Section 5855.

The State Department of Health Care Services shall adopt as part of its overall mission the development of community-based, comprehensive, interagency systems of care that target seriously emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children separated from their families or at risk of separation from their families, as defined in Section 5856. These comprehensive, interagency systems of care shall seek to provide the highest benefit to children, their families, and the community at the lowest cost to the public sector. Essential values shall be as follows:

(a) Family preservation. Children shall be maintained in their homes with their families whenever possible.

(b) Least restrictive setting. Children shall be placed in the least restrictive and least costly setting appropriate to their needs when out-of-home placement is necessary.

(c) Natural setting. Children benefit most from mental health services in their natural environments, where they live and learn, such as home, school, foster home, or a juvenile detention center.

(d) Interagency collaboration and a coordinated service delivery system. The primary child-serving agencies, such as social services, probation, education, health, and mental health agencies, shall collaborate at the policy, management, and service levels to provide a coordinated, goal-directed system of care for seriously emotionally disturbed children and their families.

(e) Family involvement. Family participation is an integral part of assessment, intervention, and evaluation.

(f) Cultural competence. Service effectiveness is dependent upon both culturally relevant and competent service delivery.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 34, Sec. 200. Effective June 27, 2012.)