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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 5Pt. 4Ch. 1Art. 6§ 5865 County Mental Health Systems

§ 5865 County Mental Health Systems

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 5865 County Mental Health Systems

Key Takeaways

  • •Every county must set up a full mental health care system for kids who need it, within 3 years of getting money from the state.
  • •The system must find kids who need help by working with schools, social workers, and juvenile justice, and make sure no kid is left out, especially from different cultures.
  • •Kids and families must get help that fits their culture, involves their parents, and shows real improvement in their lives.
  • •The county must track if the help is working by looking at things like school performance, staying out of trouble, and avoiding costly places like hospitals or group homes.

Example

A 12-year-old kid named Alex is acting out in school and getting into fights. His teachers notice he’s struggling and tell the school counselor.

The counselor works with the county’s mental health team to check if Alex needs help. They talk to Alex’s parents and figure out a plan that fits his family’s culture. Alex gets counseling and his parents are part of the plan. Over time, Alex starts doing better in school and stops getting into fights. The county keeps track of his progress to make sure the help is working.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 5865 County Mental Health Systems

Each county shall have in place, with qualified mental health personnel, all of the following within three years of funding by the state: (a) A comprehensive, interagency system of care that serves the target population as defined in Section 5856. (b) A method to screen and identify children in the target population. County mental health staff shall consult with the representatives from special education, social services, and juvenile justice agencies, the mental health advisory board, family advocacy groups, and others as necessary to help identify all of the persons in the target populations, including persons from ethnic minority cultures which may require outreach for identification. (c) A defined mental health case management system designed to facilitate the outcome goals for children in the target population. (d) A defined range of mental health services and program standards that involve interagency collaboration and ensure appropriate service delivery in the least restrictive environment with community-based alternatives to out-of-home placement. (e) A defined mechanism to ensure that services are culturally competent. (f) A defined mechanism to ensure that services are child-centered and family-focused, with parent participation in planning and delivery of services. (g) A method to show measurable improvement in individual and family functional status for children enrolled in the system of care. (h) A method to measure and report cost avoidance and client outcomes for the target population which includes, but is not limited to, state hospital utilization, group home utilization, nonpublic school residential placement, school attendance and performance, and recidivism in the juvenile justice system. (i) A plan to ensure that system of care services are planned to complement and coordinate with services provided under the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment services (Section 1396d(a)(4)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code), including foster children served under Section 5867.5, where those services are medically necessary but children do not meet the requirements of Section 5600.3. (j) A plan to ensure that system of care services are planned to complement and coordinate with services provided to CalWORKs (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200.5) of Part 3 of Division 9) recipients whose families receive mental health treatment services. (k) A defined partnership between the children’s system of care program and family members of children who have been or are currently being served in the county mental health system. This partnership shall include family member involvement in ongoing discussions and decisions regarding policy development, program administration, service development, and service delivery. (Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 520, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2001.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

treatmenteducationperformancepopulationhospitalschoollienhealth

Related Statutes

  • § 5866 County Mental Health Collaboration
  • § 5612 Mental Health Performance Measures
  • § 4012 Mental Health Department Coordination
  • § 5614 Behavioral Health Compliance Protocol
  • § 5840 County Mental Health Prevention

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 5865.
View Official Source