CalWORKs Indian Health Clinic Program.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds to eligible states and tribes through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. Existing state law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to annually allocate appropriated funds to each federally recognized American Indian tribe with reservation lands or rancherias in the state that administers a federal tribal TANF grant program. Existing law authorizes the Director of Social Services to provide funding to Indian health clinics to provide substance abuse and mental health services, and other related services authorized under the CalWORKs program to CalWORKs applicants and recipients and tribal TANF applicants and recipients living in California. This bill would identify those funding provisions as the Indian Health Clinic Program, and would revise the definition of "applicants and recipients" for purposes of the program to include individuals who self-attest to as either having applied for, or currently receiving, CalWORKs or tribal TANF assistance. The bill also would authorize an Indian health clinic to provide services to an individual the clinic verifies is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program, or who self-attests to their enrollment. The bill would authorize an Indian health clinic, at the beginning of each state fiscal year, to request an advance payment of up to 50% of the total allocated amount, contingent upon a written request and the clinic's timely and accurate submission, and the department's approval within 90 days of the completed submission, of specified reports from the prior year. The bill would require the department to remit this advance payment if funds have been appropriated through the annual Budget Act, and to remit the remainder of the total allocated amount as a reimbursement when in receipt of a written request and supporting documents from the Indian health clinic.