SECTIONS 5690-5693.5 - California Statutes

WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE

SECTION 5690-5693.5

5690. It is the intent of the Legislature to, encourage the
establishment in each county of a system of community vocational
rehabilitation and employment services, for persons with serious
psychiatric disabilities. It is further the intent of the Legislature
that there be a range of available services whenever possible in
each county based on the principle that work is an essential element
in the local mental health treatment and support system.

5691. (a) Counties may implement the community vocational
rehabilitation system described in this chapter with existing county
allocations, funds available from the Department of Rehabilitation
and other state and federal agencies.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that on an annual basis
five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or 17 percent, whichever is
less, of the total federal funds available to the State of
California pursuant to Section 611 of the Stewart B. McKinney
Homeless Assistance Act, Public Law 100-77 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 290aa)
shall be used to fund services pursuant to this chapter for homeless
mentally disabled persons and those at risk of becoming homeless who
have been identified pursuant to Chapter 2.6 (commencing with Section
5680).
Counties may not use these funds to provide services, including,
but not limited to, vocational services, which could be funded by the
Department of Rehabilitation.

5692. The State Department of Mental Health shall, to the extent
resources are available, have responsibility for the provision of
technical assistance, maximizing federal revenue, and ensuring
coordination with other state agencies including implementing and
coordinating interagency agreements between the Department of
Rehabilitation and the State Department of Mental Health.

5692.5. Programs that constitute the community vocational
rehabilitation system are of the following types:
(a) Prevocational programs should be, but are not limited to,
components of day treatment programs, socialization and activity
centers, board-and-care facilities, and skilled nursing-special
treatment programs. Prevocational programs may use individual and
group counseling, educational groups, volunteer service programs, and
other modalities to emphasize to individuals the value of work and
their right to employment.
(b) Vocational programs providing linkage and coordination for the
system and which provide the following:
(1) Information, outreach, and referral services which provide
ongoing liaison with assessment prevocational programs.
(2) Intake and evaluation services which may use vocational
testing and analysis of work history to identify vocational
strengths, weaknesses, and needs. The assessment findings should be
used by the client and the program to negotiate the goals and
objectives of an individual vocational plan.
(3) Work experience programs which consist of time-limited work
opportunities that enable participants to develop work skills and
establish a work history. These programs may include, but not be
limited to, agency-operated businesses, work placements in the
community, or other activities that provide a realistic work
environment.
(4) Individual and group counseling services which are separated
from the work experience component; individual counseling to assist
clients in resolving problems related to the work situation, to
update and renegotiate the individual vocational plan, and to assist
clients with nonwork-related problems that affect their participation
in the program; group counseling to address Social Security
Administration rules and regulations: the effects of medication on
work performance, the relationship between work and mental health,
attributes and attitudes necessary for successful employment,
job-seeking skills, and other related topics.
(5) Job development, placement, and referral services which assist
clients in the following areas: obtaining competitive employment;
admission to job training or education programs; referral to the
Department of Rehabilitation; agency operated competitive employment
programs; governmental and private sector affirmative action hiring
programs for the disabled; or other specialized employment programs.
If employment, training, or education programs are not suitable for a
client, the client should be actively referred back to a
prevocational program or other mental health program that best meets
his or her current needs.
(6) Support services which may include peer support groups and job
clubs to assist clients in obtaining and maintaining employment;
ongoing client counseling and placement followup; employer training,
consultation, and placement followup services; and consultation
services to prevocational programs.
(7) The preferred method to deliver the vocational rehabilitation
services described in this section is supported employment.

5693. The following principles should guide development of
community vocational rehabilitation systems:
(a) Work:
(1) Work should be meaningful, necessary, and have value to the
individual performing it.
(2) For individuals participating in vocational programs every
effort should be made to pay them the minimum wage. However, in all
cases, wages paid shall be in compliance with all relevant state and
federal labor laws.
(3) That work will result in the development of attributes that
will enhance further employability.
(b) Staff:
(1) Staffing patterns at all levels should reflect the cultural,
linguistic, ethnic, racial, disability, sexual, and other social
characteristics of the community the program serves.
(2) All participating programs should take affirmative action to
encourage the application and employment of consumers and former
consumers of the mental health system at all program levels.
(3) Programs should be designed to use multidisciplinary
professional consultation and staff to meet the specific needs of
clients.
(4) When operating a business enterprise, programs should employ
individuals with the business, management, supervisorial, trade, and
occupational skills necessary for successful operation.
(5) Programs should, where appropriate, employ paraprofessionals.
(6) Programs should develop and implement staff training and
development plans for personnel at all levels.
(c) Facilities:
(1) The individual elements of the system should, where possible,
be in separate facilities.
(2) Facilities housing vocational and employment programs should
be modeled on competitive businesses operating in the community.
(3) Facilities shall be in compliance with all relevant state and
federal safety, health, and accessibility regulations.
(d) System:
(1) Counties developing a community vocational rehabilitation
system should utilize existing program resources to develop
prevocational programs and a referral base for vocational programs.
(2) Individual programs operate most effectively within the
context of a complete system. Counties undertaking development of a
community vocational rehabilitation system should commit themselves
to the implementation of regionally integrated prevocational and
vocational programs.
(3) Rural counties, where appropriate, should be encouraged to
develop intercounty systems, or to integrate their programs with
programs serving other target populations.
(4) The system should have the capacity to deliver services
tailored to individual needs. If a program is found to be unsuitable
for a client at a specific time, an explanation will be provided to
the client and he or she shall be referred to a more suitable program
and encouraged to reapply. The system should have policies designed
to meet changing client needs and to work with individuals over time
to develop their vocational potential.

5693.2. Counties undertaking development of a community vocational
rehabilitation system are encouraged to establish an advisory group
consisting of primary consumers, parents, representatives from the
business community, and other individuals who may provide assistance
in developing the system.

5693.5. The director shall provide technical assistance to those
counties developing a community vocational rehabilitation system. In
the event that the department lacks sufficient resources to provide
technical assistance, it may be provided by contract.