Bill Text: TX SB137 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a counseling and crisis management program for relative or other designated caregivers and children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-15 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB137 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB137-Introduced.html
| 88R2754 AMF-D | ||
| By: West | S.B. No. 137 | |
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| relating to a counseling and crisis management program for relative | ||
| or other designated caregivers and children in the managing | ||
| conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective | ||
| Services. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 264, Family Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 264.7553 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 264.7553. COUNSELING AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR | ||
| RELATIVE OR OTHER DESIGNATED CAREGIVER PLACEMENTS. (a) The | ||
| department shall develop a counseling and crisis management program | ||
| to provide mental and behavioral telehealth services and mobile | ||
| mental and behavioral health intervention services to relative or | ||
| other designated caregivers and children in the managing | ||
| conservatorship of the department who are placed with relative or | ||
| other designated caregivers. | ||
| (b) Mental and behavioral telehealth services provided | ||
| under this section must be: | ||
| (1) accessible electronically through the use of a | ||
| computer or telephone application; and | ||
| (2) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. | ||
| (c) Mobile mental and behavioral health intervention | ||
| services provided under this section must be: | ||
| (1) deployed to the location of the child or the | ||
| relative or other designated caregiver requiring intervention | ||
| services; and | ||
| (2) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. | ||
| (d) Services described by this section may only be provided | ||
| by: | ||
| (1) a licensed psychologist; | ||
| (2) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as | ||
| defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code; | ||
| (3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by | ||
| Section 503.002, Occupations Code; | ||
| (4) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by | ||
| Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or | ||
| (5) any similarly qualified mental health | ||
| professional as established by department rule. | ||
| (e) The department shall, to the extent possible, seek | ||
| reimbursement from the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, | ||
| Human Resources Code, or a health plan that provides health | ||
| coverage for services described by this section to relative or | ||
| other designated caregivers and children. | ||
| (f) The department may contract with an outside vendor to | ||
| provide services described by this section. | ||
| (g) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to | ||
| implement this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective | ||
| date of this Act, the commissioner of the Department of Family and | ||
| Protective Services shall adopt the rules necessary to implement | ||
| Section 264.7553, Family Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (b) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall | ||
| begin providing the services required under Section 264.7553, | ||
| Family Code, as added by this Act, as follows: | ||
| (1) mental and behavioral telehealth services, not | ||
| later than January 1, 2024; and | ||
| (2) mobile mental and behavioral health intervention | ||
| services, not later than January 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
