Section 5897.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, the State Department of Health Care Services shall implement the mental health services provided by Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) of this division through contracts with county mental health programs or counties acting jointly. A contract may be exclusive and may be awarded on a geographic basis. As used herein a county mental health program includes a city receiving funds pursuant to Section 5701.5.

(b) Two or more counties acting jointly may agree to deliver or subcontract for the delivery of such mental health services. The agreement may encompass all or any part of the mental health services provided pursuant to these parts. Any agreement between counties shall delineate each county's responsibilities and fiscal liability.

(c) The department shall implement the provisions of Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.2 (commencing with Section 5830), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) of this division through the annual county mental health services performance contract, as specified in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 5650) of Part 2 of Division 5.

(d) When a county mental health program is not in compliance with its performance contract, the department may request a plan of correction with a specific timeline to achieve improvements.

(e) Contracts awarded by the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Mental Health Planning Council, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.1 (commencing with Section 5820), Part 3.2 (commencing with Section 5830), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), Part 3.7 (commencing with Section 5845), Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850), and Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 5890) of this division, may be awarded in the same manner in which contracts are awarded pursuant to Section 5814 and the provisions of subdivisions (g) and (h) of Section 5814 shall apply to such contracts.

(f) For purposes of Section 5775, the allocation of funds pursuant to Section 5892 which are used to provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries shall be included in calculating anticipated county matching funds and the transfer to the State Department of Health Care Services of the anticipated county matching funds needed for community mental health programs.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 23, Sec. 69. Effective June 27, 2012. Note: This section was added on Nov. 2, 2004, by initiative Prop. 63.)