AB 1315: Mental health: early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to oversee various mental health programs funded by the act. Proposition 63 requires the State Department of Health Care Services, in coordination with counties, to establish a program designed to prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and disabling.

This bill would establish an advisory committee to the commission for purposes of creating an early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention competitive selection process to, among other things, expand the provision of high-quality, evidence-based early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention services in this state by providing funding to the counties for this purpose. The bill would require a county that receives an award of funds to contribute local funds, as specified.

This bill would prescribe the membership of the advisory committee, including the chair of the commission, or his or her designee. The committee would, among other duties, provide advice and guidance on approaches to early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention programs.

This bill also would establish the Early Psychosis and Mood Disorder Detection and Intervention Fund within the State Treasury and would provide that moneys in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the commission for the purposes of the bill. The fund would consist of private donations and federal, state, and private grants. The bill would authorize the commission to elect not to make awards if available funds are insufficient for that purpose. The bill would authorize the advisory committee to coordinate and recommend an allocation of funding to the commission for clinical research studies, as specified. The bill would require the results of those studies to be made available annually to the public. The bill would also state that funds shall not be appropriated from the General Fund for the purposes of the bill and that implementation of the grant program shall be contingent upon the deposit into the fund of at least $500,000 in nonstate funds for the purpose of funding grants and administrative costs for the commission.