Cal. WIC § 5840.6 — California Code / Code wic / Division 5 / Part 3.6 / Chapter 2 / Section 5840.6
Section 5840.6
Status: repealed

[Repealed (in Sec. 52) and added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 790, Sec. 53.   (SB 326)   Effective April 17, 2024.   Approved in Proposition 1 at the March 5, 2024, election.     Operative July 1, 2026, by its own provisions.]
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “County” includes a city receiving funds pursuant to Section 5701.5.

(b) “Early intervention funds” means funds from the Behavioral Health Services Fund allocated for early intervention services and programs pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 5892.

(c) “Childhood trauma early intervention” refers to a program that targets eligible children and youth exposed to, or who are at risk of exposure to, adverse and traumatic childhood events and prolonged toxic stress in order to deal with the early origins of mental health and substance use disorder needs and prevent long-term mental health and substance use disorder concerns. This may include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Focused outreach and early intervention to at-risk and in-need populations, including youth experiencing homelessness, justice-involved youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and child welfare-involved youth.

(2) Implementation of appropriate trauma and developmental screening and assessment tools with linkages to early intervention services to eligible children and youth who qualify for these services.

(3) Collaborative, strengths-based approaches that appreciate the resilience of trauma survivors and support their parents and caregivers when appropriate.

(4) Support from peer support specialists, wellness coaches, and community health workers trained to provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment services with an emphasis on culturally and linguistically tailored approaches.

(5) Multigenerational family engagement, education, and support for navigation and service referrals across systems that aid the healthy development of children and youth and their families.

(6) Collaboration with county child welfare agencies and other system partners, including Medi-Cal managed care plans, as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 14184.101, and homeless youth service providers, to address the physical and behavioral health-related needs and social needs of child-welfare-involved youth.

(7) Linkages to primary care health settings, including, but not limited to, federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, community-based providers, school-based health centers, school-linked providers, and school-based programs and community-based organizations specializing in serving underserved communities.

(8) Leveraging the healing value of traditional cultural connections and faith-based organizations, including policies, protocols, and processes that are responsive to the racial, ethnic, and cultural needs of individuals served and recognition of historical trauma.

(9) Blended funding streams to provide individuals and families experiencing toxic stress comprehensive and integrated supports across systems.

(10) Partnerships with local educational agencies and school-based behavioral health professionals to identify and address children exposed to, or who are at risk of exposure to, adverse and traumatic childhood events and prolonged toxic stress.

(d) “Early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 5835 and may include programming across the age span.

(e) “Youth outreach and engagement” means strategies that target out-of-school youth and secondary schoolage youth, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Establishing direct linkages for youth to community-based mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.

(2) Participating in evidence-based practices and community-defined evidence programs for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.

(3) Providing supports to facilitate access to services and programs, including those utilizing community-defined evidence practices, for underserved and vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, members of ethnically and racially diverse communities, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and veterans.

(4) Establishing direct linkages for students to community-based mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for which reimbursement is available through the students’ health coverage.

(5) Reducing racial disparities in access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.

(6) Providing school employees and students with education and training in early identification, intervention, and referral of students with mental health and substance use disorder needs.

(7) Strategies and programs for youth with signs of behavioral or emotional problems or substance misuse who are at risk of, or have had, contact with the child welfare or juvenile justice system.

(8) Integrated youth mental health and substance use disorder programming.

(f) “Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate intervention” refers to a program that creates critical linkages with community-based organizations, including, but not limited to, clinics licensed or operated under subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code and clinics exempt from clinic licensure pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code. The community-based organizations include facilities and providers licensed or certified by the State Department of Health Care Services, including, but not limited to, residential substance use disorder facilities licensed pursuant to Section 11834.01 of the Health and Safety Code or certified pursuant to Section 11830.1 of the Health and Safety Code and narcotic treatment programs licensed pursuant to Section 11839 of the Health and Safety Code. Community-based organizations may also include those organizations that provide community-defined evidence practices.

(1) “Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate” means the ability to reach underserved cultural populations and address specific barriers related to racial, ethnic, cultural, language, gender, age, economic, or other disparities in mental health and substance use disorder treatment services access, quality, and outcomes.

(2) “Underserved cultural populations” means those who are unlikely to seek help from providers of traditional mental health and substance use disorder services because of stigma, lack of knowledge, or other barriers, including members of ethnically and racially diverse communities, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and veterans, across their lifespans.

(g) “Strategies targeting the mental health and substance use disorder needs of older adults” means, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Outreach and engagement strategies that target caregivers, victims of elder abuse, and individuals who live alone.

