SECTIONS 16522-16522.6 - California Statutes

WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE

SECTION 16522-16522.6

16522. (a) The State Department of Social Services shall adopt
regulations to govern county transitional housing placement programs
that provide supervised housing services to persons at least 16 years
of age and not more than 18 years of age, except as provided in
Section 11403, and who meet all of the following conditions:
(1) Meet the requirements of Section 11401.
(2) Are in out-of-home placement under the supervision of the
county department of social services or the county probation
department.
(3) Are participating in, or have successfully completed an
independent living program.
(b) A transitional housing program may also serve any person under
21 years of age who is receiving aid under Section 11403.1.
(c) The department may structure statewide implementation of
transitional housing placement programs on a phased-in basis.
(d) Transitional housing placement program services shall include
any of the following:
(1) Programs in which one or more participants in the program live
in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium with an
adult employee of the provider.
(2) Programs in which a participant lives independently in an
apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium rented or leased by
the provider located in a building in which one or more adult
employees of the provider reside and provide supervision.
(3) Programs in which a participant lives independently in an
apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium rented or leased by
a provider under the supervision of the provider if the State
Department of Social Services provides approval.
(e) The regulations shall be age-appropriate and recognize that
youth who are about to emancipate from the foster care system should
be subject to fewer restrictions than those who are younger. At a
minimum, the regulations shall provide for both of the following:
(1) Require programs that serve youth who are both in and out of
the foster care system to have separate rules and program design, as
appropriate, for these two groups of youth.
(2) Allow youth who have emancipated from the foster care system
to have the greatest amount of freedom possible in order to prepare
them for self-sufficiency.

16522.1. In order to be licensed pursuant to Section 1559.110 of
the Health and Safety Code, an applicant shall obtain certification
from the county department of social services or the county probation
department that the facility program provides all of the following:
(a) (1) Admission criteria for participants in the program,
including, but not limited to, consideration of the applicant's age,
previous placement history, delinquency history, history of drug or
alcohol abuse, current strengths, level of education, mental health
history, medical history, prospects for successful participation in
the program, and work experience. Youth who are wards of the court
described in Section 602 and youth receiving psychotropic medications
shall be eligible for consideration to participate in the program,
and shall not be automatically excluded due to these factors.
(2) The department shall review the admission criteria to ensure
that the criteria are sufficient to protect participants and that
they do not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic listed or
defined in Section 11135 of the Government Code.
(b) Strict employment criteria that include a consideration of the
employee's age, drug or alcohol history, and experience in working
with persons in this age group.
(c) A training program designed to educate employees who work
directly with participants about the characteristics of persons in
this age group placed in long-term care settings, and designed to
ensure that these employees are able to adequately supervise and
counsel participants and to provide them with training in independent
living skills.
(d) A detailed plan for monitoring the placement of persons under
the licensee's care.
(e) A contract between the participating person and the licensee
that specifically sets out the requirements for each party, and in
which the licensee and the participant agree to the requirements of
this article.
(f) An allowance to be provided to each participant in the
program. In the case of a participant living independently, this
allowance shall be sufficient for the participant to purchase food
and other necessities.
(g) A system for payment for utilities, telephone, and rent.
(h) Policies regarding all of the following:
(1) Education requirements.
(2) Work expectations.
(3) Savings requirements.
(4) Personal safety.
(5) Visitors, including, but not limited to, visitation by the
placement auditor pursuant to subdivision (d).
(6) Emergencies.
(7) Medical problems.
(8) Disciplinary measures.
(9) Child care.
(10) Pregnancy.
(11) Curfew.
(12) Apartment cleanliness.
(13) Use of utilities and telephone.
(14) Budgeting.
(15) Care of furnishings.
(16) Decorating of apartments.
(17) Cars.
(18) Lending or borrowing money.
(19) Unauthorized purchases.
(20) Dating.
(21) Grounds for termination that may include, but shall not be
limited to, illegal activities or harboring runaways.
(i) Apartment furnishings, and a policy on disposition of the
furnishings when the participant completes the program.
(j) Evaluation of the participant's progress in the program and
reporting to the independent living program and to the department
regarding that progress.
(k) A linkage to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29
U.S.C. Sec. 2801 et seq.) program administered in the local area to
provide employment training to eligible participants.

16522.2. Persons may participate in the supervised transitional
housing placement programs only with the permission of both the
independent living program of the county in which the program is
located and the county department of social services or the county
probation department that has custody of the person.

16522.5. Prior to approval of supervised transitional housing
placement programs in a county, the department shall approve a plan
submitted by the county's independent living program that includes
assurances that the independent living program shall participate
actively in the screening of candidates for this program and shall
assist the licensed agency in the supervision of clients
participating in the program.

16522.6. The department shall make information available to the
Legislature upon request regarding services rendered pursuant to this
article.