Section 5860.

(a) Final selection of county proposals shall be subject to the amount of funding approved for expansion of services under this part.

(b) Counties shall use funds distributed under this part only in support of a mental health system serving seriously emotionally disturbed children in accordance with the principles and program requirements associated with the system of care model described in this part. The State Department of Mental Health shall audit and monitor the use of these funds to ensure that the funds are used solely in support of the children's system of care program and in accordance with the performance contract described in subdivision (c). If county programs receiving children's system of care funding do not comply with program and audit requirements determined by the department, funds shall be redistributed to other counties to implement, expand, or model children's system of care programs.

(c) The department shall enter into annual performance contracts with the selected counties and enter into training and consultation contracts as necessary to fulfill its obligations under this part. These annual performance contracts shall be in addition to the county mental health services performance contracts submitted to the department under Section 5650. Any changes in the staffing patterns or protocols, or both, approved in the original program proposal shall be identified and justified in these annual performance contracts. Annual performance contracts filed by counties operating the program as of January 1, 2001, shall, if approved by the department, serve as the baseline contract for purposes of this subdivision. The contracts shall be exempt from the requirements of the Public Contract Code and the State Administrative Manual and shall be exempt from approval by the Department of General Services.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 520, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2001.)