Youth mental health and substance use disorder services.

Existing law establishes the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act of 2013. Existing law provides that funds appropriated by the Legislature to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for the purposes of the act be made available through a grant program to selected counties or counties acting jointly, except as otherwise provided, and be used to provide, among other things, a complete continuum of crisis services for children and youth 21 years of age and under regardless of where they live in the state. This bill would require the commission, when making grant funds available on and after July 1, 2021, to allocate at least 12 of those funds to youth services, as specified, if moneys are appropriated for this purpose. The bill would require this funding to be made available to support prevention, early intervention, and direct services, as determined by the commission. The bill would require the commission, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to consider specified criteria when determining grant recipients. The bill would authorize the commission to allocate the funds towards other purposes if there is an inadequate number of qualified applicants, as specified. The bill would require the commission to provide a status report to the fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, as specified, no later than March 1, 2022.