This is an email that I received from Lorrie Davis, Mount Diablo CAC President:
In October 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut our AB 3632 Mental Health funding which is the funding that pays for our students with disabilities to receive their entitled and necessary AB 3632 mental health services by county mental health agencies. This loss of funding means our district is now responsible for providing the mental health services without additional funding to cover the cost. One residential treatment program for a student costs between $200,000 and $300,000 a year.
According to County Mental Health, as of December 31, 2010:
County Mental Health will not provide any further out-of-state services, as board and care dollars have been eliminated, and County Mental Health cannot be reimbursed for day treatment costs for out-of-state programs (regardless of whether or not the student is eligible for Medi-Cal or not).
County Mental Health will continue to provide in-state day treatment programs for Medi-Cal eligible students (only) who meet the medical necessity criteria; Education will need to provide the NPS cost and board and care expenses for any student requiring residential treatment.
Education will need to provide all services not provided through a families private insurance for non Medi-Cal students.
Many of the statewide education and parent advocacy organizations have banded together in an effort to create a grassroots legislative campaign focused on restoring the funding; however, we NEED parents to individually assist in this effort. It is imperative that we advocate strongly with our local legislators to seek immediate restoration of this funding.
Attached is a Legislative Advocacy Tool Kit. It is intended to assist with local advocacy efforts and includes sample letters. However, it is definitely more powerful if we can personalize our letters. PLEASE help by writing our legislators NOW and keep the pressure on by following up with them weekly until this funding issue is resolved.
Thank you.
Lorrie
AB3632 Service Chart
AB3632 Tool Kit Text
AB3632 Tool Kit PDF
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