(a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 1502.4, a community care facility licensed as a group home for children pursuant to this chapter may only accept for placement, and provide care and supervision to, a child assessed as seriously emotionally disturbed as long as the child does not need inpatient care in a licensed health facility, as defined in Section 1250.

(2) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “Health facility” has the meaning set forth in Section 1250.

(B) “Seriously emotionally disturbed” has the same meaning as that term is used in subdivision (a) of Section 5600.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b) If a child described in subdivision (a) is placed into a group home program classified at rate classification level 13 or rate classification level 14 pursuant to Section 11462.015 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the licensee shall meet both of the following requirements:

(1) The licensee shall agree to accept, for placement into its group home program, only children who have been assessed as seriously emotionally disturbed by either of the following:

(A) An interagency placement committee, as described in Section 4096.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code or by a licensed mental health professional, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(B) A licensed mental health professional, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 4096 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, if the child is privately placed or only county funded.

(2) The program is certified by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to Section 4096.55 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as a program that provides mental health treatment services for seriously emotionally disturbed children.

(c) The department shall not evaluate, or have any responsibility or liability with regard to the evaluation of, the mental health treatment services provided pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 910, Sec. 2. (AB 1930) Effective January 1, 2019.)