The Health Services Department is requesting to add six Mental Health Clinical Specialist and three Mental Health Community Support Worker II positions to its Behavioral Health Division’s Children’s Mental Health Services. The positions are needed to provide services under newly enacted Assembly Bill 403, Foster Youth Continuum of Care Reform. AB 403 is a comprehensive effort that mandates statewide reform for care provided to foster care children, to include the County’s responsibility to provide Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) services. Three of the Mental Health Clinical Specialists will work with foster family agencies to provide assistance with Medi-Cal billing and utilization review practices and the remaining three will be the first point of contact for children and adolescents entering emergency foster care and will provide assessments and treatment. The Mental Health Community Support Worker II positions will work with our contract provider agencies to develop family partnerships and welcoming environments.  
  
The Department has determined a six full time Mental Health Clinical Specialist and three full time Mental Health Community Support Worker II positions would be appropriate type of classifications and volume necessary to fulfill the needs in establishing this newly mandated program.  

If this action is not approved, the Behavioral Health Division’s Children’s Mental Health Services will not be able to adequately establish, staff and administer the Foster Youth Continuum of Care Reform created by Assembly Bill 403. Without these positions Contra Costa county Children’s Mental Health would not be able to fulfill its mandated responsibility to provide Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) services outlined in AB403.

The Foster Youth Continuum of Care Reform provides mental health services for foster children and families. If this action is not approved, there will not be sufficient staff to provide services to children and their families in the program.