparing the evaluation, the division of criminal justice shall develop with the selected demonstration programs the comparison groups for the evaluation. The evaluation shall include analysis of the comparison groups. The division of criminal justice shall submit a final report, including an executive summary and recommendations, to the task force, the demonstration programs, and family advocacy coalitions for review. The division of criminal justice, the division of mental behavioral health, family advocacy coalitions, and the task force shall review the evaluation findings and jointly develop recommendations to be made to the legislative oversight committee. SECTION 6. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. ____________________________ ____________________________ Brandon C. Shaffer Terrance D. Carroll PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Karen Goldman Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED________________________________________ _________________________________________ Bill Ritter, Jr. GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO