(a) (1) The State Department of Social Services shall license transitional housing placement providers pursuant to this chapter.

(2) A transitional housing placement provider may operate either of the following programs, as described in Section 16522.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code:

(A) A Transitional Housing Placement program for participants who are minor foster children.

(B) A Transitional Housing Placement program for participants who are nonminor dependents.

(3) Prior to licensure, a transitional housing placement provider shall obtain program certification from the applicable county, in accordance with Section 16522.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. For purposes of this paragraph, “applicable county” means the county where the administrative office or subadministrative office of a transitional housing placement provider is located, or a primary placing county.

(b) Transitional housing placement providers shall provide supervised transitional housing services to foster children who are at least 16 years of age.

(c) Transitional housing placement providers shall certify that housing units are adequate, safe, and sanitary.

(d) Transitional housing units shall include any of the following:

(1) A host family certified by a transitional housing placement provider with whom a participant lives in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium owned, rented, or leased by the host family.

(2) A staffed site in which a participant lives in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium owned, rented, or leased by a transitional housing placement provider either with an adult employee of the provider who provides supervision or in a building in which one or more adult employees of the provider reside and provide supervision.

(3) A remote site in which a participant lives independently in an apartment, single-family dwelling, or condominium owned, rented, or leased by a transitional housing placement provider under the supervision of the provider if the department provides approval. The remote site shall only be available to nonminor dependents.

(e) (1) A transitional housing placement provider may cosign a lease with a nonminor dependent as specified by the department.

(2) A participant shall not be permitted to solely sign a rental or lease agreement.

(f) A transitional housing placement provider’s plan of operation shall include a program statement. The program statement shall contain a description of the core services and supports, as set forth in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 11463 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and as prescribed by the department, to be offered to participants, as appropriate or as necessary.

(g) (1) The department shall adopt regulations to govern transitional housing placement providers licensed pursuant to this section.

(2) The regulations shall be age appropriate and recognize that nonminor dependents who are about to exit from the foster care system should be subject to fewer restrictions than those who are foster children. At a minimum, the regulations shall provide for all of the following:

(A) Require programs that serve both minor foster children and nonminor dependents to have separate rules and program design, as appropriate, for these two groups of youth.

(B) Allow nonminor dependents to have the greatest amount of freedom possible in order to prepare them for their transition to adulthood, in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 1502.7.

(C) Maintain a program staffing ratio for minor foster children of case manager to participant not to exceed 1 to 12, inclusive.

(D) Maintain a program staffing ratio for nonminor dependents of case manager to participant not to exceed a shared average caseload of 1 to 12, inclusive, with a designated lead case manager assigned to each youth.

(E) Allow a nonminor dependent participant to share a bedroom in a transitional housing unit with any of the following persons:

(i) Another participant as approved by the provider.

(ii) A participant in Transitional Housing Program-Plus, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as approved by the provider.

(iii) A nonparticipant roommate as approved by the provider on a case-by-case basis, as specified by the department.

(iv) The participant’s children.

(v) Any other person as specified by the department.

(F) Allow a minor participant to share a bedroom in a transitional housing unit with any of the following persons:

(i) Another participant as approved by the provider.

(ii) A participant in Transitional Housing Program-Plus, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as approved by the provider.

(iii) The participant’s children.

(iv) A nonparticipant roommate as approved by the provider on a case-by-case basis, as specified by the department.

(v) Any other person as specified by the department.

(G) Any adult who is not a participant, including participants in Transitional Housing Program-Plus, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and who resides with a participant shall obtain a criminal record clearance or exemption in accordance with Section 1522.

(h) (1) A program manager for a Transitional Housing Placement program for nonminor dependents shall have a master’s degree or higher from an accredited or state-approved graduate school, or equivalent education and experience, as determined by the department.

(2) Persons who possess a master’s degree or higher from an accredited or state-approved graduate school in any of the following areas, or equivalent education and experience, as determined by the department, shall be considered to be qualified to perform program manager activities in a Transitional Housing Placement program for nonminor dependents:

(A) Marriage, family, and child counseling.

(B) Child psychology.

(C) Child development.

(D) Counseling psychology.

(E) Social psychology.

(F) Clinical psychology.

(G) Educational psychology.

(H) Education, with emphasis on counseling.

(I) Social work or social welfare.

(J) An area that includes the counseling or psychotherapy content required for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, as specified in Sections 4999.32 and 4999.33 of the Business and Professions Code.

(K) A subject area that is functionally equivalent to those listed in subparagraphs (A) to (J), inclusive, as set forth by the department.

(i) (1) (A) In addition to the degree specifications in subdivision (h), a program manager for a Transitional Housing Placement program for nonminor dependents shall have a minimum of two years’ experience in a public or private child welfare social services setting or specific experience working with transition age youth who are 16 to 24 years of age, inclusive.

(B) Documentation of the completed education and experience requirements shall be maintained in the personnel file.

(C) A transitional housing placement provider may request an exception, as specified in subdivision (j), for a person who does not meet the requirements specified in this subdivision or subdivision (h).

(D) Persons who were hired as program managers prior to January 1, 2018, shall not be required to meet the requirements of this subdivision in order to remain employed as program managers.

(j) (1) A transitional housing placement provider shall apply to the department, using the process established by the department, to request an exception to the requirements of subdivision (h) or (i) based on completion of equivalent education and experience.

(2) The department may grant exceptions to the requirements described in subdivisions (h) and (i) if the person to whom the exception would apply has a baccalaureate degree from an accredited or state-approved college or university.

(3) The department shall approve or deny exceptions to the requirements described in subdivisions (h) and (i) within 30 days of receiving the exception request from the provider.

(k) (1) A case manager for a Transitional Housing Placement program for nonminor dependents shall meet either of the following requirements:

(A) A minimum of a baccalaureate degree in any of the areas specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h).

(B) A minimum of a baccalaureate degree in an area not specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) and a minimum of two years’ experience in a public or private child welfare social services setting, or specific experience working with transition age youth who are 16 to 24 years of age, inclusive.

(2) Documentation of the completed education and experience requirements shall be maintained in the personnel file.

(3) Persons who were hired as case managers prior to January 1, 2018, shall not be required to meet the requirements of this subdivision in order to remain employed as a case manager.

(4) A transitional housing placement provider shall apply to the department, using the process established by the department, to request an exception to the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) based on completion of equivalent education and experience shall apply to the department using the process established by the department.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 731, Sec. 4. (SB 612) Effective January 1, 2018.)