18991.4. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 325, Sec. 1.)

(a) (1) Notwithstanding the dates provided in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 18991.2, the County of San Diego and any other county may, upon approval of their respective county board of supervisors, each operate an integrated and comprehensive county health and human services system.

(2) A system described in paragraph (1) shall comply with the requirements of this section and is subject to the approval of the California Health and Human Services Agency. The California Health and Human Services Agency shall grant approval for a county if the county furnishes a certified copy of a current ordinance or resolution authorizing an integrated and comprehensive health and human services system in that county.

(b) In providing services through an integrated system to families and individuals, the system may, among other things, do both of the following:

(1) Maintain and evaluate a system of administration that integrates and coordinates the management and support of client services.

(2) Maintain a system of reporting and accountability that provides for the combined provision of services without the loss of state or federal funds provided under current law.

(c) The integrated and comprehensive county health and human services system may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

(1) Adoption services.

(2) Child abuse prevention services.

(3) Child welfare services.

(4) Delinquency prevention services.

(5) Drug and alcohol services.

(6) Mental health services.

(7) Eligibility determination.

(8) Employment and training services.

(9) Foster care services.

(10) Health services.

(11) Public health services.

(12) Housing services.

(13) Medically indigent program services.

(14) Veterans’ services.

(15) Aging services.

(16) Any other related program as designated by the board of supervisors.

(d) The county shall comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws that govern medical and social service information, including, but not limited to, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code), the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and Sections 827, 5328, and 10850.

(e) Programs or services shall be included in the system only to the extent that federal funding to either the state or the county will not be reduced as a result of the inclusion of the services in the project.

(f) This section does not authorize the county to discontinue meeting its obligations under current law to provide services or to reduce its accountability for the provision of these services.

(g) The county shall utilize any and all state general funds and county funds that it is legally allocated or entitled to receive. Through the creation of integrated health and social services structures, the county shall maximize federal matching funds. This integration shall not result in increased expenditures from the State General Fund.

(h) The appropriate state departments, as designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, that are assisting, participating, and cooperating in the program authorized by this section shall have the authority to waive regulations, with the concurrence of the county, regarding the method of providing services and the method of reporting and accountability, as may be required to meet the goals set forth in subdivision (b). However, the departments shall not waive regulations pertaining to privacy and confidentiality of records, civil service merit systems, or collective bargaining. The departments shall not waive regulations if the waiver results in a diminished amount or level of services or benefits to eligible recipients as compared to the benefits and services that would have been provided to recipients absent the waiver.