(2) Outreach to older adults who are isolated.

(3) Programs for early identification of mental health disorders and substance use disorders.

(h) “Community-defined evidence practices” is defined as an alternative or complement to evidence-based practices, that offer culturally anchored interventions that reflect the values, practices, histories, and lived-experiences of the communities they serve. These practices come from the community and the organizations that serve them and are found to yield positive results as determined by community consensus over time.

(i) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2026, if amendments to the Mental Health Service Act are approved by the voters at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election.

[Amended (as amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 40, Sec. 40) by Stats. 2025, Ch. 243, Sec. 16.   (SB 862)   Effective January 1, 2026.   Inoperative July 1, 2026, by its own provisions.    Repealed as of January 1, 2027, by its own provisions.    See later operative version added by Sec. 53 of Stats. 2023, Ch. 790.    Note: Amended in Prop. 1 at the March 5, 2024, election.]
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Commission” means the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission established pursuant to Section 5845.

(b) “County” also includes a city receiving funds pursuant to Section 5701.5.

(c) “Prevention and early intervention funds” means funds from the Behavioral Health Services Fund allocated for prevention and early intervention programs pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 5892.

(d) “Childhood trauma prevention and early intervention” refers to a program that targets children exposed to, or who are at risk of exposure to, adverse and traumatic childhood events and prolonged toxic stress in order to deal with the early origins of mental health needs and prevent long-term mental health concerns. This may include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Focused outreach and early intervention to at-risk and in-need populations.

(2) Implementation of appropriate trauma and developmental screening and assessment tools with linkages to early intervention services to children that qualify for these services.

(3) Collaborative, strengths-based approaches that appreciate the resilience of trauma survivors and support their parents and caregivers when appropriate.

(4) Support from peer support specialists and community health workers trained to provide mental health services.

(5) Multigenerational family engagement, education, and support for navigation and service referrals across systems that aid the healthy development of children and families.

(6) Linkages to primary care health settings, including, but not limited to, federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, community-based providers, school-based health centers, and school-based programs.

(7) Leveraging the healing value of traditional cultural connections, including policies, protocols, and processes that are responsive to the racial, ethnic, and cultural needs of individuals served and recognition of historical trauma.

(8) Coordinated and blended funding streams to ensure individuals and families experiencing toxic stress have comprehensive and integrated supports across systems.

(e) “Early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 5835 and may include programming across the age span.

(f) “Youth outreach and engagement” means strategies that target secondary school and transition age youth, with a priority on partnerships with college mental health programs that educate and engage students and provide either on-campus, off-campus, or linkages to mental health services not provided through the campus to students who are attending colleges and universities, including, but not limited to, public community colleges. Outreach and engagement may include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Meeting the mental health needs of students that cannot be met through existing education funds.

(2) Establishing direct linkages for students to community-based mental health services.

(3) Addressing direct services, including, but not limited to, increasing college mental health staff-to-student ratios and decreasing wait times.

(4) Participating in evidence-based and community-defined best practice programs for mental health services.

(5) Serving underserved and vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and veterans.

(6) Establishing direct linkages for students to community-based mental health services for which reimbursement is available through the students’ health coverage.

(7) Reducing racial disparities in access to mental health services.

(8) Funding mental health stigma reduction training and activities.

(9) Providing college employees and students with education and training in early identification, intervention, and referral of students with mental health needs.

(10) Interventions for youth with signs of behavioral or emotional problems who are at risk of, or have had any, contact with the juvenile justice system.

(11) Integrated youth mental health programming.

(12) Suicide prevention programming.

(g) “Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate prevention and intervention” refers to a program that creates critical linkages with community-based organizations, including, but not limited to, clinics licensed or operated under subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code, or clinics exempt from clinic licensure pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code.

(1) “Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate” means the ability to reach underserved cultural populations and address specific barriers related to racial, ethnic, cultural, language, gender, age, economic, or other disparities in mental health services access, quality, and outcomes.

(2) “Underserved cultural populations” means those who are unlikely to seek help from any traditional mental health service because of stigma, lack of knowledge, or other barriers, including members of ethnically and racially diverse communities, members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities, and veterans, across their lifespans.

(h) “Strategies targeting the mental health needs of older adults” means, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Outreach and engagement strategies that target caregivers, victims of elder abuse, and individuals who live alone.

(2) Suicide prevention programming.

(3) Outreach to older adults who are isolated.

(4) Early identification programming of mental health symptoms and disorders, including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

(i) If amendments to the Mental Health Services Act are approved by the voters at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election, this section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2026, and as of January 1, 2027, is repealed.