Authority: Title 2.1, Chapter 46, Code of Virginia.
A. Out of this appropriation, $859,257 the first year and $859,257 the second year from the general fund shall be paid into the trust fund on the books of the State Comptroller, designated as "Community Services Trust Fund for Youth and Families". The general fund balance in the Fund shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year, but shall be reappropriated for expenditure in the succeeding fiscal year.
B. The Department of Education shall serve as fiscal agent to administer funds cited in Paragraphs A and C. The Director of the Department of Planning and Budget shall have authority to transfer the amounts cited in each of these paragraphs to the Department of Education.
C.1.a. Out of this appropriation, $78,629,223 from the general fund and $14,267,032 from nongeneral funds in the first year and $68,460,751 from the general fund and $30,890,661 from nongeneral funds in the second year, shall be used for the state pool of funds, pursuant to §2.1-757, Code of Virginia. This appropriation shall consist of a Medicaid pool allocation, and a non-Medicaid pool allocation.
b. The Medicaid state pool allocation shall consist of $3,407,254 from the general fund and $5,847,034 from nongeneral funds in the first year and $13,094,376 from the general fund and $22,470,663 from nongeneral funds in the second year. The Office of Comprehensive Services will transfer these funds to the Department of Medical Assistance Services as they are needed to pay Medicaid provider claims.
c. Revenue derived from local governments for the local match share of Medicaid provider payments, when collected by the Office of Comprehensive Services on behalf of the Department of Medical Assistance Services, shall be paid into a special fund on the books of the State Comptroller, designated as "Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund." Revenues in the Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund shall be transferred by the Office of Comprehensive Services to the Department of Medical Assistance Services as needed for reimbursement of the local match share of Medicaid provider claims. Revenues in the Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year, but shall be reappropriated for expenditure in the succeeding fiscal year.
d. The non-Medicaid state pool allocation shall consist of $75,221,969 from the general fund and $8,419,998 in nongeneral funds in the first year and $55,366,375 from the general fund and $8,419,998 in nongeneral funds in the second year. The nongeneral funds shall be transferred from the Department of Social Services.
2.a. Out of this appropriation, $20,163,615 from the general fund and $1,000,000 from nongeneral funds in the first year and $25,910,343 from the general fund and $1,000,000 from nongeneral funds in the second year shall be set aside to pay for the state share of supplemental requests from localities that have exceeded their state allocation for mandated services. The nongeneral funds shall be transferred from the Department of Social Services.
b. Localities requesting funding from the set aside in paragraph 2.a must demonstrate that their request is based upon an increase in the number of mandated children or that the treatment costs have increased due to the service needs of the children. Localities must also demonstrate they are in compliance with all the provisions of the Comprehensive Services Act, including uniform assessment, family assessment team reviews, and data collection.
3. Each locality receiving funds for activities under the Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) shall have a utilization management process, approved by the State Executive Council, covering all CSA services, and beginning July 1, 1998, shall provide information as required by the Office of Comprehensive Services, to include, but not be limited to expenditures, number of youth served in specific CSA activities, length of stay for residents in core licensed residential facilities, and proportion of youth placed in treatment settings suggested by a uniform assessment instrument.
4. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources, in consultation with the Secretaries of Education and Public Safety, shall direct the actions for the Departments of Social Services, Education, Juvenile Justice, Medical Assistance Services, Health, and Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, to implement, as part of ongoing information systems development and refinement, changes necessary for state and local agencies to fulfill CSA reporting needs.
5. The State Executive Council shall provide localities with technical assistance on ways to control costs and on opportunities for alternative funding sources beyond funds available through the state pool.
6. Out of this appropriation, $50,000 from the general fund each year is provided for a combination of regional and statewide meetings for technical assistance to local community policy and management teams, family assessment and planning teams, and local fiscal agents. Training shall include, but not be limited to, cost containment measures, utilization management, use of alternate revenue sources, and administrative and fiscal issues. A state-supported institution of higher education, in cooperation with the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Municipal League, and the State Executive Council, may assist in the provisions of this paragraph. Any funds unexpended for this purpose in the first year shall be reappropriated for the same use in the second year.
7. The State Executive Council shall work with the Department of Medical Assistance Services' existing preauthorization and utilization management contract with a qualified medical review organization, in order to provide utilization management of residential placements provided to youth under the Comprehensive Services Act that are not Medicaid eligible. A payment of $175,000 each year from the general fund shall be transferred to the Department of Medical Assistance Services for such utilization management services. The Department of Medical Assistance Services, in cooperation with representatives of the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Municipal League, and the State Executive Council shall develop the criteria and guidelines to be followed by the utilization management provider.
8. The State Executive Council shall implement a uniform assessment instrument, by July 1, 1998, consistent with the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's findings from its review of the Comprehensive Services Act. The Council shall report by January 1, 1999, to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, on the instrument selected and its effectiveness in determining the needs of families for wrap-around services.
9. The Office of Comprehensive Services shall determine a mechanism for reporting children served by the program, that will allow for data to be collected on the number of foster care children receiving only maintenance payments, and the amount paid for these children.
10. Under the direction of the State Executive Council, the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, in collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall conduct a study to estimate the cost and number of juveniles who would meet acute and severe risk criteria, but do not currently receive services under the Comprehensive Services Act. The study shall determine the number of children meeting the criteria for acute and severe risk by assessing juveniles who come before selected courts on status offenses or delinquency petitions using a uniform assessment instrument adopted by the State Executive Council for the Comprehensive Services Act. The Office of the Secretary shall select juveniles from a representative sample of urban, suburban and rural courts to derive the estimate. The Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court and the Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice shall provide an estimate on the number of juveniles meeting the criteria, the type of services the juveniles would require, and an estimated cost for these services to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by December 30, 1998.
D. The funding formula to carry out the provisions of the Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth and Families is as follows:
1. Allocations. The state pool fund allocation for the Medicaid and non-Medicaid allocations shall be the amount specified in paragraphs C.1.b and C.1.d in this item. The funds shall be allocated to each locality based on each locality's percentage of actual 1997 Comprehensive Services Act program expenditures to total 1997 program expenditures.
2. Local Match. All localities are required to appropriate a local match for the base year funding consisting of the actual aggregate local match rate based on actual total 1997 program expenditures for the Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth and Families. This local match rate shall also apply to all reimbursements under this item, including trust fund reimbursements under paragraph A in this item as well as administrative reimbursements under paragraph D.3 in this item. Revenue derived from local governments for the local match share of Medicaid provider payments, when collected by the Office of Comprehensive Services on behalf of the Department of Medical Assistance Services, shall be paid into a special fund on the books of the State Comptroller, designated as "Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund." Revenues in the Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund shall be transferred by the Office of Comprehensive Services to the Department of Medical Assistance Services as needed for reimbursement of the local match share of Medicaid provider claims. Revenues in the Comprehensive Services Act Local Match Fund shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year, but shall be reappropriated for expenditure in the succeeding fiscal year.
3. Local Administrative Costs. Out of this appropriation, an amount not to exceed $638,549 in state funds shall be allocated among all localities for administrative costs. Every locality shall be required to appropriate a local match based on the local match contribution in paragraph D.2 of this item. Inclusive of the state allocation and local matching funds, every locality shall receive the larger of $5,000 or an amount equal to one percent of the total pool allocation. No locality shall receive more than $25,000, inclusive of the state allocation and local matching funds.
4. Definition. For purposes of the funding formula in the Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth and Families, "locality" means city or county.
E. Any unexpended balance in this item on June 30 each year shall not revert to the general fund but shall be reappropriated for expenditure in the succeeding year.